AEG-DMV March Meeting with AEG President Sarah Kalika, PG, CAC, CDPH Lead I/A/S

Serpentine, a magnesium silicate mineral formed when peridotite is altered by extremely hot water during tectonic plate subduction and partial crustal melting from heat from the upper mantle, is composed of the platy minerals lizardite and antigorite criss-crossed by veins of chrysotile. In California, serpentinite is typically found within the Coast Range, Klamath Mountains and Sierra Nevada foothills. When analyzed for metals presence, serpentinite rocks typically contain elevated chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni). Chrysotile asbestos is often found in veins within serpentinite.

When project sites are evaluated for the presence of potentially hazardous substances or waste soil is analyzed for landfill disposal pre-approval, metals are part of the list of required analytes, but evaluation for the presence of asbestos is often not included.

Following years of anecdotal observation, this research intended to evaluate whether the presence of elevated chromium and nickel concentrations could be a reliable indicator for the presence of…