Peña-Castro Margareth, Montero-Acosta Michelle, Saba Manuel
Faculty of Engineering, University of Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
Heliyon. 2023 Apr 25;9(5):e15730. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15730. eCollection 2023 May.
Asbestos, a group of minerals with unique physical and chemical properties, has been widely used in various industries. However, extensive exposure to asbestos fibers, present in the environment, has been linked to several types of cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Despite worldwide regulations prohibiting or regulating the use of this material, the uncertainty surrounding the concentrations of asbestos fibers in the environment (air and water) from different sources of exposure persists. The objective of this review paper is to identify the levels of asbestos in air and water reported in the literature based on the source of exposure in diverse contexts to assess conformity with the reference limits for this mineral. Initially, the review delineates various forms of exposure and the origin of fiber generation in the environment, whether direct or indirect. Regarding the presence of asbestos in the environment, high concentrations were identified in natural water bodies known as Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA), and there is a risk in the process of distributing drinking water due to the presence of asbestos-cement pipes. In the air, studies to determine asbestos concentrations vary based on the sources of exposure in each region or city studied. The presence of asbestos mines around the city and the intensity of vehicular traffic are some of the most relevant sources found to be related to high concentrations of asbestos fibers in the air. The present review paper features a critical review section in each chapter to highlight critical points found in the literature and suggest new methodologies/ideas to standardize future research. It emphasizes the necessity to standardize methods for measuring asbestos concentrations in air and water arising from diverse sources of exposure to enable comparisons between different regions and countries.
石棉是一组具有独特物理和化学性质的矿物，已广泛应用于各个行业。然而，大量接触环境中存在的石棉纤维与多种癌症、间皮瘤和石棉沉着病有关。尽管全球都有法规禁止或规范这种材料的使用，但不同暴露源导致的环境（空气和水）中石棉纤维浓度的不确定性依然存在。本综述论文的目的是根据不同背景下的暴露源，确定文献中报道的空气和水中的石棉水平，以评估是否符合该矿物的参考限值。首先，综述阐述了各种暴露形式以及环境中纤维产生的来源，无论是直接的还是间接的。关于环境中石棉的存在，在被称为天然存在石棉（NOA）的天然水体中发现了高浓度石棉，并且由于存在石棉水泥管道，在饮用水分配过程中存在风险。在空气中，根据所研究的每个地区或城市的暴露源，测定石棉浓度的研究各不相同。城市周边石棉矿的存在以及车辆交通强度是发现的与空气中高浓度石棉纤维相关的一些最主要来源。本综述论文在每章都设有一个批判性综述部分，以突出文献中发现的关键点，并提出新的方法/思路，为未来研究标准化。它强调必须规范测量不同暴露源产生的空气和水中石棉浓度的方法，以便能够在不同地区和国家之间进行比较。
