Pneumoconiosis is the result of the long-continued inhalation of dusts and it depends on the interaction between the man and the cloud to which he is exposed. The health effects of dusts, especially silica dust exposure have been since Egyptians had constructed the pyramids in ancient times. Subsequently, many works, including miners, milers, quarry workers, sandblasters, tunnel drivers, are occupationally exposed to mineral dusts. These workers may develop pneumoconiosis and in some instances, malignant neoplasms, particularly lung cancer, as a result of such exposures.Both quantity and quality of mineral dusts in the lungs show significant correlation with the degree of damage from pneumoconiosis. So mineralogical techniques require in pathological studies and in estimation of the airborne dusts in working places.Mineralogy has played an important role in both branches of the protective procedure. This lecture presents the knowledge on lung dust, cytotoxicity and fibrogenetic activity of minerals and control procedures for pneumoconiosis from pont of mineralogist.

This study is involved to develop new catalysts to decompose plastics, detergents and surfactants containing synthetic peptide bonds. As the first year research, the catalytic hydrolysis of amide bond in copper complex was accomplished. The hydrolysis reaction in aqueous solution was monitored by UV/VIS spectroscopy. As the pH of the solution is increased and the temperature is raised, the reaction rate increases. The reaction rate is observed as the first order kinetic behavior for the copper complex. The metal catalyzed hydrolysis mechanism is proposed via metal-hydroxide in the pH region of 5.5 to 6.3. The results of characterization of the catalytic reaction mechanism can be applied to develop new catalysts for peptide bond degradation in further research.