Dissolution Reaction and Surface Modification of UICC Amosite in Mimicked Gamble’s Solution: A Step towards Filling the Gap between Asbestos Toxicity and Its Crystal Chemical Features
Alessandro Pacella,
Paolo Ballirano,
Maria Cristina Di Carlo,
Marzia Fantauzzi,
Antonella Rossi,
Elisa Nardi,
Cecilia Viti,
Lorenzo Arrizza,
Antonella Campopiano,
Annapaola Cannizzaro,
Andrea Bloise,
Maria Rita Montereali
Affiliations
Alessandro Pacella
Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Paolo Ballirano
Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Maria Cristina Di Carlo
Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
Marzia Fantauzzi
INSTM Research Unit, Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
Antonella Rossi
INSTM Research Unit, Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
Elisa Nardi
Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, ISPRA, Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144 Rome, Italy
Cecilia Viti
Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100 Siena, Italy
Lorenzo Arrizza
Microscopy Center, University of L’ Aquila, Via Vetoio, Locality Coppito, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Antonella Campopiano
Department of Medicine, Epidemiology, Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078 Rome, Italy
Annapaola Cannizzaro
Department of Medicine, Epidemiology, Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078 Rome, Italy
Andrea Bloise
Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Calabria, V. P. Bucci, 87036 Arcavacata di Rende, Italy
Maria Rita Montereali
Italian National Agency for New Technologies, ENEA, Casaccia Research Centre, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
This study focuses on the dissolution process and surface characterization of amosite fibres following interaction with a mimicked Gamble’s solution at a pH of 4.5 and T = 37 °C, up to 720 h. To achieve this, a multi-analytical approach was adopted, and the results were compared to those previously obtained on a sample of asbestos tremolite and UICC crocidolite, which were investigated under the same experimental conditions. Combining surface chemical data obtained by XPS with cation release quantified by ICP-OES, an incongruent behaviour of the fibre dissolution was highlighted for amosite fibres, similarly to asbestos tremolite and UICC crocidolite. In particular, a preferential release of Mg and Ca from the amphibole structure was observed, in agreement with their Madelung site energies. Notably, no Fe release from amosite fibres was detected in our experimental conditions (pH of 4.5 and atmospheric pO2), despite the occurrence of Fe(II) at the M(4) site of the amphibole structure, where cations are expected to be rapidly leached out during mineral dissolution. Moreover, the oxidation of both the Fe centres initially present on the fibre surface and those promoted from the bulk, because of the erosion of the outmost layers, was observed. Since biodurability (i.e., the resistance to dissolution) is one of the most important toxicity parameters, the knowledge of the surface alteration of asbestos possibly occurring in vivo may help to understand the mechanisms at the basis of its long-term toxicity.
