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Bolan S, Kempton L, McCarthy T, Wijesekara H, Piyathilake U, Jasemizad T, Padhye LP, Zhang T, Rinklebe J, Wang H, Kirkham MB, Siddique KHM, Bolan N. Sustainable management of hazardous asbestos-containing materials: Containment, stabilization and inertization. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 881:163456. [PMID: 37062308 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Asbestos is a group of six major silicate minerals that belong to the serpentine and amphibole families, and include chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite and actinolite. Weathering and human disturbance of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) can lead to the emission of asbestos dust, and the inhalation of respirable asbestos fibrous dust can lead to 'mesothelioma' cancer and other diseases, including the progressive lung disease called 'asbestosis'. There is a considerable legacy of in-situ ACMs in the built environment, and it is not practically or economically possible to safely remove ACMs from the built environment. The aim of the review is to examine the three approaches used for the sustainable management of hazardous ACMs in the built environment: containment, stabilization, and inertization or destruction. Most of the asbestos remaining in the built environment can be contained in a physically secured form so that it does not present a significant health risk of emitting toxic airborne fibres. In settings where safe removal is not practically feasible, stabilization and encapsulation can provide a promising solution, especially in areas where ACMs are exposed to weathering or disturbance. Complete destruction and inertization of asbestos can be achieved by thermal decomposition using plasma and microwave radiation. Bioremediation and chemical treatment (e.g., ultrasound with oxalic acid) have been found to be effective in the inertization of ACMs. Technologies that achieve complete destruction of ACMs are found to be attractive because the treated products can be recycled or safely disposed of in landfills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiv Bolan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, Australia
| | - Leela Kempton
- Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC), University of Wollongong, Australia
| | - Timothy McCarthy
- Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC), University of Wollongong, Australia
| | - Hasintha Wijesekara
- Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Sabaragamuwa University, Belihuloya 70140, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Tahereh Jasemizad
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Lokesh P Padhye
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Tao Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, People's Republic of China
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water- and Waste-Management, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Hailong Wang
- Biochar Engineering Technology Research Center of Guangdong Province, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong 528000, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, People's Republic of China
| | - M B Kirkham
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Nanthi Bolan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Healthy Environments And Lives (HEAL) National Research Network, Australia.
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Sandal A, Ecin SM, Koyuncu A, Durhan G, Akpinar MG, Demir AU, Cöplü L. Environmental asbestos exposure and nonmalignant pleural findings: a retrospective evaluation of a five-year chest CT repository. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2021; 77:734-743. [PMID: 34817303 DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2021.2004987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This registry-based case-control study aimed to assess the association between asbestos deposits in the birthplace and/or residence and nonmalignant pleural findings, namely pleural plaques (PPs) and pleural thickening (PT), on chest CT scans. In total, 39,472 CT scans obtained over five years in a tertiary referral hospital in Ankara, Turkey, were evaluated. Cases involving patients with PP (n = 537), PT (n = 263), PP&PT (n = 69), and controls (n = 543) from the same study base without those conditions were included. Each case group was compared to controls using unconditional logistic regression. The presence of asbestos deposits in the district of birthplace (adjusted OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.35-3.37) and both birthplace and residence (aOR = 4.32, 95% CI: 2.26-8.27) was significantly related to the PPs. As the importance of environmental asbestos exposure in Turkey continues, future prospective studies could contribute to developing screening strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulsamet Sandal
- Occupational Diseases Clinic, Ankara Gazi Mustafa Kemal Occupational and Environmental Diseases Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Seval Müzeyyen Ecin
- Occupational Diseases Clinic, Mersin City Training and Research Hospital, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Adem Koyuncu
- Occupational Diseases Clinic, Ankara Kecioren Sanatorium Ataturk Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gamze Durhan
- Department of Radiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Ahmet Ugur Demir
- Department of Chest Diseases, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Lütfi Cöplü
- Department of Chest Diseases, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
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Standardized Incidence Ratio and Standardized Mortality Ratio of Malignant Mesothelioma in a Worker Cohort Using Employment Insurance Database in Korea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010682. [PMID: 34682428 PMCID: PMC8535247 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Malignant mesothelioma is one of the appropriate indicators for assessing the carcinogenic effects of asbestos. This study compared the risk ratio of mesothelioma according to the industry in the worker cohort. A cohort was constructed using the Korean employment insurance system during 1995–2017, enrolling 13,285,895 men and 10,452,705 women. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and standardized incidence ratio (SIR) were calculated using the indirect standardization method. There were 641 malignant mesotheliomas that occurred; the SIR was significantly higher than the general population (men 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.24–1.48, women 1.44, 95% CI: 1.23–1.7). More than half (52.8%) of malignant mesothelioma cases occurred in the manufacturing (n = 240, 38.6%, SIR: men, 1.72, 95% CI: 1.37–2.15, women, 3.31, 95% CI: 1.71–5.79) and construction industries (n = 88, 14.2%, SIR: men, 1.54 95% CI: 1.33–1.78, women, 1.62 95% CI: 1.25–2.11). The accommodation and food service (men, 2.56 95% CI: 1.28–4.58, women 1.35, 95% CI: 0.65–2.48) and real estate (men 1.34, 95% CI: 0.98–1.83, women 1.95, 95% CI: 0.78–4.02) also showed a high SIR, indicating the risk of asbestos-containing materials in old buildings. The incidence of malignant mesothelioma is likely to increase in the future, given the long latency of this disease. Moreover, long-term follow-up studies will be needed.
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Lee S, Kang D, Kim Y, Kim YJ, Kim SY. Activity-Based Exposure Levels and Cancer Risk Assessment Due to Naturally Occurring Asbestos for the Residents Near Abandoned Asbestos Mines in South Korea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18105225. [PMID: 34069013 PMCID: PMC8156354 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the overall asbestos exposure intensity and assess the health risk to residents due to naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) near abandoned asbestos mines in South Korea. Of 38 mines, we found 19 with measured concentrations of NOA. We evaluated the average of airborne NOA concentrations according to the environmental exposure category. When evaluated regionally by dividing into two clusters, the mean concentrations in activity-based sampling (ABS) scenarios exceeded the Korean exposure limit (0.01 f/cc) in both clusters. Moreover, airborne NOA concentrations in agricultural activity (5.49 × 10-2 f/cc) and daily activity (6.95 × 10-2 f/cc) had the highest values for clusters A and B, respectively. The excess lifetime cancer risk of one region (cluster A) by the ABS scenarios did not exceed the Korean Ministry of the Environment's criteria for soil purification (1 × 10-4). However, one of the ABS scenarios-the daily life activity of clusters centered on Chungcheongbuk-do (cluster B)-showed an exposure of 1.08 × 10-4, greater than the limit (1 × 10-4). This indicates non negligible health damage to residents living near the abandoned asbestos mines, and it is necessary to continuously monitor and clean up the asbestos contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungho Lee
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Korea; (S.L.); (D.K.); (Y.K.)
| | - Dongmug Kang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Korea; (S.L.); (D.K.); (Y.K.)
- Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Medical College, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea;
- Environmental Health Center of Asbestos, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Korea
| | - Youngki Kim
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Korea; (S.L.); (D.K.); (Y.K.)
- Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Medical College, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea;
- Environmental Health Center of Asbestos, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Korea
| | - Yoon-Ji Kim
- Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Medical College, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea;
- Environmental Health Center of Asbestos, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Korea
| | - Se-Yeong Kim
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan 50612, Korea; (S.L.); (D.K.); (Y.K.)
- Department of Preventive and Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Medical College, Pusan National University, Yangsan 50612, Korea;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-55-360-3173
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