Driving is the New Cancer Risk

Road gravel used in at least three US states contains a cancer-causing mineral that’s more dangerous than asbestos, a new study reports. Driving on these roads can kick up dust contaminated with such high levels of the mineral erionite that motorists are at increased risk for malignant mesothelioma, cancer of membranes around the lungs or other organs. The study, published in the July 25 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to examine the health hazards of erionite exposure in the US. At least 12 states have erionite deposits.

The study, conducted in North Dakota, found that cancer-causing gravel has been used to surface hundreds of miles of roads in that state, including school bus routes, playgrounds, baseball fields, and parking lots. Earlier research by the lead study author Michele Carbone, MD, PhD, director of University of Hawaii Cancer Center, shows that in Turkish villages with high levels of erionite, mesothelioma kills up to 50 percent of residents. Outdoor air samples along some North Dakota roads equaled or even exceeded levels in these villages, creating the terrifying possibility that rates of mesothelioma may soon soar in affected states.

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What is erionite? Erionite is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that looks like asbestos. It’s found in hollows of some rock formations, creating brittle, wool-like masses of microscopic fibers. Unlike asbestos (a name used for six other mineral fibers), erionite isn’t currently regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Which states have toxic road gravel? Erionite is a hazard in the tri-state area of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, according to the study. At least 10 other states—Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico—have erionite deposits, but it’s not yet known if any roads in these states are surfaced with cancer-causing gravel since no tests have been done. Most road gravel used in the US does not contain erionite and isn’t hazardous to health, says Dr. Carbone.

How dangerous is erionite? Animal studies show that erionite is up to 800 times more likely to trigger cancer than asbestos is. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies erionite as a group 1 known carcinogen, a classification that includes arsenic, formaldehyde, and nuclear radiation. “Of the 396 fibers found in nature, erionite is the most dangerous,” says Dr. Carbone. “The epidemic of mesothelioma we saw in Turkish villages was more deadly than any other epidemic in history, since even Spanish flu didn’t kill 50 percent of the population.”

How are people exposed to erionite? Activities that disturb road gravel, such as driving, raking, or sweeping, cause microscopic fibers to become airborne, so they can be inhaled, the study reported. Outdoor levels along roads were as higher or greater than the levels that associated with a 50 percent cancer death rate in some Turkish villages. Fiber concentrations measured inside vehicles, including school buses, were comparable to levels in the Turkish village of Boyali, where 6.25 percent of all deaths are from mesothelioma. Exposure can occur by driving, biking, walking or living near roads surfaced with contaminated gravel, while its use on playgrounds and sports fields exposes kids and athletes to toxic dust.

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How long do drivers have to be exposed to get cancer? Science doesn’t have an exact answer yet, since there are few studies of erionite exposure. Based on studies of chronic exposure to asbestos, a similar fiber, says Dr. Carbone, “driving on erionite-contaminated gravel roads a few times won’t cause cancer. After a few months of frequent or daily driving, risk is probably minimal, but after ten or more years, the risk of mesothelioma rises significantly.”

Is mesothelioma on the rise in states with toxic gravel? Not yet. However, this disease takes 30 to 60 years to develop. Since erionite-contaminated gravel has only been used since the 1980s, cases of mesothelioma are likely to rise in affected states in the near future, predicts Dr. Carbone. The study notes that early reports linking asbestos to cancer were ignored for decades, resulting in an epidemic of mesothelioma deaths before health officials finally took action.

What’s the best way to protect motorists from cancer? Since erionite fibers are only hazardous if they’re airborne, paving contaminated gravel roads with asphalt would encapsulate the fibers, eliminating cancer risk, says Dr. Carbone. However, with hundreds of miles of gravel roads in affected states, doing so would be very expensive. North Dakota has removed toxic gravel from playgrounds and sports fields, while South Dakota continues to use contaminated gravel on its roads, the study reports. Later this year, the National Institutes of Health plans a conference to examine the health hazards of erionite.

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