Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Amphibole Asbestos From Libby, Montana: Aspects of Nomenclature

Published

Author(s)

A G. Wylie, Jennifer R. Verkouteren

Abstract

Richterite-asbestos and winchite-asbestos are not listed in the Federal regulations governing asbestos. However, asbestiform winchite is found in the gangue at the Libby, Montana, vermiculite deposit, where asbestos-related diseases have been reported among the miners and millers. Changing amphibole nomenclature, uncertainties in Fe+2/Fe+3, and natural compositional variability result in samples of the asbestiform amphibole from Libby being variably classified as soda tremolite, richterite, sub-calcic actinolite, and winchite. A classification of winchite-asbestos is assigned for two samples of Libby asbestos analyzed for this report, consistent with the most recent IMA classification system. While some of the unit cell parameters and optical properties reported here are distinctive, others are very similar to the tremolite-actinolite series. Both richterite and winchite are known to occur as asbestos and as such, should be included in the Federal asbestos regulations.
Citation
American Mineralogist
Volume
85
Issue
No. 10

Keywords

actinolite, amphibole, asbestos, Libby, richterite, tremolite, winchite

Citation

Wylie, A. and Verkouteren, J. (2000), Amphibole Asbestos From Libby, Montana: Aspects of Nomenclature, American Mineralogist (Accessed March 28, 2024)
Created September 30, 2000, Updated October 12, 2021