Research · Asbestos in water and air
Asbestos in water: can fibres become airborne?
Microanalitica’s contribution to research
The research question
Can waterborne fibres migrate into the air? A study published in 2022 in Journal of Hazardous Materials investigated this process using suspensions of chrysotile from Balangero under controlled laboratory conditions.
What the study found
Under the experimental conditions investigated, fibres were observed to migrate into the air. The study also identified morphological changes during water-to-air migration that affected the analytical response of electron microscopy.
These findings relate to the simulation described in the paper; they are not a prediction applicable to every contaminated water sample or condition of use.
Microanalitica’s participation
Silvio Tinazzi is a co-author affiliated with Microanalitica Srl, alongside researchers from the University of Turin, the Scansetti Centre and CNR, and staff from RSA Balangero. Francesco Turci is the corresponding author.
A consideration for laboratories
For asbestos laboratories, this work prompts reflection on the relationship between fibre characteristics, sample preparation and microscopic observation. For separate information about our analytical performance comparisons, see our water and air schemes.
The original publication
Avataneo C. et al. (2022). Chrysotile asbestos migration in air from contaminated water: An experimental simulation. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 424, 127528.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127528 · PubMed
The bibliographic title is retained in its original language. This page provides a summary rather than reproducing the paper’s text or figures.