title: [Inhaled insoluble fibres--a significant health problem].
abstract: A survey of experimentally and/or epidemiologically proved effects of most frequent insoluble airborne fibres is presented. The most important health-related properties of fibres, important in the quantitative health risk assessment and prognosis, are described. The difference is emphasized between the effects of various asbestos types as well as the difference of toxicity and carcinogenicity between carcinogenic asbestos fibres and the fibres recommended as substitutes for asbestos. The development of related legislation in USA and EU, which resulted in the recent EU decision on the ban of all asbestos types, is described. The reported availability of substitutes as the EU justification of the ban is criticized on the basis of evidence that all the substitute fibres also possess toxic or carcinogenic properties. Authors present their own investigations on the effects of insoluble fibres in the human organism. Taking into consideration the probable future membership of Croatia in EU, they analyse the situation in Croatia in the framework of future obligation to apply the EU legislation.
authors.affiliation: Skola narodnog zdravlja Andrija Stampar Medicinskog fakulteta Sveucilista u Zagrebu.
authors.forename: Fedor
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valić
authors.forename: Dunja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beritić-Stahuljak
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cigula
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D019016:Mineral Fibers / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D019016:Mineral Fibers