Visit us anytime at https://www.asbestosclaims.law/. Research into safe methods of disposal is necessary to ensure public safety.
Using biotechnology to develop a long-term solution to the problem of asbestos abatement.
In today’s world, both the popularity of asbestos and the knowledge that it is a deadly carcinogen are no secret.
The durability that made this mineral so popular for industrial use is also, at least in part, what makes it so dangerous.
Unlike other substances – even nuclear waste – asbestos doesn’t decay.
It can be left untouched for many decades and not change form.
Inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers do not break down in the body, and the disturbances caused by these fibers are well-documented to potentially lead to a multitude of diseases, including asbestosis and cancer.
A research team at Unitec Institute of Technology is “digging in” to discover methods of composting asbestos waste.
In Auckland, New Zealand, researchers at the Unitec Institute of Technology are working on a solution.
Terri-Ann Berry, a lecturer at the school, stated that with the current asbestos disposal practices, “really all we’re doing is storing it for future generations to deal with.“
With that in mind, the Unitec research team set out to discover what, if anything, could help with the turning towards chemicals that often leave behind further hazardous waste after destroying whatever hazard they were unleashed upon.
Can biotechnology help break down asbestos?
Their idea: using plants and microbes to degrade or reduce asbestos material in soil.
How would this work?
Asbestos has a certain iron content, with crocidolite asbestos even containing enough iron to give it a blueish color.
The Unitec team has discovered that certain fungi and lichens (which are produced via a symbiotic relationship with organisms like fungi or algae) produce secretions that attach to iron, and can remove it from the asbestos and carry it to other plants that utilize it to grow.
The idea is to develop this type of “ecosystem” into which asbestos waste can be placed, and the natural biological processes that occur would hopefully make the waste safe again.
The idea is to develop this type of “ecosystem” into which asbestos waste can be placed, and the natural biological processes that occur would hopefully make the waste safe again.
They likened this ecosystem to a compost heap – composting, a form of bioremediation, is when organic matter (like food or animal waste) is used as fertilizer.
Compost is typically rich in nutrients and helpful bacteria that is good for plants.
The research is promising, but it’s not an immediate fix.
More time is needed to determine the success of the solution, but the progress being made by the team is both important and beneficial.
The team does not know whether it would take hundreds, or even thousands of years for the processes to occur that would make the waste safe.
Another question is whether the fungi and lichens would produce change at a constant or reliable rate.
The team has said that once they determine exactly which microorganisms to use and the rate at which they create change, they can better estimate how long the overall process would take.
So while the discoveries are exciting, there is still more work to be done.
Learn more at: https://www.asbestosclaims.law/asbestos-blog/asbestos-compost-heaps/
