Assessment of asbestos exposure during a simulated agricultural activity in the proximity of the former asbestos mine of Balangero, Italy

Turci, Francesco; Favero‐Longo, Sergio E.; Gazzano, Claudia; Tomatis, Maura; Gentile-Garofalo, Laura; Bergamini, Massimo

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.01.056

Cited by 31 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…In recent years, EPA has attempted to advance the state-of-the-science related to asbestos and other elongated mineral particles, especially as it relates to the process and mechanisms to determine mobility of asbestos in sediment and soil, and its release to air. A key finding from this and other recent research is that in certain situations, the exposures resulting from releases of asbestos contaminated sediments and soils can lead to elevated human health risks [ 2 , 3 ]. Because of the risks to human health, it is important to be able to accurately detect and quantify the presence of asbestos in soils and sediments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Comparison of soil sampling and analytical methods for asbestos at the Sumas Mountain Asbestos Site—Working towards a toolbox for better assessment

et al. 2017

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Established soil sampling methods for asbestos are inadequate to support risk assessment and risk-based decision making at Superfund sites due to difficulties in detecting asbestos at low concentrations and difficulty in extrapolating soil concentrations to air concentrations. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) currently recommends the rigorous process of Activity Based Sampling (ABS) to characterize site exposures. The purpose of this study was to compare three soil analytical methods and two soil sampling methods to determine whether one method, or combination of methods, would yield more reliable soil asbestos data than other methods. Samples were collected using both traditional discrete (“grab”) samples and incremental sampling methodology (ISM). Analyses were conducted using polarized light microscopy (PLM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods or a combination of these two methods. Data show that the fluidized bed asbestos segregator (FBAS) followed by TEM analysis could detect asbestos at locations that were not detected using other analytical methods; however, this method exhibited high relative standard deviations, indicating the results may be more variable than other soil asbestos methods. The comparison of samples collected using ISM versus discrete techniques for asbestos resulted in no clear conclusions regarding preferred sampling method. However, analytical results for metals clearly showed that measured concentrations in ISM samples were less variable than discrete samples.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Comparison of soil sampling and analytical methods for asbestos at the Sumas Mountain Asbestos Site—Working towards a toolbox for better assessment

et al. 2017

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“…Asbestos fibre transport through soil by groundwater flow has been considered negligible (United States Environmental Protection Agence [EPA], 1978). However, there is accumulating evidence that asbestos particles may travel long distances within aquifers (Kashansky and Slyshkina, 2002;Koumantakis et al, 2009;Buck et al, 2013;Schreier and Lavkulich, 2015;Turci et al, 2016). Situations that allow or enhance the mobility of asbestos in groundwater -for example, shallow groundwater interacting with the soil surface, or disturbance of the subsurface soil -may result in the escape of fibres from capped landfills to the soil surface, where they may become airborne.…”

Section: Asbestos Mobility In Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenging Global Waste Management – Bioremediation to Detoxify Asbestos

Wallis

Emmett

Hardy

et al. 2020

Front. Environ. Sci.

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As the 21st century uncovers ever-increasing volumes of asbestos and asbestos-contaminated waste, we need a new way to stop ‘grandfather’s problem’ from becoming that of our future generations. The production of inexpensive, mechanically strong, heat resistant building materials containing asbestos has inevitably led to its use in many public and residential buildings globally. It is therefore not surprising that since the asbestos boom in the 1970s, some 30 years later, the true extent of this hidden danger was exposed. Yet, this severely toxic material continues to be produced and used in some countries, and in others the disposal options for historic uses – generally landfill – are at best unwieldy and at worst insecure. We illustrate the global scale of the asbestos problem via three case studies which describe various removal and/or end disposal issues. These case studies from both industrialised and island nations demonstrate the potential for the generation of massive amounts of asbestos contaminated soil. In each case, the final outcome of the project was influenced by factors such as cost and land availability, both increasing issues, worldwide. The reduction in the generation of asbestos containing materials will not absolve us from the necessity of handling and disposal of contaminated land. Waste treatment which relies on physico-chemical processes is expensive and does not contribute to a circular model economy ideal. Although asbestos is a mineral substance, there are naturally occurring biological-mediated processes capable of degradation (such as bioweathering). Therefore, low energy options, such as bioremediation, for the treatment for asbestos contaminated soils are worth exploring. We outline evidence pointing to the ability of microbe and plant communities to remove from asbestos the iron that contributes to its carcinogenicity. Finally, we describe the potential for a novel concept of creating ecosystems over asbestos landfills (‘activated landfills’) that utilize nature’s chelating ability to degrade this toxic product effectively.

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“…5,6 The abandoned asbestos mines leave deposits which pose a potential risk to environment and human health because they are very close to settlements, rivers, agricultural fields and pastures. 7,8 Vegetation development on the mine waste prevents wind/water erosion, reduces toxicity of heavy metals and provides aesthetic landscape. 9 Woody plants with large cover and high biomass may have an important role in the process of revegetation of waste deposits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex effect of Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle growing on asbestos deposits: Allelopathy and biogeochemistry

Grbović

Gajić

Branković

et al. 2020

JSCS

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Asbestos is widely mined and used around the globe posing a great risk to environment and human health. The main objective of this study was to determine allelopathic potential of Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle growing on the asbestos deposits at abandoned mine "Stragari" in central Serbia. The pH, content of carbon, nitrogen, calcium carbonate, available phosphorous and potassium, content of Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Mn, and phenolics were analyzed in the control asbestos (zones without vegetation cover) and plant rhizospheric asbestos. Allelopathic activity of plant species was assessed by "rhizosphere soil method", and Trifolium pratense L. and Medicago sativa L. were used as the indicator species. A. altissima showed higher allelopathic potential compared to R. pseudoacacia for T. pratense and M. sativa due to greater content of phenolics. Alleopathic activity of phenolics in rhizospheric asbestos was highly correlated with pH, content of carbon and nitrogen, available phosphate and potassium, and content of Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and Mn. A. altissima increased phenolics content in rhizospheric asbestos inhibiting the plant growth. This woody plant in spite of high allelopathic potential is suitable for revegetation of distrurbed ecosystems because it initiates pedogenesis and affects the asbestos chemistry.

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Assessment of asbestos exposure during a simulated agricultural activity in the proximity of the former asbestos mine of Balangero, Italy

Cited by 31 publications

References 23 publications

Comparison of soil sampling and analytical methods for asbestos at the Sumas Mountain Asbestos Site—Working towards a toolbox for better assessment

Comparison of soil sampling and analytical methods for asbestos at the Sumas Mountain Asbestos Site—Working towards a toolbox for better assessment

Challenging Global Waste Management – Bioremediation to Detoxify Asbestos

Complex effect of Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle growing on asbestos deposits: Allelopathy and biogeochemistry

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