Investigative studies for the use of an inactive asbestos mine as a disposal site for asbestos wastes

Our plain-English summary of Investigative studies for the use of an inactive asbestos mine as a disposal site for asbestos wastes, by E. Gidarakos, K. Anastasiadou, E. Koumantakis, et al (Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2008).

The study

• Authors: E. Gidarakos, K. Anastasiadou, E. Koumantakis, S. Nikolaos
• Journal: Journal of Hazardous Materials
• Published: 2008;153(3):955-65
• Cited by: 10 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

Although, according to European legislation the use of Asbestos Containing Materials is forbidden, many buildings in Greece still contain asbestos products, which must be removed at some point in the near future. Therefore, suitable disposal sites must be found within Greece, so that the unverified disposal of asbestos waste in municipal waste Landfills is brought to an end. In the present work, an innovative approach to the disposal problem of asbestos wastes in Greece has been examined, through a risk assessment analysis of the inactive asbestos mine of Northern Greece and an evaluation of its suitability as a disposal site for asbestos wastes in the future. According to the research carried out, two areas (Site 1 and Site 2) inside the mine area are suitable for the construction of a disposal site for asbestos wastes. The geological investigations showed that in Site 1 and Site 2 ultrabasic rocks of ophiolite complex were prevalent, which have been intensely serpentinized and converted into the fibrous shape of serpentine (asbestos). Concentrations of hazardous substances such as heavy metals in the soil of Site 1 and Site 2 oscillate at low levels, with the exception of the concentrations of nickel and chrome which are high. The investigative work also included the collection of meteorological data and the monitoring of the water level of the artificial lake, which has developed inside the open mine. The main aim is to safely dispose asbestos wastes inside the mine, to minimize any pollution of the wider vicinity of the mine, as well as to engage in restoration activities.

In plain English

This study examined whether the inactive asbestos mine of Northern Greece (MABE), at Zidani in Kozani Prefecture, could serve as a disposal site for asbestos wastes. The mine produced chrysotile asbestos from 1982 to February 2000. This was an engineering site investigation, not a health study. The authors found that the mine area met siting criteria for special hazardous-waste landfills. They then studied two areas, Site 1 (11,127 square metres) and Site 2 (16,724 square metres), using mapping, three drillings per site, rock tests, slope-stability calculations, and weather and lake-level monitoring. Soil and rock samples showed high nickel and chromium, which the authors attributed to natural minerals. Chrysotile was present in all serpentine rock samples. Heavy metals in water samples were within Greek drinking-water limits. The authors also noted that river and mine-lake water contained asbestos fibres above a limit of 7,000,000 fibres per litre. The authors concluded that both sites could be used. They called for a full hydro-geological study, deep drilling, and remediation of the still-polluted area first.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Site investigation and risk assessment (field and laboratory engineering study) of a proposed asbestos waste disposal site; not a health study
• Who was studied: The inactive asbestos mine of Northern Greece (MABE) at Zidani, Kozani Prefecture, Western Macedonia, which operated from 1982 to February 2000. Two candidate areas inside it (Site 1 and Site 2) were studied, with monitoring from December 2005 to July 2006.
• Exposure: Chrysotile asbestos in the serpentine rock of the mine. The mine had produced 881,000 t of chrysotile. The study looked at the site's suitability for disposing of asbestos wastes.
• Main results:
  • The mine area met the listed siting criteria for a special landfill for asbestos wastes.
  • Two sites were identified and mapped: Site 1 with a total area of 11,127 square metres and Site 2 with a total area of 16,724 square metres.
  • Drillings at both sites found rock of generally poor quality, with RQD values from 0 to 25%. Water was found in all drillings.
  • Slope-stability calculations for the two sites gave safety indexes of 1.72 to 30.98, and no immediate danger of rock failure or landslides was reported.
  • The water level of the lake inside the mine rose by 1.53 m between 15/12/2005 and 21/07/2006.
  • Soil and rock samples from the two sites had high concentrations of nickel and chromium. The authors attributed these to the presence of minerals rather than to hazardous waste disposal.
  • Chrysotile asbestos was present in all the serpentine rock samples. Serpentine minerals covered 80 to 90% of the rock mass.
  • In water samples from the Aliakmonas River, the mine's lake and the Zidani Monastery spring, heavy metals and other dangerous substances were within Greek limits for potable water.
  • The authors noted that water from the Aliakmonas River and the mine's lake had asbestos fibre concentrations above the permissible limit of 7,000,000 fibres per litre.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that Site 1 and Site 2 could be used for the disposal of asbestos wastes. They also stated that the mine area remains a hot spot of asbestos pollution and must be remedied before it can be used.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The only hydrological characteristics determined were the surface water inflow and outflow through the two sites. A complete hydro-geological study is still needed.
  • Drilling to about 200 m is needed to determine the bedrock and estimate rock impermeability.
  • No data existed on the behaviour of the aquifer, the rainfall or the water that ends up in the mine lake.
  • Rock detachments from the slopes remain possible because of local discontinuities.

Mines named here

Asbestos mines this study is about. Each mine's page says who ran it, when it worked, and what it produced.

• Zidani asbestos mine, Zidani, Kozani, Greece

All asbestos mines

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Ophiolite, Serpentine Group.

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