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Combined use of X-ray photoelectron and Mössbauer spectroscopic techniques in the analytical characterization of iron oxidation state in amphibole asbestos

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Abstract

Asbestos fibers are an important cause of serious health problems and respiratory diseases. The presence, structural coordination, and oxidation state of iron at the fiber surface are potentially important for the biological effects of asbestos because iron can catalyze the Haber–Weiss reaction, generating the reactive oxygen species ⋅OH. Literature results indicate that the surface concentration of Fe(III) may play an important role in fiber-related radical formation. Amphibole asbestos were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Mössbauer spectroscopy, with the aim of determining the surface vs. bulk Fe(III)/Fetot ratios. A standard reference asbestos (Union Internationale Contre le Cancer crocidolite from South Africa) and three fibrous tremolite samples (from Italy and USA) were investigated. In addition to the Mössbauer spectroscopy study of bulk Fe(III)/Fetot ratios, much work was dedicated to the interpretation of the XPS Fe2p signal and to the quantification of surface Fe(III)/Fetot ratios. Results confirmed the importance of surface properties because this showed that fiber surfaces are always more oxidized than the bulk and that Fe(III) is present as oxide and oxyhydroxide species. Notably, the highest difference of surface/bulk Fe oxidation was found for San Mango tremolite—the sample that in preliminary cytotoxicity tests (MTT assay) had revealed a cell mortality delayed with respect to the other samples.

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Acknowledgements

The Universities of Cagliari and of Roma “La Sapienza” are acknowledged for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Chimica Inorganica e Analitica, INSTM Research Unit, Centro Grandi Strumenti Università di Cagliari, 09100, Cagliari, Italy

    Marzia Fantauzzi, Davide Atzei & Antonella Rossi

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Sapienza Università di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Alessandro Pacella, Antonio Gianfagna & Giovanni B. Andreozzi

  3. Dipartimento di Chimica Inorganica ed Analitica, SS 554 Bivio per Sestu, 09100, Cagliari, Italy

    Antonella Rossi

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  1. Marzia Fantauzzi
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  2. Alessandro Pacella
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  3. Davide Atzei
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  4. Antonio Gianfagna
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  5. Giovanni B. Andreozzi
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  6. Antonella Rossi
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Correspondence to Giovanni B. Andreozzi or Antonella Rossi.

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Fantauzzi, M., Pacella, A., Atzei, D. et al. Combined use of X-ray photoelectron and Mössbauer spectroscopic techniques in the analytical characterization of iron oxidation state in amphibole asbestos. Anal Bioanal Chem 396, 2889–2898 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3576-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-010-3576-0

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