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Asbestos use has been banned in Australia since the end of 2003, but low levels of asbestos exposure are still occurring in the workplace, as well as in the air we breathe outside work which comes from many man-made sources as well as from nature.
We can now measure, with the help of more advanced analytical techniques, asbestos that previously could not be detected by optical techniques and at very low concentrations.
There is the on-going controversy about whether asbestos is considered a non-threshold genotoxic carcinogen and, if so, we are all at some low level of risk of lung cancer and especially mesothelioma.
In hard rock mining, tunnelling and even from some road and rail cuttings, I say it is not if you are going to hit asbestos but when.
In nature we have asbestiform and non-asbestiform respirable fibres. Asbestiform fibres are formed by nature from the non-asbestiform polymorphs. The non-asbestiform polymorphs are massive prismatic crystals that when crushed generate what is called Elongated Mineral Particles (EMPs) that can be respirable fibres. Once again there is debate about whether these respirable fibres are carcinogenic.
The presentation will discuss the above issues which are complex, but asbestos always creates fear amongst the vast majority of the public as recently seen with children’s kinetic sand.
Laurie will present the elutriation/sedimentation method that allows detection of asbestos at very low concentrations in any rock or soil sample.
ALGA Member – $37.00
Non-Member – $74.00
Student – $15.00
All fees include GST
1 CPD
