Yesterday, we looked at Chrysotile, the 'modern' asbestos that is being mined in Canada. Today, I thought we'd look at another material - Taconite.

Just like asbestos and chrysotile, taconite is a naturally occurring substance that is mined from the earth. It is, in fact, a low grade iron ore. Years ago, when high grade iron ore was plentiful, taconite was considered to be a waste product and was not used. However, as the supply of high-grade natural ore decreased, industry began to view taconite as a resource. Many years were devoted to finding ways of extracting iron ore from taconite and, eventually, a process was developed to create taconite pellets. As a result, it was considered that taconite saved Minnesota's iron ore mining industry.

BUT

The Minnesota Department of Health have reported that men in northeastern Minnesota have twice the expected rate of mesothelioma. As we know, mesothelioma is primarily caused by asbestos but the Health Department wants to find out whether it can also be caused by fibers in the taconite on the Iron Range.

This new study of taconite miners will take up to three years to complete and will comprise of three strands as follows:

First, there will be an in-depth look at the dust in the Iron Range, particularly in Taconite mines, to determine what issues the long–term exposure to asbestos raises.

Second , medical evaluation will be undertaken with current and former miners to determine what types of lung problems they might have.

Third, recorded deaths of more than 70,000 former Iron Range miners will be analyzed to determine the exact cause of death, including mesothelioma.

Information gained from the study, should lead to better understanding of the causes of mesothelioma and other illnesses, not only in the Minnesota Iron Range miners, but globally.

Researchers look for links between taconite and mesothelioma