During the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) Congress in Melbourne (Australia) on August 15th, 2018 the delegates attending the second business meeting unanimously approved the constitution of the: IMA WORKING GROUP “to clarify issue associated with asbestos and other respirable minerals nomenclature and classification posing a potential health risk.”
IMA WORKING GROUP ON “Asbestos, asbestiform minerals, and other respirable minerals that pose potential negative health risks”.
| Chair | Vice-Chair | Secretary |
| Ann WYLIE (USA) | Alessandro F. GUALTIERI (ITALY) | Bryan BANDLI (USA) |
| Members | ||
| Giovanni B. Andreozzi (Italy) Mark Bailey (USA) Bruce W. Case (Canada) Giancarlo Della Ventura (Italy) Mickey Gunter (USA) Don Halterman (USA) Peter Heaney (USA) Brooke T. Mossman (USA) |
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In the actual scenario, there is ambiguity in the definitions of asbestos and non-asbestos species and this leads to widespread confusion in the regulatory process and consequences for the social and health issues. Ambiguity and miscommunications can lead to unnecessary media hysteria and public alarm! There is NEED FOR UNIQUE CLEAR DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATION. The main goal of the international working group is to open the discussion on the definitions of “fiber”, “asbestos”, “asbestiform”, “EMP”, “ECF” and related terms and the role of asbestiform fibers other than asbestos like erionite and ferrierite.
Link: https://www.ima-mineralogy.org/WG.htm#
The presentation of the work of the group at the IMA congress in Lyon on July 21st, 2022.
Download the presentation:IMA2022_2
REPORT with the outcome of the work of the GROUP sent to IMA on April 27, 2022:
IMA report Wylie 27 April 2022