Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EGU25 General Assembly, Vienna, Avusturya, 27 Nisan - 02 Mayıs 2025, ss.1, (Özet Bildiri)
In Pütürge region of Malatya, Türkiye, there are important deposits of pyrophyllite, a mineral
widely utilized in industrial applications such as white cement production. In this study,
pyrophyllite samples from the region are subjected to detailed mineralogical and morphological
characterization. Bulk powder and clay fraction analyses conducted via X-ray diffraction (XRD)
revealed that the samples predominantly consist of pyrophyllite, quartz, muscovite, and kaolinite,
with occasional illite. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy
(SEM-EDS) confirmed a high purity level of pyrophyllite, with rutile as the primary impurity in the
studied samples.
Morphological analysis of pyrophyllite using SEM highlighted presence of dominant lamellar
crystals with a minor occurrence of fibrous habit. Given the widespread industrial usage of
pyrophyllite in Türkiye, this observation raised concerns about its asbestiform nature due to
potential health risks, including respiratory diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and
mesothelioma, which result from the inhalation of fine, elongated fibers capable of penetrating
deep into the lungs and causing long-term damage to lung tissue and the pleura. However,
whether all fibrous minerals pose health risks remains a topic of ongoing debate in contemporary
research. According to the criteria established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
asbestiform fibers are defined by their aspect ratios, fibril width, and specific morphological
features. Pyrophyllite fibers observed in this study exhibit mean aspect ratios of 4:1 to 10:1 for
fibers longer than 5 μm in contrary to the definition of EPA. In addition, widths ranging between
0.4 μm and 3.5 μm, and no occurrences of fiber bundles or spayed ends are observed, although
some fibers demonstrated curvature. Based on these observations, it is concluded that the fibrous
pyrophyllite in the analyzed samples does not exhibit asbestiform characteristics and therefore
does not pose a health risk in industrial applications.