Asbestos Mineral: Actinolite 2
Another hand-specimen of amphibole asbestiform actinolite ore, one of six minerals currently regulated as "asbestos" .
In this example, from a locality in California, U.S., a mass of actinolite-asbestos demonstrates the inherently fibrous nature of this bizarre mineral type.
When disturbed, asbestos mineral material can split into countless thin bundles, often referred to as "fibers", a characteristic somewhat unique to asbestos minerals. Individual unit fibrils of asbestos are extremely tiny needle-like particles on the order of microns and angstroms in diameter. Asbestos "fibers" can further sub-divide into such small, lightweight microscopic splinters that they are virtually "invisible" to the naked eye and can become airborne.
Inhalation exposures to microscopic airborne asbestos particles have been well documented to cause serious respiratory diseases and cancers, and has been linked to disease-causation in other bodily systems, which can ultimately lead to fatality.
Asbestos Mineral: Actinolite 2
Another hand-specimen of amphibole asbestiform actinolite ore, one of six minerals currently regulated as "asbestos" .
In this example, from a locality in California, U.S., a mass of actinolite-asbestos demonstrates the inherently fibrous nature of this bizarre mineral type.
When disturbed, asbestos mineral material can split into countless thin bundles, often referred to as "fibers", a characteristic somewhat unique to asbestos minerals. Individual unit fibrils of asbestos are extremely tiny needle-like particles on the order of microns and angstroms in diameter. Asbestos "fibers" can further sub-divide into such small, lightweight microscopic splinters that they are virtually "invisible" to the naked eye and can become airborne.
Inhalation exposures to microscopic airborne asbestos particles have been well documented to cause serious respiratory diseases and cancers, and has been linked to disease-causation in other bodily systems, which can ultimately lead to fatality.