I — Physico-Chemistry of Non Fibrous Phyllosilicates.- 1. The mineralogy of phyllosilicates.- 2. Geological occurrence of phyllosilicates. Application to kaolinite, talc, sepiolite and palygorskite deposits.- 3. Phyllosilicates as industrial minerals.- 4. Surface properties of phyllosilicates.- 5. Phyllosilicates: associated fibrous minerals.- 6 Concentrations of fibres in phyllosilicates.- 7. Talc. A morphological study on pseudomorphs.- 8 The physical characterization of muscovite and kaolinite dusts.- 9 Asbestos content of talcs from italian mines and fibre concentration in various commercial talcum powders used in Italy.- 10. Occurrence of Phyllosilicates in tobacco.- 11. The effect of the surface quality on the fibrogenicity of the phyllosilicates muscovite and kaolinite.- 12. Oxidizing surface properties of divalent iron-rich phyllosilicates in relation to their toxicity by oxidative stress mechanism.- 13. Solubility and surface properties of talc in a physiological fluid. Results of in vitro experiments at 37°C.- 14. Mineralogy of talc deposits.- II — Clinical and Epidemiological Evidence of Health Effects after Occupational Exposure.- 1. Respiratory disease from occupational exposure to non-fibrous phyllosilicates.- 2. Pathological features of pulmonary disease due to silicate dust inhalation.- 3. Clinical aspects of kaolin pneumoconiosis.- 4. French talc pneumoconiosis.- 5. Talc pneumoconiosis in Italy.- 6. Human pathology of kaolin and mica pneumoconioses.- 7. Palabora vermiculite.- III — Health Related Effects after Non Occupational Exposure.- 1. Talc: its cosmetic, addictive and therapeutic uses and their effects on health.- 2. Therapeutic and domestic uses of attapulgite and sepiolite.- 3. Lung retained minerals correlated with smoking, emphysema andlung cancer.- 4. Mineral particulate in the lung parenchyma of subjects not occupationally exposed to dust.- IV — Fibrogenesis — Carcinogenesis. Animal and Cell Responses to Phyllosilicates.- 1 Hypotheses on the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and cell transformation by asbestos and other mineral dusts.- 2. Review on pulmonary effects of phyllosilicates after inhalation.- 3. Intraperitoneal injection studies for the evaluation of the carcinogenicity of fibrous phyllosilicates.- 4. Review of short-term tests used for the toxicological evaluation of phyllosilicates.- 5 Toxicity of phlogopite and muscovite in vitro.- 6. Kaolin generates °OH and causes hemolysis by acting as a Fenton reagent.- 7. Some in vitro and in vitro studies carried out with talc samples.- 8. Slate dust toxicity.- 9. Biological effects of mica dust in experimental animals.- 10. Assessment of the fibrogenicity of attapulgite.- 11. Pulmonary toxicity of kaolin in rats exposed by inhalation.- V — Implications in Industrial Hygiene and in Public Health.- 1. The scientific basis for controlling exposures to phyllosilicate dust at the workplace.- 2. Control limit values in different industrialized countries: USA.- 3. Limit values: the European dimension.- 4. Occupational exposure limits for phyllosillicates in the United Kingdon.- 5. Occupational exposure limits in France.- Conclusions.
