A Review of the NIOSH Roadmap for Research on Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles (2009) / Chapter Skim
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4 Recommendations and Next Steps
4 Recommendations and Next Steps
Pages 77-86
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From page 77... ...
The text of the previous three chapters discusses the issues presented in the task and provides the specific details that form the basis for the findings, each of which answers one of the task questions. Statement of Task Question 1: Is the document consistent with the state of scientific understanding of the toxicity, occupational expo sures, epidemiology, and sampling or analytical methods?
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From page 78... ...
. Statement of Task Question 2: Does the document clearly and ade quately explain the scientific rationale for research on the mineral ogy, morphology, dimensions, and surface characteristics of elongate mineral particles, and is its treatment of this issue consis tent with the state of scientific understanding of the toxicity, occupa tional exposures, and epidemiology of elongate mineral particles?
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From page 79... ...
Statement of Task Question 4: Is the research proposed likely to ef fectively address the most significant issues regarding mineralogy, morphology, dimensions, and surface characteristics of elongate mineral particles? Should any of the discussed research be omitted or revised, based on the state of scientific understanding of these is sues?
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From page 80... ...
RECOMMENDATIONS Clarify Roadmap Structure and Vision Because the NIOSH Roadmap brings together a great deal of information and a wealth of ideas on future directions for research, it is necessary for the document to have a clearly stated vision and rationale. The details of the Roadmap can all too easily overtake the view of the larger objective, and therefore the committee urges that the vision and rationale be clearly laid out in the early part of the Roadmap.
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From page 81... ...
• The overarching vision should point toward research that will differentiate effects from exposure to a range of elongate mineral particles and help deter mine the influence of size, shape, and other physical and chemical characteristics of these particles on human health. This research would identify which elongate mineral particles, or what characteristics of those particles, should be included in recommenda tions to protect the public and workers from hazard ous occupational and environmental exposures.
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From page 82... ...
Recommendation 3 Improve Terminology NIOSH should revise its Roadmap with careful attention to consistency in the use of nomenclature and terminology. The goal is that authoritative terminology should permeate re search and regulatory efforts, specifically: • For research purposes, the term elongate mineral par ticles is useful for encompassing a broad category of mineral particles of a certain dimension and aspect ratio; more specific mineralogical terminology would be needed for regulatory purposes; • Revisions should be made to the Roadmap glossary using accepted mineralogical terminology or nomen clature from the current American Geological Insti tute's Glossary of Geology or other standard texts; citations should be provided for each definition; non standard terms should be removed from the glossary and the main text; and • Terminology used in sections referring to epidemiol ogy and toxicology should also use definitions from current standard texts and be included in the glos sary with citations.
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From page 83... ...
Discussions of mineralogy in the Roadmap should be strengthened by incorporating current understanding in this field using accepted terminology and by proposing research on the fundamental mineralogical properties relevant to toxicology, epidemiology, and exposure assessment. Specifi cally, mineralogical research is needed on physical and chemical properties, biopersistence, and mineral source characterization, including the development of standard sets of tests and methodologies.
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From page 84... ...
Recommendation 6 Emphasize Interdisciplinary Efforts NIOSH should revise the Roadmap to emphasize the need for collaboration and integration of research among the min eralogical, toxicological, epidemiological, and exposure as sessment disciplines. Recommendation 7 Develop a Systematic Strategy for the Toxicological Assessment of Elongate Mineral Particles NIOSH should revise the Roadmap to describe a systematic tiered strategy for characterizing and testing the relative tox icities of elongate mineral particles and/or their mixtures.
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From page 85... ...
and private sector and nonprofit organizations with a focus on developing a research strategy that details the resources, priorities, responsibilities, and commitments needed to accomplish and evaluate this research effort. Many of the issues that require additional research to better understand the relative disease-causing potential of various types of elongate mineral particles are common both to the fields of occupational health, as pertaining
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From page 86... ...
Such a strategy might contain, in addition to the research framework and goals elaborated in the Roadmap, the following elements: • An interdisciplinary system for prioritizing research activities to ensure maximum efficiency in an environment in which not eve rything possible can reasonably be undertaken at once and mul tiple disciplines need to work together to determine the priorities; • An approximation of the resources needed to carry out high- and middle-priority efforts; and • A plan for review, evaluation, and accountability for those re ceiving support for research contained in the Roadmap. As NIOSH and other partners move forward in implementing the Roadmap, discussions are needed on successful models of establishing effective partnerships and management of research efforts to ensure a coordinated approach to address specific information gaps.
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