Asbestos in Vermiculite : a preliminary report

Authors

  • Somchai Bovornkitti The Academy of Science, the Royal Institute, Bangkok
  • Saichol Ketusa Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetrsart University, Bangkok
  • Benjalak Karnchanasest Institute of Environmental Research, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok
  • Manop Tirarattanasompoch Scientific and Technological Research Equipment Center, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok

Keywords:

vermiculite, asbestos, tremolite, actinolite, x-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy

Abstract

Vermiculite is a mineral ore that has been used commercially in insulation for buildings, potting soil and fertilizer, among others. Some of this mineral is known to contain types of naturally occurring asbestos called tremolite and actinolite, to which people can be exposed to by breathing or ingestion.

The present study was conducted on four brands of vermiculite materials imported by Thailand from the Netherlands, the United States of America, Denmark, and Australia. Two methods were used in the study, namely x-ray diffractometry (XRD)and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results were that about half the specimens examined by XRD contained asbestos-like material, but all the specimens were negative for asbestos when using SEM. For technical reasons, the present methodologies may not be absolutely effective in identifying asbestos fibers embedded in thick layers of these materials. Further study is in progress.

Key words: vermiculite, asbestos, tremolite, actinolite, x-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy

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Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2011): April - June

Section

Original Articles