Thorax 1986;41:161-166 Editorial

Mineral fibres and mesothelioma There has been considerable recent interest in the sug-gestion that mineral fibres other than asbestos might be associated with mesotheliomas in the pleural and peritoneal cavities. Compared with the wealth of in-formation on the consequences of exposure to asbes-tos, information about the effects of other fibrous minerals is sparse and much of it is of a preliminary nature. In this editorial the relationship between fibrous minerals and mesothelioma will be considered under the following headings: (1) asbestos minerals of commercial value; (2) asbestos minerals as potential environmental contaminants; (3) naturally occurring fibrous minerals as potential environmental con-taminants; (4) synthetic mineral fibres