title: Change of carcinogenic chrysotile fibers in the asbestos cement (eternit) to harmless waste by artificial carbonatization: petrological and technological results.
abstract: Asbestos cement materials, mainly the eternit roof ceiling, being widely applied in the past, represent a serious environmental load. The solar radiation, rain and frost cause the deliberation of cement from the eternit roofing and consequently the wind contaminates the surrounding area by the asbestos (chrysotile) fibers. In combination with other carcinogens (e.g. smoking), or at reduced immunity of a man, they may cause serious respiratory diseases and lung cancer. The article presents the procedure and experimental results of artificial carbonatization, applied in the asbestos cement (eternit). The wet crushed and pulverized asbestos cement was thermally modified at 650°C and then the chrysotile fibers easily and completely reacted with the mixture of CO2 and water, producing new Mg-rich carbonates - hydromagnesite and magnesite: [Formula: see text] Applying this methodology, the asbestos-bearing waste can be stabilized and environmentally friendly permanently deposited. Finding a way of neutralizing of extreme pH values (around 12) at large eternit dumps represents also an asset of presented research. Simultaneously, the artificial carbonatization of chrysotile asbestos, applying CO2, offers an alternative way for permanent liquidation of a part of industrial CO2 emissions, contributing to multiple benefit of this methodology.
authors.affiliation: State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr, Mlynská dolina 1, SK-817 04 Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radvanec
authors.forename: L'ubomír
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tuček
authors.forename: Ján
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Derco
authors.forename: Katarína
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Čechovská
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Németh
mesh_terms: D017632:Asbestos, Serpentine / Q000737:chemistry*; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000737:chemistry*; D003252:Construction Materials; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008274:Magnesium / Q000737:chemistry; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*; D014866:Waste Products
chemical_list: D017632:Asbestos, Serpentine; D002273:Carcinogens; D014866:Waste Products; C005479:magnesium carbonate; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D008274:Magnesium