title: Concentrations of asbestos fibers and metals in drinking water caused by natural crocidolite asbestos in the soil from a rural area.
abstract: Asbestos fibers and metals in drinking water are of significant importance to the field of asbestos toxicology. However, little is known about asbestos fibers and metals in drinking water caused by naturally occurring asbestos. Therefore, concentrations of asbestos fibers and metals in well and surface waters from asbestos and control areas were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) optical emission spectrometer, and ICP-mass spectrometry in this study. The results indicated that the mean concentration of asbestos fibers was 42.34 millions of fibers per liter by SEM, which was much higher than the permission exposure level. The main compositions of both asbestos fibers in crocidolite mineral and in drinking water were Na, Mg, Fe, and Si based on energy dispersive X-ray analysis. This revealed that the drinking water has been contaminated by asbestos fibers from crocidolite mineral in soil and rock. Except for Cr, Pb, Zn, and Mn, the mean concentrations of Ni, Na, Mg, K, Fe, Ca, and SiO2 were much higher in both surface water and well waters from the asbestos area than in well water from the control area. The results of principal component and cluster analyses indicated that the metals in surface and well waters from the asbestos area were significantly influenced by crocidolite mineral in soil and rock. In the asbestos area, the mean concentrations of asbestos fibers and Ni, Na, Mg, K, Fe, Ca, and SiO2 were higher in surface and well waters, indicating that asbestos fibers and the metals were significantly influenced by crocidolite in soil and rock.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11 A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Binggan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Bingxiong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Jiangping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xianjie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiuwu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Rongan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Tingrong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Linsheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D017638:Asbestos, Crocidolite / Q000032:analysis*; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D008670:Metals; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D017638:Asbestos, Crocidolite