Chrysotile - WikiHQ

Chrysotile (/ˈkrɪsəˌtʌɪl/, /ˈkrɪsəˌtaɪl/, or /ˈkrɪsətɪl/) or white asbestos is the most commonly encountered form of asbestos, accounting for approximately 95% of the asbestos in the United States and a similar proportion in other countries. It is a soft, fibrous silicate mineral in the serpentine subgroup of phyllosilicates; as such, it is distinct from other asbestiform minerals in the amphibole group. Its idealized chemical formula is Mg(SiO)(OH). These are very difficult to distinguish in hand specimens, and polarized light microscopy

{| class="wikitable"

! Name

! Crystal system

! Type locality

! mindat.org reference

! Unit cell parameters

! Crystal structure reference

| Clinochrysotile

| monoclinic

| Złoty Stok*, Lower Silesia, Poland

| 1071

| a = 5.3 Å; b = 9.19 Å; c = 14.63 Å; β = 93°

| Orthochrysotile

| orthorhombic

| Kadapa* district, Andhra Pradesh, India

| 3025

| a = 5.34 Å; b = 9.24 Å; c = 14.2 Å

| Parachrysotile

| orthorhombic

| uncertain

| 3083

| a = 5.3 Å; b = 9.24 Å; c = 14.71 Å

| colspan=6 | Source: mindat.org. *Złoty Stok and Kadapa have formerly been known as Reichenstein and Cuddapah respectively, and these names may appear in some publications.

Clinochrysotile is the most common of the three forms, found notably at Val-des-Sources, Quebec, Canada. Its two measurable refractive indices tend to be lower than those of the other two forms. The orthorhombic paratypes may be distinguished by the fact that, for orthochrysotile, the higher of the two observable refractive indices is measured parallel to the long axis of the fibres (as for clinochrysotile); whereas for parachrysotile the higher refractive index is measured perpendicular to the long axis of the fibres.

Physical properties

left|thumb|[[scanning electron micrograph|SEM photo of chrysotile]]

Bulk chrysotile has a hardness similar to a human fingernail and is easily crumbled to fibrous strands composed of smaller bundles of fibrils. Naturally occurring fibre bundles range in length from several millimetres to more than ten centimetres,

Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) may be produced by treating chrysotile with sulfuric acid (H2SO4).

Safety concerns

thumb|Chrysotile asbestos

Chrysotile has been included with other forms of asbestos in being classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In other scientific publications, epidemiologists have published peer-reviewed scientific papers establishing that chrysotile is the main cause of pleural mesothelioma.

Chrysotile has been recommended for inclusion in the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent, an international treaty that restricts the global trade in hazardous materials. If listed, exports of chrysotile would only be permitted to countries that explicitly consent to imports. Canada, a major producer of the mineral, has been harshly criticized by the Canadian Medical Association for its opposition to including chrysotile in the convention.

According to EU Regulation 1907/2006 (REACH) the marketing and use of chrysotile, and of products containing chrysotile, are prohibited.

As of March 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized regulations banning imports of chrysotile asbestos (effective immediately) due to its link to lung cancer and mesothelioma. However, the new rules can allow up to a dozen years to phase out the use of chrysotile asbestos in some manufacturing facilities. The long phase-out period was a result of a strong lobby by Olin Corporation, a major chemical manufacturer, as well as trade groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chemistry Council. Chrysotile asbestos is now banned in more than 50 other countries.

Critics of safety regulations

1990s: Canada-European dispute GATT dispute

In May 1998, Canada requested consultations before the WTO and the European Commission concerning France's 1996 prohibition of the importation and sale of all forms of asbestos. Canada said that the French measures contravened provisions of the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and on Technical Barriers to Trade, and the GATT 1994. The EC claimed that safer substitute materials existed to take the place of asbestos. It stressed that the French measures were not discriminatory under the terms of international trade treaties, and were fully justified for public health reasons. The EC further claimed that in the July consultations, it had tried to convince Canada that the measures were justified, and that just as Canada broke off consultations, it (the EC) was in the process of submitting substantial scientific data in favour of the asbestos ban.

2000s: Canadian exports face mounting global criticism

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Government of Canada continued to claim that chrysotile was much less dangerous than other types of asbestos. Chrysotile continued to be used in new construction across Canada, in ways that are very similar to those for which chrysotile was exported. Similarly, Natural Resources Canada once stated that chrysotile, one of the fibres that make up asbestos, was not as dangerous as once thought. According to a fact sheet from 2003, "current knowledge and modern technology can successfully control the potential for health and environmental harm posed by chrysotile". The Chrysotile Institute, an association partially funded by the Canadian government, also prominently asserted that the use of chrysotile did not pose an environmental problem and the inherent risks in its use were limited to the workplace.

However, under increasing criticism by environmental groups, in May, 2012, the Canadian government stopped funding the Chrysotile Institute. As a result, the Chrysotile Institute has now closed.

The Canadian government continues to draw both domestic and international criticism for its stance on chrysotile, most recently in international meetings about the Rotterdam Convention hearings regarding chrysotile. The CFMEU pointed out that most exports go to developing countries. Canada has pressured countries, including Chile, and other UN member states to avoid chrysotile bans.

In September 2012, governments in Quebec and Canada ended official support for Canada's last asbestos mine in Asbestos, Quebec, now renamed as Val-des-Sources.

References

External links

The Chrysotile Institute
"Asbestos-containing Floor Tile and Mastic Abatement: Is there Enough Exposure to Cause Asbestos-related Disease?"
Deer William Alexander, Howie Robert Andrew, Zussman Jack, An introduction to the rock-forming minerals, , OCLC 183009096 pp. 344–352, 1992
Ledoux, RL (ed), Short course in mineralogical techniques of asbestos determination, Mineralogical Association of Canada, pp. 35–73, 185, 1979.
http://www.microlabgallery.com/ChrysotileFile.aspx Photomicrographs of parachrysotile and clinochrysotile
Nolan, RP, Langer AM, Ross M, Wicks FJ, Martin RF (eds), "The health effects of chrysotile asbestos", The Canadian Mineralogist, Special Publication 5, 2001.