Serpentine asbestos · White
Chrysotile - White asbestos (serpentine group)
Chrysotile, also called white asbestos, is a mineral of the serpentine group. It is by far the most common type of asbestos – more than 95% of the asbestos ever mined worldwide was chrysotile. The fibres are curly, flexible and relatively short.
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Mineral group
Serpentine
Colour
White
Formula
Mg₃(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄
Risk level
Moderate
Characteristics
- ✓Curly fibres
- ✓Flexible and heat-resistant
- ✓Only slightly soluble in acid
- ✓Chemically a hydrated magnesium silicate
Historical uses
- •Asbestos cement (boards, roofing sheets, pipes)
- •Roofing felt and bitumen products
- •Floor adhesives and vinyl floor tiles
- •Fillers and joint compounds
- •Insulation in electrical equipment
- •Brake and clutch linings
Where can chrysotile be found?
- •Old asbestos cement cladding on façades
- •Tile adhesives, floor adhesives and levelling compounds in older houses
- •Pipe insulation and gaskets
- •Asbestos cement roofing sheets and soffit boards
Chrysotile in older buildings
Chrysotile is the most common type of asbestos in older buildings. Asbestos cement products such as cladding boards and corrugated roofing sheets contain mainly chrysotile. Asbestos is found above all in buildings built or renovated before it was banned in your country, and at the latest before the EU-wide ban in 2005.
Ban
All use of asbestos has been banned throughout the EU since 1 January 2005 (Directive 1999/77/EC). Many member states banned it earlier; the exact year depends on your country.
Health risk
Chrysotile is considered less hazardous to health than the amphibole types (amosite, crocidolite). All types of asbestos are nevertheless carcinogenic and can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis. Chrysotile breaks down in the lungs over time, whereas amphibole asbestos stays in the tissue for a long time.
Do you suspect chrysotile in your material?
Order an asbestos analysis – we identify all six types of asbestos with the JEOL SEM-EDS electron microscope.