ASBESTOS FIBER TYPES
Learn the significance of asbestos fiber types

The main types of asbestos are those consisting of straight fibers (amphiboles), of which the most important are crocidolite (“blue asbestos”), amosite (“brown asbestos”), tremolite, and anthophyllite, and those with curly fibers, of which there is only one important type, namely chrysotile (“white asbestos”).

These fibers all differ in their diameters and lengths and also in their ability to resist breakdown in biological tissues. Chrysotile is by far the most widely used. It also has the fastest clearance from the body. Most diseases seem to be mainly associated with the amphiboles.

Environmental exposures are reported only for the amphiboles, probably due to the fact that chrysotile breaks down to a much larger extent.

Crocidolite is the most dangerous of the asbestos fibers and is not mined any more. It has certain abilities, such as a high resistance to acids, which made it a very useful industrial substance.

Amosite is also nowadays rarely used. Tremolite has been mined only to small extent but is a common contaminant of chrysotile, talc and many other ores, such as nickel and iron, all over the world. In addition, it is a common mineral, occurring in outcrops in many places of the world.

Anthophyllite has been mined in Finland and Japan, but it has today no industrial use. Erionite, finally, is not a very common mineral. It was formed under certain conditions in volcanic areas of the world and contaminates other zeolite formations there.

Courtesy of The EPA