%0 Journal Article
%T Microwave-assisted acid treatment for the mineral transformation of chrysotile as an alternative for asbestos waste management.
%A Essih S
%A Pardo L
%A Cecilia JA
%A Dos Santos-Gómez L
%A Colodrero RMP
%A Pozo M
%A Calero G
%A Franco F
%J Environ Geochem Health
%V 46
%N 9
%D 2024 Jul 18
%M 39023801
%F 4.898
%R 10.1007/s10653-024-01993-6
%X In this work, the effect of microwave-assisted acid treatments on the morphological and crystallochemical characteristics of chrysotile fibers is investigated. A low concentration of nitric acid (0.2 N) is used to remove Mg2+-species located in the octahedral sheet of its structure, thereby causing a crystallo-chemical change forming a skeleton of non-crystalline amorphous silica. This skeleton maintains an elongated morphology but characterized by rounded -not sharp-edges and porous surfaces whose physical resistance under stress is reduced when compared with the initial fibers of chrysotile, favoring a lower pathogenicity of the fibers. Thus, microwave-assisted acid treatment rise as a low-cost, fast and effective option in avoiding the dangerousness associated with asbestos waste management.