[Nhcoll-l] Vermiculite as respiratory hazard

Fri Feb 9 16:48:46 EST 2018

Thanks Rob!
Is there a way we can get this translated into some other languages and spread the word among our international colleagues?

JEFF STEPHENSON
COLLECTIONS MANAGER, ZOOLOGY DEPARTMENT

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From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Dirk Neumann
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2018 2:42 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Vermiculite as respiratory hazard

Very funny coincidence - James Maclain (NHM London) just brought this up in an internal conversation. Actually there is no reason to use it, and simple paper towels surely do even better as absorbent material for IATA packaging, compared to vermiculite. For A 180 packing, the requirement is that the absorbent material must be sufficient to hold the entire fluid per packaging in case of leakage. There are no further specifications, and even toilet paper would do a perfect job, but admittedly tends to be rather unstable compared to normal paper towels when wet.

When I receive such shipments, I carefully open the outer packaging and remove the vermiculite into a large zip-lock back and immediately rinse the inner packing under water to avoid the dust; vermiculite is also VERY electrostatic, and you have it just everywhere.

Thanks for pushing this, Rob!

Have a nice weekend
Dirk

Am 09.02.2018 um 20:19 schrieb Rob Robins:
Hi Folks,
I have health and safety concerns regarding the use of vermiculite as an "outer packet" absorbency material in the shipping of  alcohol preserved specimens. We have never used vermiculite in the Florida Museum Fish Collection, but I receive many specimen shipments containing it and thus must handle it. And as anyone who has touched the stuff can attest, no matter how carefully handled, tiny particles of vermiculite end up suspended in the air one is breathing.

A number of scientific papers lead me to conclude my health and safety concerns are not unreasonable. Here's some of what I've found:

*         No matter where it was mined from, vermiculite is likely to contain fibrous minerals.

*         That few of these types of fibrous minerals have been formally classified as asbestos and regulated as such would appear to be more a function of what fibers were in use commercially at the time the regulations were created. (Baumann, F., J. P. Ambrosi, and M. Carbone. 2013. Asbestos is not just asbestos: an unrecognized health hazard. The Lancet Vol 14 June 2013).

*         To be certain, vermiculite has at times been found to contain asbestiform amphiboles (groups of needlelike silicates clumped together) such as winchite, richterite, and tremolite, the latter of which is regulated (Sullivan, P. 2007. Vermiculite, respiratory disease, and asbestos exposure in Libby, Montana: Update of a cohort mortality study. Environmental Health Perspectives Apr; 115 (4): 579-585).

My question to the list: Why is anyone using vermiculite as an absorbent when inert and safe alternatives such as polypropylene chemical spill absorbent pads are widely and cheaply available? Failing any good answer to this question, my follow up would be, can we all please stop?

Best wishes,

Rob Robins

P.S. The Baumann paper concludes thusly, and I agree:

"The restricted regulatory definition of asbestos to six fibres used commercially contributes to miscommunication and uncertainty regarding the toxic effects of some fibrous minerals. We propose that all fibrous minerals be handled as potentially pathogenic until they are proven safe. Moreover, to protect human health, a wider regulatory definition of asbestos should include all potentially carcinogenic mineral fibres, without distinction of type and commercial use."

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