Asbestos map of Turkey (environmental exposure to asbestos-lung cancer-mesothelioma)

Tuberkuloz ve Toraks 2015 September [Link]

Atabey E.

Abstract

Asbestos minerals which can be divided into two classes as serpentine and amphibole, can be found in mafic (less siliceous) and ultramafic (abundant siliceous) rocks in the form of vein sand network. While fibrous chrysotile belongs to serpentine group, anthopyllite, tremolite, actinolite, amosite and crocidolite minerals belong to amphibole group. It is known that lung diseases due to inhalation of fibers and powders of asbestos minerals are an important health problem in Turkey. It has been demonstrated with medical researches that asbestos fibers cause peritoneal cancer as well as calcification, thickening, water collection and malignant mesothelioma in pleural plaquesas a result of their inhalation through internal and external environment. Especially, it is pointed out that fibers of actinolite, tremolite, anthopyllite, and crocidolite from amphibole group minerals are much more carcinogenic than chrysotile asbestos fibers are. Asbestos in environmental sense was used in theroofs, plasters and lime washes of the houses, and in 3.000 different materials in industry between 1930 and 1980. Each white ground is not as supposed asbestos. The rocks and soils in most places of Turkey are chalky and white. Asbestos occurrences and beds are found in total of 203 villages in 87 counties in total of 45 cities of Turkey. Most of them take place in mountains, hills and creeks far away from human settlements. Among the settlements, numbers of risky villages, towns and town centers are 63, 2, respectively. The total population under environmental asbestos risk in Turkey is about 72.000.