2-3. ENVIRONMENTAL PROB-LEMS CAUSED BY MINERLAS

2-3-1. Types of Environmental Problems

• Direct (Primary) – Caused by mineral itself• Ingestion• Aspiration• Contact

• Secondary – Caused by the results of reac-tions or other processes involving minerals (e.g. acid rain, acid mine drainages, water pollu-tion, etc.)

Yellow dust in Seoul

http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=webmsm&logNo=50166700732

2-3-2. Particulates & Health

• (Potentially) hazardous minerals

• Fibrous: Asbestos, erionite, mordenite, palygorskite, sepiolite, brucite, chlorite, goethite, lepidocrosite

• Nonfibrous: Silica (quartz), kaolinite, vermiculite, talc, mica, boehmite

Asbestos (serpentine) Mordenite

Vermiculite

Mica (muscovite)

• Potential health hazards by particulate mat-ter (PM)

• Pneumoconiosis• Silicosis• Asbestosis• Other respiratory diseases• Cancers: Lung, stomach, esophagus• Pleural plaques, diffuse thickening• Mesothelioma

2-3-3. Asbestos

• Introduction

• Asbestos: asbestoz “inquenchable” “inextinguishable”

• Fibrous silicate minerals: serpentine & amphiboles

• White, brown, blue & others

tremolite

crocidolite

chrysotile

Asbestos fibre

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos

• Properties & Use• Properties:

• Mineral: insulation (heat, electricity), resistance against fire & chemical reaction, incombustibility

• Fibre: flexibility, capability of being woven, sound-absorbing

• Uses• (See the table on the next page)

Properties Application examples

Fire resistance,flame retardance,heat insulation

Building materials- interior and outsideFire-proof materials, e.g. clothsSeals for heaters and ovensHeat insulators

Electric insulationInsulators for pipes and electrical devicesCommutators

Resistance against chem-ical reactions (corrosion)

Chemical filters, PaintsGasketsExperimental apparatuses

Sound absorption Sound absorbing board

http://www.asbestos.com/as-sets/images/asbestos_house_diagram.png

Brief History• B.C. ca. 3,000 Scandinavian remains – used in

porcelain and filler among the logs• 1C : Greek island Evvoia – Asbestos mining

querry• Early Greek-Roman: unflammable clothes and

building materials• Pliny the Elder: Thought to be used for the protec-

tion from the curse

Pliny the Elder (23-79), a.k.a. Caius Plinius Secundus, Gaius Plinius Secundis. Author of the grand encyclopedia "Naturalis Historiae".

• Ancient Egyptian: Used for Parao’s mummy• Ancient Persian: Imported from China, Used for the cloths for

deaths, thought as feather of saramanda (phoenix)• Others: Lamp wick of tomb, Cure for itching

Saramanda on a tile from ancient Iranian heritage

http://www.metmuseum.org

14

• In medieval times, asbestos was frequently used for the insulation of armor

• Some fraud merchants made cross with asbestos and deceive people with it as if that was a part of the cross on which Jesus Christ was nailed (hung, executed)

• 1897, A doctor diagnosed lung malfunctioning due to aspiration of asbestos dust in Vienna

• Early 1900s, speculated a relation between the pul-monary disease/fatality of miners and the asbestos as-piration

• 1906, documented the evidence of fibrosis by post mortem exam

• 1908, Metropolitan Insurance co. charged higher fees for asbestos workers

• 1923, Dr. Cook studied the death of number of asbestos handling workers and first named the disease ‘asbesto-sis’

• 1931, the term “mesothelioma” first used• 1930s, Regulations included industrial hygiene stan-

dards, medical examinations, and inclusion of the as-bestos industry into the British Workers' Compensation Act

• 1970s, an USA court document indicate that asbestos co. hided the fatality of asbestos from the workers

• 1970s, EPA & OSHA put regulations on asbestos use• Now, the asbestos is totally banned in most countries

Asbestos production and consumption

Global production (10,000 ton/year)Japan (ton/year)

China

Korea

• Now, the usage of asbestos is banned or limited in most countries

• For Korea,• From 2009.09, asbestos is banned to be used in

any industrial product• From 2007.07, any product containing asbestos

is banned to import, produce, or use.

• Korea’s regulation on asbestos• “ENFORCEMENT DECREE OF THE QUALITY CONTROL

AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL PROD-UCTS ACT” Asbestos use in any industrial product had been banned or at least limited since Sep. 2009

• “OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT”. Manu-facturing, importing, or usage of any product containing as-bestos has been completely banned since Sep. 1, 2009.

World Asbestos Resources

Country Reserve Base

(By Principal Countries)  

Brazil Moderate

Canada Large

China Large

Kazakhstan Large

Russia Large

USA Large

Zimbabwe Moderate

Other Countries Large

World Total Large

Source : Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2004.

World Asbestos Producers

Country 2001 2002 2003

(By Principal Countries) Production of Asbestos(in '000' tonnes)

Brazil 173 195 231

Canada 262 216 174

China 258 220(e) 210(e)

Kazakhstan 271 291 353

Russia 735 775(e) 878(e)

Zimbabwe 119 168 130

Other Countries 82 135 24

World Total 1900 2000 2000

Source : World Mineral Production. 1999-2003.

• Impacts on Health

http://www.asbestos.com/assets/images/meso-images/pericardial-mesothelioma-diagram.jpg