Occurrence of asbestos in soils: state of the art

Abstract

In the last decades, it has been widely demonstrated the risk to human health related to asbestos fibres exposure. Many studies have mainly focused on the mineralogical and geochemical characterization of ophiolites (i.e., serpentinite and metabasite rocks) since they are the main lithotypes associated with Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA). Nevertheless, derivative soil from these rocks inherits the mineralogical and geochemical composition of bed rock and may contain hazardous fibres, thus making its examination necessary as well. This paper provides a summary of asbestos-containing soils investigation worldwide with the purpose of providing an overview of the data obtained so far. To this aim, the most relevant available literature, testifying the presence of fibrous minerals in soils have been considered. This allowed the global territory mapping in order to depict the distribution of natural asbestos in soils worldwide.

The Importance of Prevention When Working with Hazardous Materials in the Case of Serpentinite and Asbestos When Cleaning Monuments for Restoration

“…The airborne presence of asbestos fibres has been ascribed to their release from anthropic sources (e.g., from the structural and ornamental stones used in buildings), as well as from natural sources (e.g., from outcropping rocks), caused by a combination of atmospheric agents and anthropogenic activities. Pulmonary pathologies, verified in many different parts of the world, have been attributed to the rocks normally used in local buildings-for example, chrysotile and tremolite asbestos in outcropping ophiolitic rocks and soils in several regions of Italy and Spain [27][28][29][30]. The quantities of chrysotile detected in both samples after laser ablation are not negligible.…”

Plants, Microorganisms and Their Metabolites in Supporting Asbestos Detoxification—A Biological Perspective in Asbestos Treatment

“…Asbestos is a ubiquitous mineral in the environment-its rich deposits can be found in Russia (the Urals) and the US (the Appalachians), as well as in Canada, India, China, Italy, the southern part of Africa, Greece and Cyprus [15]. Asbestos minerals can form in various rock types at a wide range of temperatures and pressures.…”

“…Despite this high prevalence, the belief that environmental exposure to asbestos through water or soil was negligible persisted for some time, based on the assumption that the fibers should settle on the ground and be filtered out of the water by it [18]. However, asbestos contamination of soil has an essential role in shaping human exposure to this agent, primarily when the ground is used for agricultural purposes because human activity leads to the mobilization of fibers [15]. Assuming that asbestos fibers behave similarly to other mineral colloids in water, their mobility in soil is determined by physical factors, i.e., particle size and shape, pore size distribution in the matrix, and chemical ones-pH, ionic strength, and the presence of phosphate and dissolved organic carbon, which affect the interaction between the colloid and soil.…”

“…All asbestos is of natural origin, but the term "naturally occurring asbestos (NOA)" distinguishes between fibers found in rocks and soil that can be mobilized by human activity or weathering and those that come from industry or commercial sources [16]. In addition to the natural presence of asbestos in bedrock, its presence in the environment can result from improper disposal of materials containing it or proximity to mining/treatment centers for the mineral [15]. The most commercially used asbestos mineral is chrysotile, which forms thin, soft, and flexible fibers.…”

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) associated with asbestos chrysotile, tremolite and actinolite in the Calabria region (Italy)

“…The Calabria region is characterized by numerous areas of ophiolite outcrops (Punturo et al, 2004;Cirrincione et al, 2015;Ricchiuti et al, 2020) which are potential sources of asbestos elongate mineral particles and PTEs (e.g. Mn, Cr, Co and Ni) and are released into the environment due to naturally occurring processes (drainage, leaching) and also due to anthropic activities (mining, excavation, landscape modification), resulting in the contamination of soil, water and air (e.g., Bloise et al, 2016b;Cannata et al, 2018;Gwenzi, 2019;Ricchiuti et al, 2020).…”