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Manufactured mineral fibre (MMF)

Definition

Man-made fibrous materials (glass wool, rock wool, ceramic fibre) used as insulation; resembles asbestos morphologically but has different elemental composition (no iron in glass wool) and solubility, and is not subject to the same regulatory limits.

Related terms

Asbestos
A group of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals: chrysotile (serpentine) and the regulated amphiboles (crocidolite, amosite, tremolite, actinolite, anthophyllite). Defined analytically as...
Fly ash
Spherical or hollow glass particles collected from flue gas during coal combustion; dominated by Si-Al-Fe chemistry with trace-element profiles reflecting the coal...
Geoforensic location indicator
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Phase contrast optical microscopy (PCOM)
The WHO-recommended routine method for counting airborne asbestos fibres in occupational and environmental samples; counts fibres visible at 400-500x magnification, with confirmation...
SEM-EDX
Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The electron beam excites characteristic X-rays from each element present in the target grain, giving...

Explained in

  • Dust and Airborne Mineral ParticlesMan-made fibrous materials (glass wool, rock wool, ceramic fibre) used as insulation; resembles asbestos morphologically but has different elemental compositio...

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