Types of asbestos
Six asbestos minerals - types, properties and health risks
Asbestos is a collective name for six different mineral fibres. They fall into two main groups: serpentine asbestos (chrysotile) and the amphibole asbestos minerals (amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, tremolite, actinolite). All are carcinogenic, but their properties and the risks they pose vary considerably.
Serpentine asbestos
The serpentine group contains only one asbestos mineral - chrysotile. Its fibres are curled and flexible. Historically by far the most common type of asbestos.
Amphibole asbestos
The asbestos minerals in the amphibole group have straight, rigid fibres. They are generally more dangerous to health than chrysotile, because the fibres stay in the lungs for a long time.
Amosite
BrownBrown asbestos (grunerite)
Amosite, or brown asbestos, is an iron-rich mineral of the amphibole group. The fibres are straight, rigid and long. Amosite was mined mainl…
Risk level: High
Crocidolite
BlueBlue asbestos (riebeckite)
Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, is a sodium- and iron-rich mineral of the amphibole group. The fibres are extremely fine and straight. It is …
Risk level: Very high
Anthophyllite
Greyish whiteGrey-white amphibole asbestos
Anthophyllite is a magnesium-rich mineral of the amphibole group. The fibres are straight and rigid. Finland has been a globally significant…
Risk level: High
Tremolite
White to greyWhite-grey amphibole asbestos
Tremolite is a calcium-rich mineral of the amphibole group. It has generally not been used commercially, but it occurs as a contaminant in c…
Risk level: High
Actinolite
GreenGreen amphibole asbestos
Actinolite is a calcium- and iron-rich mineral of the amphibole group. Its structure is similar to that of tremolite – the two are often dif…
Risk level: High
How is the type of asbestos identified?
Identifying the type of asbestos requires a laboratory analysis; the fibres cannot be told apart by eye. Onelab uses a JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope, which identifies all six types of asbestos from their chemical elemental composition. The analysis complies with the ISO 22262-1 standard.
Read more about the JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope →Order an asbestos analysis
We identify all six types of asbestos with a JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope.