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Erionite Linked to Mesothelioma Posted: 19 Apr 2009 03:47 PM PDT Scientists want to study the health effects of a mineral used widely in western North Dakota which has been linked to cancer; however volunteers are scarce. The culprit is erionite. It can collect in the lungs of people who breathe it, much like asbestos fibers, which are also slivers of rock. Erionite is mined in Killdeer Mountains, and erionite gravel covers many of the roads. State health officials and the EPA are looking for about 50 test subjects to get chest X-rays and CT scans that will be sent to researchers at the University of Cincinnati. Volunteers will be paid $100 each. Fewer than 10 people have signed up. Eric Kehr, owner of the Buckskin Bar & Grill in Killdeer, predicts the government will have a tough time finding enough volunteers. “Maybe we’d rather not know we have cancer, and if we stick our head in the sand maybe it will go away,” he said. “What can anybody do about it anyway? There is no way to blacktop all these gravel roads, so practically speaking, it’s an unsolvable problem.” State geologist Ed Murphy notified the EPA of the erionite in the region about three years ago, after he found that in Turkey, the mineral was linked to mesothelioma, though the erionite found in North Dakota is more calcium-based than that found in Turkey, which is sodium-based. The EPA says erionite is found in at least a dozen states in the West, but not at the levels in western North Dakota, where it’s used on many roads. The EPA says U.S. studies also have shown that erionite causes cancer in lab rats, though the mineral is not regulated by the agency. State Rep. Shirley Meyer of Dickinson believes the fears over erionite are overblown. “I grew up playing in that gravel pit, and if there is anyone that has been exposed to it, it would certainly be me,” said Meyer, who nevertheless said she would sign up for the study and encourage residents to do the same. Read the AP article, and if you live in the area, volunteer.

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