Researchers to Investigate Potential Taconite Link to Mesothelioma

By Alison Gonzalez

Published on June 11, 2007

The study comes after a report in 2003 which concluded that men working at taconite mining and processing sites in northeastern Minnesota’s Iron Range were twice as likely to develop the rare disease, which affects approximately 2,500 people in the U.S. each year.

According to the report, 14 of 17 men who developed mesothelioma had been exposed to taconite dust as well as asbestos.

Since the report, 35 additional miners have developed mesothelioma. Because of the disease's long latency period—symptoms generally take 20 to 30 years to appear—it is likely that more miners will be affected.

The current study will compare each miner who has developed mesothelioma to several miners who show no signs of the disease. Researchers will look at the amount of exposure the workers had to both taconite dust and asbestos to analyze whether taconite was a factor in causing mesotheliomia.

Federal funding will be sought for the study, which will take about three years to conduct and cost approximately $1 million.

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