Ricerc@Sapienza

We perform the structural and crystal chemical characterization of asbestos and other mineral fibres not yet restricted or regulated. We study the modifications induced, both at the bulk and surface, by their prolonged immersion in solutions mimicking the body fluids to unravel correlations between the physical chemical features of the mineral fibres and their toxicity/carcinogenicity. We are evaluating the hazard of the so-called NOA (Naturally Occurring Asbestos), i.e. fibrous minerals in their natural setting. We investigate the relationships between lithology, mineralogy and structural setting of asbestos bearing outcrops and the crystal chemistry of the fibres. We perform thermal treatments of ACM (Asbestos Containing Materials) aimed at their inertisation by analysing in situ the ongoing structural, chemical and morphological modifications induced by heating and we evaluate the residual reactivity of the fibres. These topics are truly interdisciplinary and are studied using a multi-analytical approach. The results are published in highly ranked journals.