Since Etrurian age, the Viterbo Province (Central Italy) is famous for its ancient towns carved out of local ignimbrite deposits which geologically represent the sedimentation of pumice-rich, volcano-related pyroclastic flows. Almost the entire study area is geologically characterized by a thick succession of ignimbrites, tephra fallouts and lava flow deposits locally subjected to zeolitization. Among zeolites, fibrous erionite represents a well-known health hazard and so this work aims at locating and quantifying the presence of fibrous zeolites in volcanic deposits of the Viterbo area, suggesting at the same time a standard operational procedure useful in other areas showing the same possible hazard. 41 samples collected in the Viterbo area were analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction, optical and electron microscopy. Fibrous zeolites were detected in five samples and quantified in amounts ranging from 0.35 to 1.66% vol. They generally occur in tetragonal or orthorhombic prismatic habit and showed chemical composition mainly consistent with K-phillipsite. Fibrous zeolites occurred with aspect ratios (mean = 6.3), comparable or lower than those of erionite fibers reported in previous studies and mean diameters >3 μm.

Analysis of fibrous zeolites in the volcanic deposits of the Viterbo Province, Italy / A. Cattaneo, A. Rossotti, G. Pasquarè, A. Somigliana, D.M. Cavallo. - In: ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES. - ISSN 1866-6280. - 63:4(2011), pp. 861-871. [10.1007/s12665-010-0756-3]

Analysis of fibrous zeolites in the volcanic deposits of the Viterbo Province, Italy

A. Cattaneo
Primo
;
G. Pasquarè;D.M. Cavallo
Ultimo
2011

Abstract

Since Etrurian age, the Viterbo Province (Central Italy) is famous for its ancient towns carved out of local ignimbrite deposits which geologically represent the sedimentation of pumice-rich, volcano-related pyroclastic flows. Almost the entire study area is geologically characterized by a thick succession of ignimbrites, tephra fallouts and lava flow deposits locally subjected to zeolitization. Among zeolites, fibrous erionite represents a well-known health hazard and so this work aims at locating and quantifying the presence of fibrous zeolites in volcanic deposits of the Viterbo area, suggesting at the same time a standard operational procedure useful in other areas showing the same possible hazard. 41 samples collected in the Viterbo area were analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction, optical and electron microscopy. Fibrous zeolites were detected in five samples and quantified in amounts ranging from 0.35 to 1.66% vol. They generally occur in tetragonal or orthorhombic prismatic habit and showed chemical composition mainly consistent with K-phillipsite. Fibrous zeolites occurred with aspect ratios (mean = 6.3), comparable or lower than those of erionite fibers reported in previous studies and mean diameters >3 μm.
Digital image processing; Fibrous zeolites; Scanning electron microscopy; Viterbo Province; Volcanic deposits; X-ray powder diffraction
Settore MED/44 - Medicina del Lavoro
Settore GEO/08 - Geochimica e Vulcanologia
2011
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/170686
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