Work

Respirable mineral fibres in leaf surface dust: Micro-characterisation and evidence of a geogenic origin

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: . Of the 338 fibres measured, 93 % were within the respirable size range (geometric diameter <3 μm), and 15 % met the WHO criteria for hazardous fibres (length ≥5 μm, width <3 μm, aspect ratio >3:1). Chemical analysis indicated that most fibres had Si/(Si + Al) ratios consistent with mordenite, while crystallographic data confirmed 84 % mordenite, 13 % erionite, and 3 % amphibole. Mordenite was also the dominant crystalline phase in the rock samples, and fibre abundance in surface dust correlated moderately with mordenite concentrations in the corresponding bulk samples (Kendall's tau = 0.49, p = 0.04). These findings reveal an under-recognised environmental exposure pathway of respirable mineral fibres from roadside exposed volcanic outcrops, and highlight the need for further monitoring and health risk evaluation in volcanic regions where fibrous zeolite and amphibole minerals are naturally occurring and disturbed.

Source: Chemosphere

DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144787