Mineral Fibres

In the last decades, there has been increasing interest in Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) and asbestos containing materials (ACMs) as a source of possible environmental risk. A crucial theme of interest related to environmental pollution is the enhanced mobilization of asbestos minerals affecting soils and rocks due to human activities (e.g., road construction, mining activity) in comparison with natural weathering processes. The volume has aimed to gather contributions and to compare results derived from various experiences of research groups regarding NOA minerals as a source of possible environmental risks for population. Case studies from various geological contexts are presented. Moreover, contributions presenting novel and classical approaches for ACM inertization and recycling, together with possible solutions for reducing asbestos exposure, has been also presented

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

[EN]Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) hosted in asbestos elongate mineral particles is one of the factors that determines their toxic/pathogenic effects. This study quantifies and compares these elements in terms of major, minor and trace element concentrations (Si, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Be, V, As, Rb, Sb, Ba, Pb, Sr) in various types of asbestos using micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), in order to understand how they contribute to asbestos-related diseases. Chrysotile, tremolite asbestos and actinolite asbestos extracted from the Gimigliano-Mount Reventino Unit (Calabria Region, Southern Italy) were used for this study. In the minerals analysed, high concentrations of Cr (171 ppm) and Be (2.9 ppm) were found in tremolite asbestos and chrysotile respectively. When calculating the pseudo-total concentrations of trace elements in the samples, the largest amounts were detected in tremolite asbestos, followed by actinolite asbestos and chrysotile. However, since other metals such as Mn and Fe (minor elements) are known to induce toxicity, and considering their input to the overall balance, actinolite contained the largest amount of PTEs and in this case chrysotile proved to be more toxic than tremolite asbestos. Furthermore, the potential leaching of PTEs, released by chrysotile, tremolite and actinolite asbestos-containing rocks, into the soil and water supply is also discussed. Since asbestos elongate mineral particles can be widespread in the environment (i.e. air, rocks, soil, water), it is essential to quantify the toxic elements present in asbestos elongate mineral particles in order to prevent asbestos-related diseases. The knowledge obtained from this study will provide us with a better understanding of asbestos-related lung cancer.GIR CHARROC

Naturally occurring asbestos in quarries: southern Spain as a case study

[EN]The Nevado-Filábride Complex (NFC) area (southern Spain) is well known for the widespread mining and quarrying activities. Serpentinite and metabasite rock types are extracted, processed and traded as building and ornamental stones. Due to possible presence of Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) minerals in these lithotypes, the aim of the investigation of this paper is to discern about the presence of these fibrous minerals and to characterize them in detail. In order to do this, seven serpentinite rock samples were collected in four quarries located in Sierra Nevada and Sierra de los Filabres (South-eastern Spain) and studied by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRPD), Scanning Electron Microscopy combined with Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry (SEM/EDS), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Derivative Thermogravimetry (DTG) and by X-ray Synchrotron microtomography (SR-µCT). The investigation of asbestos minerals is very important not only from a scientific point of view, but also from a legislative one, especially for the administrative agencies that have to take decisions with regards to the implementation of health protection to workers (e. g., quarry excavations, road yards, civil constructions, building stones).GIR CHARROC

Caratterizzazione petrologica e petrofisica di xenoliti di origine profonda nelle tufobrecce mioceniche della Valle Guffari (altopiano ibleo, Sicilia)

Dottorato di ricerca in petrologia delle associazioni magmatiche. 11. ciclo. Tutore Piero Atzoni. Coordinatore Renato CristoliniConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7, Rome; Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale - Piazza Cavalleggeri, 1, Florence / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Mineralogical and Microstructural Features of Namibia Marbles: Insights about Tremolite Related to Natural Asbestos Occurrences

The Mg-rich marbles of Precambrian rocks of Namibia are widely exploited and marketed abroad for ornamental purposes. Karibib marbles, named after the locality where the most important quarries are located, are commercially known as “White Rhino Marble”. They formed under greenschist facies metamorphic conditions and may be characterized by the presence of veins of tremolite. Although the quarries, whose exploited marbles contain tremolite, do not seem to be abundant, we decided to carry out a detailed mineralogical and petrographic study on Karibib marbles in order to point out the occurrence of tremolite, whose shape may vary from prismatic to acicular, even sometimes resembling the asbestiform habitus and its geometry within the rock. With this aim, we carried out optical microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray scanning electron microscopy, and micro-Raman investigations, and also imaged the 3D fabric with micro computed X-ray tomography. The study of white marbles from Namibia and their mineral phases has an important impact, since tremolite might split into thin fibers and, therefore, being potentially harmful, the presence of tremolite requires an analysis of the risks of exposure to asbestos

A Review of the Mineralogy, Petrography, and Geochemistry of Serpentinite from Calabria Regions (Southern Italy): Problem or Georesource?

Serpentinite rocks testify to the ocean-floor metamorphism that took place and transformed the original mineralogy and fabric of previous ultramafic rocks. Due to their tectonic and petrological importance, in recent decades, there has been increasing interest in serpentinites. From the economic point of view, it is worth noting that, due to their beauty and attractiveness, serpentinite rocks have been exploited and traded as building and ornamental stones since prehistorical times worldwide. In this work, we provide a comprehensive report of the petrographic, mineralogical, petrophysical, and geochemical features of the serpentinites cropping out in the northern sector of the Calabria–Peloritani Orogen (Italy), where the historical quarries are located. Since these serpentinite rocks have been traded for a long time and employed as an excellent building material, their detailed knowledge may provide a useful tool to understand their behavior when they are employed as building materials, to predict their performances upon emplacement in monuments, and to plan correct restoration by considering the provenance of the lithotypes employed. Moreover, comprehensive characterization is also particularly important because it has been reported that serpentinites from Calabria may contain asbestiform and other fibrous minerals, as testified by the occurrence of chrysotile, tremolite, and actinolite asbestos located within the veins, which could lead to health problems due to asbestos fiber exposure. Finally, serpentinite may be considered as an important potential CO2 sequestration sink

Assessment of Serpentine Group Minerals in Soils: A Case Study from the Village of San Severino Lucano (Basilicata, Southern Italy)

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) is a generic term used to refer to both regulated and un-regulated fibrous minerals when encountered in natural geological deposits. These minerals represent a cause of health hazard, since they have been assessed as potential environmental pollutants that may occur both in rocks and derived soils. In the present work, we focused on the village of San Severino Lucano, located in the Basilicata region (southern Apennines); due to its geographic isolation from other main sources of asbestos, it represents an excellent example of hazardous and not occupational exposure of population. From the village and its surroundings, we collected eight serpentinite-derived soil samples and carried out Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Derivative Thermogravimetric (DTG) and Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (TEM-EDS), in order to perform a detailed characterization of serpentine varieties and other fibrous minerals. Investigation pointed out that chrysotile and asbestos tremolite occur in all of the samples. As for the fibrous but non-asbestos classified minerals, polygonal serpentine and fibrous antigorite were detected in a few samples. Results showed that the cultivation of soils developed upon serpentinite bedrocks were rich in harmful minerals, which if dispersed in the air can be a source of environmental pollution

ANTICHE CAPTAZIONI IDRICHE NEI DINTORNI DI PALAGONIA (CT)

Da sempre, l’acqua ha rappresentato per l’Uomo l’oggetto centrale della sua vita. Lo sapevano anche i nostri progenitori quando, sin dagli arbori dell’umanità, la ricerca e lo sfruttamento di questa risorsa hanno condizionato qualunque loro attività. Così il lavoro, gli insediamenti, gli scambi commerciali dell’essere umano hanno avuto origine e si sono sviluppati in un contesto ambientale in cui l’acqua svolgeva sempre il ruolo di protagonista. Il rapporto con l’acqua ha segnato tutte le scelte della vita e contribuito, in varia misura, allo sviluppo e all’evoluzione degli esseri umani. Basti pensare al cambiamento delle abitudini da raccoglitori-cacciatori dell’età paleolitica alle attività di agricoltori-allevatori dell’età neolitica. Una così importante rivoluzione nel modo di vivere non poteva certo avvenire senza l’influenza dell’acqua e della necessità del suo sfruttamento. Il nomade, sempre in movimento per la ricerca di cibo e di acqua, decide di diventare stanziale e costruisce i primi insediamenti lì dove l’acqua è abbondante ed il suo sfruttamento agevole; con il contributo dell’acqua avvia la coltivazione delle piante necessarie per il sostentamento proprio e degli animali che alleva

Rare earth elements absorption patterns in grapevine “Vitis vinifera L.” cultivated in carbonate terrains (south-eastern Sicily, Italy)

Vitis vinifera L. vineyards grown on carbonate soil (Hyblean Plateau, SE Sicily) have been characterized in terms of rare earth elements (REEs) distribution. Results highlighted that the absorption of REEs by plants depends on the composition of the underlying soil, which in this case derives from limestone parent rock, allowing us to recognize the area of origin. Indeed, even slight differences in REEs content in soils may affect the absorption pattern of each grapevine cultivar. Importantly, the various parts of the plants showed differences in REEs absorption; such REEs fractionation is particularly evident in the leaf and juice samples. In general, the uptake and concentrations of REEs in plant tissues may be related to many factors such as geographical, climatic and lithological features. This is also pointed out by the statistical investigation, which took into account either the grapevine variety or each part of the plant. By taking into consideration both the grape variety and the type of soil, the present “multi-elemental” approach aims to provide a useful geochemical tool for assessing the geographical origin of the production area of wine