Asbestos (chrysotile, Amosite, Crocidolite, Tremolite, Actinolite, and Anthophyllite)

Asbestos is the generic commercial designation for a group of naturally occurring mineral silicate fibres of the serpentine and amphibole series. These include the serpentine mineral chrysotile (also known as ‘white asbestos’), and the five amphibole minerals – actinolite, amosite (also known as ‘brown asbestos’), anthophyllite, crocidolite (also known as ‘blue asbestos’), and tremolite (IARC, 1973; USGS, 2001). The conclusions reached in this Monograph about asbestos and its carcinogenic risks apply to these six types of fibres wherever they are found, and that includes talc containing asbestiform fibres. Erionite (fibrous aluminosilicate) is evaluated in a separate Monograph in this volume. Common names, Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry numbers and idealized chemical formulae for the six fibrous silicates designated as ‘asbestos’ are presented in Table 1.1. Specific chemical and physical properties are also presented.