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Health hazards of working with serpentine and soapstone

Stone Conversations : Archive 1 : Message 00403

From: "Learning Stone" <>
Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 06:14:10 -0000
Subject: Health hazards of working with serpentine and soapstone

Hello ...

The current discussion on health problems caused by the
dust of certain kinds of stone has reminded me of this ...

In Zimbabwe there is an important trade in carved stone
curios for tourists, and in some areas a growing interest
in stone sculpture as an expression of cultural identity.

In some villages like Tengenenge, EVERYBODY does it,
starting at an early age - you can sometimes see whole
families working as a group according to their skills and
experience.

Nearly all of the stone is a variety of serpentine or
soapstone. It is rare to see face masks or any other kind
of protection. Usually the work is done in the open air, or
under cover with good ventilation.

I have never heard of this being raised as a health issue.
Do members of this group think there is a cause for concern?

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