Zeolite Mineralogy and Cappadocian Erionite

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Abstract
The discovery some 30 years ago that erionite, a fibrous zeolite mineral, induced mesotheliomas in those living in certain villages in Cappadocia engendered a vast amount of both geological/mineralogical and clinical/epidemiological work. Studies initially concentrated on three villages where the incidence of this normally rare tumour correlated with the presence of erionite, and has extended to some new villages also in the Central Anatolian region of Turkey. A consequence of the work is that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified erionite as a Group I carcinogen. This classification was based upon the evidence in humans, specific diseases from occupational exposures and health effects noted in animal and cell experiments. A large number of natural zeolites are known although erionite is the only one known to cause human disease. In the current mineralogical classification three types of erionite are described: these are known as erionite-Na, erionite-K and erionite-Ca.