Asbestos detection is a process fraught with difficulty and many of the major modalities of identification have known limitations in their use. For example, phase contrast microscopic analysis, while it can detect some asbestos fibers quickly and easily, is difficult to use on the smallest particles and can have problems distinguishing asbestos from non-asbestos fibers. Other tests, such as electron microscopic analysis, are very effective for determining fiber type and analyzing even the smallest particles, but may require special skills for proper analysis, which limits one’s ability to quickly determine if asbestos is present in any given scene. In response to these limitations, as well as others not discussed here, researchers from Japan are developing an asbestos-detection technique that can be used quickly and accurately to detect asbestos fibers in clinical and on-site settings.

Introduction to the Study

There are several different types of asbestos fibers, so proper identification of fiber type is an important component in determining site-specific contamination figures and the overall health risks associated with the individual fibers. As stated above, there are a number of different techniques used, but each one has no problems in use. Because of this, a number of researchers are looking for more efficient identification mechanisms. The authors of this study had previously shown that E.coli ribosomal protein L2 binds to silicon or silicate particles, so they began to look for E.coli proteins that may bind with asbestos, itself a silicate mineral.

Results and Conclusions

The researchers found that the protein DksA was such a material. In developing a simple assay that can used on-site or in clinical settings, the researchers showed DksA’s ability to bind to chrysotile asbestos and to differentiate it from amosite, crocidolite or glass wool. The assay can identify asbestos contamination of a material in very small concentrations. The assay does not yet have the ability to bind to other asbestos fibers, but it can bind to chrysotile and therefore distinguish it from other, similar materials. The researchers state their assay is as effective as traditional x-ray analysis in detecting the presence of asbestos. Should their work succeed, asbestos detection may become cheaper and easier to accomplish.

The researchers hope to develop assays that can bind with and identify other forms of asbestos as well, such as amosite or crodidolite.

Labels: asbestos