Assessment of Naturally Occurring Asbestos in the Area of Episcopia (Lucania, Southern Italy)

Andrea Bloise,Carmine Apollaro,Claudia Ricchiuti,Ilaria Fuoco,Alessandra Crispini,Rosalda Punturo,Eugenia Giorno,Patrizia Zumpano,Domenico Miriello,Rosanna De Rosa

doi:10.3390/fib7050045

Abstract

Over the last few years, the risk to human health related to asbestos fiber exposure has been widely demonstrated by many studies. Serpentinites are the main rocks associated with naturally occurring asbestos (NOA). In order to investigate the presence of NOA, a mineralogical study was conducted on eleven serpentinite samples collected nearby the village of Episcopia (Lucania, Southern Italy). Various analytical techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG) were used to determine the occurrence of asbestos minerals and to make morphological observations. Results pointed out that all of the samples contain asbestos minerals (e.g., tremolite, actinolite and chrysotile). Moreover, it was observed that both natural processes and human activity may disturb NOA-bearing outcrops and provoke the formation of potentially inhalable airborne dust causing the release of asbestos fibers into the environment, thereby increasing the risk to human health. For this reason, our study aims to highlight the requirement of a natural asbestos survey and periodic update in the area.

Highlights

Today, it is widely accepted in the scientific community that exposure to asbestos bring to the development of negative health issues
In this context, aiming to point out the eventual presence of asbestos minerals within the serpentinite rocks cropping out in the surroundings of the Episcopia village (Figure 1), we collected eleven rock samples, studied them and crossed the data obtained from different analytical techniques (i.e., X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and derivative thermogravimetry (DTG))
X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and thermogravimetric analysis electron microscopy combined with energy spectrometry and (TGA-DTG)

Summary

Introduction

It is widely accepted in the scientific community that exposure to asbestos bring to the development of negative health issues. Chrysotile is one of the three principal serpentine polymorphs (chrysotile, lizardite, and antigorite), and it occurs with a fibrous habit [17] It is constituted by tetrahedral silica-oxygen groups (SiO4 ) (T) connected to brucite-type Mg(OH) octahedral sheets (O) by sharing of oxygen atoms, forming structures having the ideal formula Mg3 Si2 O5 (OH)4 [17]. The release of asbestos fibers in the environment is the result of both natural weathering processes (e.g., erosion) and human activities (e.g., excavation or road construction), which may disturb NOA outcrops and provoke the formation of potentially inhalable airborne dust [6,21], causing one or more respiratory diseases that could occur after a long latency time (e.g., [1]). A detailed mineralogical characterization of asbestos minerals present in the area of the Episcopia village is still lacking in the literature.

Materials and Methods

Results and Discussion

Conclusions