State health officials are recruiting volunteers for a medical study. They wish to study residents of western North Dakota who have had long-term exposure to erionite, an asbestos-like mineral that can collect in the lungs of people who breathe it. The Environmental Protection Agency has also become interested in this study.

Health officials say hundreds of miles of roads in western North Dakota are covered with gravel containing erionite. Erionite is a mineral found in a chalky white rock; this mineral has been mined for decades in Dunn, Slope and Stark counties.

State geologist Ed Murphy alerted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the presence of erionite in the region years ago. Federal and state officials have been testing rocks and airborne samples since that initial report was filed. However, they say more tests, including tests on humans, are needed.

In other countries around the globe, erionite has been studied and found to be problematic. In the nation of Turkey, erionite has been linked to mesothelioma. This is striking, as mesothelioma (an incurable form of lung cancer) is almost always associated with asbestos exposure.

Health officials want to test about 50 volunteers who have been exposed to erionite dust for more than 20 years. People who have worked in gravel pits or on road crews are good candidates, according to Mr. Dihle. EPA officials have said that erionite is found in at least a dozen states in the West, but not at the levels in North Dakota. Erionite is not a substance currently regulated by the EPA.

Volunteers chosen for the study will be paid $100. The government will not pay for treatment of any medical problems that may be found in individuals as a result of the tests, however.

Source:

Grand Forks Herald

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