Carlosturanite

Carlosturanite is a rare serpentine-like mineral, a hydrous magnesium silicate related to chrysotile and antigorite, that can grow as fibers. It was described from serpentinite rocks of the Italian Western Alps and occurs with chrysotile and balangeroite in the Balangero area, once the site of Italy's largest chrysotile mine.

Origin

The mineral was described in the 1980s and named in honor of the Italian geologist Carlo Sturani. Its crystal structure is related to the serpentine minerals, with a modified sheet structure that sets it apart from chrysotile and lizardite.

Significance in Asbestos Context

Carlosturanite matters mainly to mineralogists and to the scientific record of the Balangero mine near Turin, where workers and nearby residents developed asbestos disease. Studies of Balangero chrysotile have looked at the other fibrous minerals that occur with it, including balangeroite and carlosturanite, partly because some defendants have argued that chrysotile's harm comes from amphibole or other contaminants rather than from chrysotile itself. Balangero has been studied for that reason: it is a chrysotile deposit described as having very little amphibole. For a patient, carlosturanite will seldom appear in a case directly, but it can show up in expert reports about the composition of Italian chrysotile or about what counts as a serpentine mineral.

Example Sentence

The expert noted that the Balangero ore contained minor fibrous carlosturanite and balangeroite but little or no amphibole.

Related Terms

Balangero Mine, Balangeroite, Serpentine Group, Chrysotile, Antigorite, Serpentinite, Chrysotile Defense

Notes

• If an expert discusses minor minerals in a chrysotile ore, ask how they bear on the exposure in your case.
• Rare mineral names in a report are usually background; ask your lawyer which findings actually matter.