Dipartimento di Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2014;50(2):119-26. doi: 10.4415/ANN_14_02_03.
The town of Biancavilla (Sicily) was included in the National Priorities List of Contaminated Sites due to environmental dispersion of amphibole fibers owing to the extraction of materials from a local quarry. The present report summarizes results from several, hitherto unpublished, environmental surveys carried out in the area, as well as from published analyses of the chemistry and composition of fibers.
Data included here comprises environmental fiber concentrations by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis in soil, indoor and outdoor air, personal monitoring, as well as a chemical characterization of the fibers. The full chemical structure and spectroscopic characterization of fibers were obtained through a multi-analytical approach: SEM-EDS, X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), as well as Mössbauer (MS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopies.
Data analyzed provided a spatial and temporal picture of fiber concentrations in Biancavilla, and a qualitative assessment of population exposure. Results suggest that until 2000, the population had been exposed to high levels of amphibole fibers. Mitigation measures adopted since 2001, gradually reduced exposure levels to about 0.1-0.4 ff/l. Previous studies on fibrous amphiboles from Biancavilla reported considerable chemical variability. Differences in composition, especially concerning the presence of Si, Ca, Fe, and Na, were found both within and between samples. Compared to the previously investigated prismatic fluoro-edenite, these fibrous fluorine amphiboles consistently showed higher average values of Si and Fe content, whereas Ca was significantly lower, which we consider a distinctive characteristic of the fluorine fibrous variety.
The population of Biancavilla had been highly exposed to a suite of fibrous amphiboles for over 50 years. Dust mitigation measures have gradually reduced exposure, but continuous environmental follow-up is necessary in order to monitor exposure levels and prevent adverse health effects for future generations.
由于当地采石场开采材料导致闪石纤维在环境中的扩散，西西里岛的比安卡维拉镇被列入国家优先污染场地清单。本报告总结了该地区几项此前未发表的环境调查结果，以及已发表的纤维化学和成分分析结果。
本研究包括通过扫描电子显微镜与能量色散光谱（SEM-EDS）分析在土壤、室内和室外空气中、个人监测中检测纤维的环境浓度，以及纤维的化学特征。通过多分析方法（SEM-EDS、X 射线粉末衍射（XRPD）、穆斯堡尔（MS）和傅里叶变换红外（FT-IR）光谱）获得纤维的全化学结构和光谱特征。
分析的数据提供了比安卡维拉纤维浓度的时空图，并对人群暴露进行了定性评估。结果表明，直到 2000 年，人们一直暴露在高水平的闪石纤维中。自 2001 年以来采取的缓解措施逐渐将暴露水平降低到约 0.1-0.4 ff/l。之前对来自比安卡维拉的纤维状闪石的研究报告表明其化学组成存在相当大的变异性。在样品内部和之间都发现了组成上的差异，特别是 Si、Ca、Fe 和 Na 的存在。与之前研究的棱柱形氟-角闪石相比，这些纤维状氟闪石的 Si 和 Fe 含量平均明显较高，而 Ca 含量明显较低，我们认为这是氟纤维变种的一个独特特征。
比安卡维拉的居民在过去 50 多年中一直高度暴露于一系列纤维状闪石中。粉尘缓解措施已逐渐降低了暴露水平，但为了监测暴露水平并防止对后代的不良健康影响，仍需进行持续的环境跟踪。
