PRIN20173X8WA4 - FIBRES (DCM.AD007.147)

Thematic area

Chemical sciences and materials technology

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of chemistry of organometallic compounds (ICCOM)

Project manager

SIMONA RANERI
Phone number: 0503152221
Email: simona.raneri@cnr.it

Abstract

MINERAL FIBRES are ubiquitous on the Earth and compose a significant fraction of the airborne particulate. The vast realm of mineral fibres includes asbestos minerals and fibrous erionite that are classified as carcinogenic substances. Although in the last 30 years mineral fibres have been the subject of intensive toxicological studies, the mechanisms by which they prompt cyto- and geno-toxic damage in vivo
are not yet fully understood. Without a clear picture of the role that all the crystal-chemical and physical parameters play in inducing adverse effects, a general quantitative model explaining the toxicity/cancerogenicity of mineral fibres cannot be drawn. With this uncertainty, global issues of social and economic importance cannot be solved. For example, although the toxicity potential of chrysotile asbestos is still highly debated worldwide, this mineral fibre is still used today in "a safe way" in 72% of the world coutries. The lack of a quantitative assessment of the toxicity of these materials has another drawback: mineral fibres of unknown toxicity may occur in the natural environment or being in use, causing exposure to the population.

Goals

The main target of this multidisciplinary project is to understand how the complex crystal-chemical assemblage forming the structures of mineral fibers determines the biochemical interaction that prompt adverse effects in vitro.
A mineralogical, crystal-chemical-physical and spectroscopic characterization of both the bulk and the surface of mineral fibres will be the basis of a revised upgraded model of bio-chemical interaction of the fibres inducing in vivo adverse effects which includes parameters that have not been properly considered before or not considered at all. Understanding the role of such crystal-chemical parameters will be of help to update the existing simplified mechanistic models. A systematic multidisciplinary approach will allow us to quantitatively assess the role of these critical parameters and set the basis for a general predictive tool of analysis of the toxicity/cancerogenicity potential.

Start date of activity

03/11/2019

Keywords

mineralogy, chemistry, zeolite

Last update: 24/04/2025