Asbestos fibers in talcum – is this a pharmaceutical problem?

The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause different adverse effects, especially to the lung, where the size and diameter of the fibers are critical for their toxicity. Whilst asbestos-induced diseases like lung fibrosis, pleura thickening and mesothelioma are quite common, we report on mostly unknown diseases in humans caused by asbestos. In severe cases, asbestos can cause mesotheliomas, i.e. malignant tumours of the pleura and peritoneum, with a long latency period of about 20–40 years.

First we report on a veterinary doctor in northern Germany who died from peritoneal mesothelioma within a few months after surgery. His death was most probably provoked by asbestos fibers from powdered medicinal gloves. Talcum, which is used in sports and medicinal gloves, has its natural sources in Russia, Canada and China. Chinese talcum is contaminated with up to 10% asbestos fibers. The widow of the doctor investigated the link from talcum to asbestos fibers to the mesothelioma disease, but the insurance company did not accept this causality. Talcum powder is also found in baby, body and makeup powders and is also part of the ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is likely that other tumours are also the result of talcum exposure, without this being known.

The current situation is that asbestos has been banned in Germany since 1993, in all EU member states since 2005, and also outside Europe in several states like Argentina, Australia, Chile and Saudi Arabia. The U.S.A. has not banned asbestos. This means that asbestos is still used in many products, mainly as an additive to plastics or cement.