Glass L R, Brown R C, Hoskins J A
Carborundum Company, Niagara Falls, NY 14302 0337, USA.
Occup Environ Med. 1995 Jul;52(7):433-40. doi: 10.1136/oem.52.7.433.
To review the scientific literature on the health effects of refractory ceramic fibres (RCFs). The adverse effects of exposure to asbestos has led to concern about the potential for other fibrous materials to cause diseases. For this reason the human populations most heavily exposed to synthetic mineral fibres have been examined for any adverse effects and many types of fibre have been studied in animal experiments. One type of man made vitreous fibres (MMVFs), refractory ceramic fibres (RCFs), are principally used in thermal insulation at high temperatures--up to 1400 degrees C. As manufactured RCFs exist in a glassy, non-crystalline (sometimes called amorphous) state, they have various compositions, physical properties, and sized fibres.
All reports on the health effects of RCFs available up to the end of 1994 have been examined and the scientific literature reviewed although all publications have not necessarily been referenced.
In recent inhalation experiments conducted with both rats and hamsters at the Research and Consulting Company, Geneva, at the highest dose tested (30 mg/m3) there was an increased incidence of tumours in both species. Lower doses were only examined in the rat and at these doses there was no significant excess of lung tumours. Epidemiological investigations of workers engaged in the manufacture of ceramic fibres have shown a small excess of pleural plaques. This phenomenon is being further investigated but could be due to confounding exposures. The populations available for study are small and their exposures fairly short, but it is considered prudent that they should remain under surveillance for some time to come. This is despite the fact that present exposures in the ceramic fibre industry are low (< 1 f/ml) and are being reduced.
回顾关于难熔陶瓷纤维（RCF）对健康影响的科学文献。接触石棉的不良影响引发了人们对其他纤维材料致病可能性的担忧。因此，对接触合成矿物纤维最多的人群进行了不良反应检查，并在动物实验中对多种纤维进行了研究。一种人造玻璃纤维（MMVF），即难熔陶瓷纤维（RCF），主要用于高达1400摄氏度的高温隔热。制成后的RCF呈玻璃态、非晶态（有时称为无定形态），具有多种成分、物理特性和纤维尺寸。
查阅了截至1994年底所有关于RCF健康影响的报告，并对科学文献进行了综述，不过并非所有出版物都被引用。
在日内瓦研究与咨询公司最近用大鼠和仓鼠进行的吸入实验中，在测试的最高剂量（30毫克/立方米）下，两种动物的肿瘤发病率均有所增加。较低剂量仅在大鼠中进行了测试，在这些剂量下，肺肿瘤没有明显过量。对从事陶瓷纤维制造的工人的流行病学调查显示，胸膜斑略有增加。这一现象正在进一步调查，但可能是由于混杂暴露所致。可供研究的人群规模较小，且他们的接触时间相当短，但认为谨慎的做法是在未来一段时间内对他们进行监测。尽管事实上目前陶瓷纤维行业的接触水平较低（<1纤维/毫升）且正在降低。
