Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) in rock and soil and relation with human activities: the monitoring example of selected sites in Calabria (southern Italy)

The major aim of our research is to assess the occurrence, within the serpentinites andserpentinite-derivate soils located in the area of Sila Piccola (northern Calabria), ofasbestiform minerals that could be potentially harmful for human health. At this purpose,nine serpentinite rock samples and three agricultural soils have been collected nearby twoinhabited centres (Gimigliano and Conflenti towns) and characterized in detail by means ofPolarized Light Microscopy (PLM), X-Ray Powder Diffractometry (XRPD), ScanningElectron Microscopy combined with Energy-Dispersive Spectrometry (SEM/EDS). Furthercharacterization by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric (TG)and by μ-Raman spectroscopy (μ-R) have allowed the discrimination among the threeserpentine polytypes. Serpentinites from Gimigliano mainly consist of lizardite, antigoritewhile chrysotile is the dominant asbestos phase in the samples from Conflenti. Moreover inboth investigated sample groups asbestos tremolite- actinolite was also detected.Furthermore, high amounts of chrysotile and asbestos tremolite-actinolite were found inagricultural soils, suggesting that human activities can disturb and provoke the release ofinhalable asbestos in the atmosphere, triggering thus mechanisms of hazardous expositionfor population.