Presented here are recent data on the mechanisms of action of different dusts and fibres of industrial interest. Emphasis is placed on the use of cell and organ culture and lavage cell populations obtained from man and laboratory animals to elucidate cellular and molecular events occurring after their interaction with fibrous and non-fibrous particulates including metal compounds. In four sections, the volume provides research findings in the following areas: - Cellular and Metabolic Changes Caused by Mineral Dusts - Molecular Changes and DNA Alterations Produced by Mineral Dusts - In Vivo Dust-Related Pathological Processes. Correlations Between in Vitro and in Vivo Data - Physico-Chemical Properties of Minerals in Relation to Their Biological Effects.