Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring silicates—chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. Exposure to asbestos is a well-documented cause of pulmonary and pleural fibrosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, illnesses that may appear many years after exposure.

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   Mechanism of toxicity. Biopersistence in the lungs is a key property of inhaled asbestos fibers longer than 5 micrometers (shorter fibers are more easily cleared from the lungs) and is associated with induction of fibrosis, lung cancer, and malignant mesothelioma in rodent models. Exposure to long asbestos fibers has been shown to activate the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and intracellular signaling pathways, leading to cell proliferation. Asbestos fibers have also been shown to interfere physically with the mitotic apparatus. Cigarette smoking enhances the risk for lung cancer in asbestos-exposed individuals.

   
   
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   Toxic dose.

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