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Top1. Introduction
Environmental degradation derives its origin from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The recent period of industrialization and urbanization has contributed significantly to this. Heavy metals are one of the most hazardous contaminants that may be present in the soil and aquatic environment. A different kind of pollutant but equally, or even more dangerous for the neighboring inhabitants, miners and users of the final products is asbestos. Asbestos fibers when inhaled in high concentrations and over a long period of time are a health hazard. People who worked for long periods with asbestos and were constantly exposed to it, suffered serious damage to their health (Cornelissen, 2017; Vatalis and Kaliampakos, 2006). The problem was not realized until the early eighties and therefore, workers in both the mines and the construction industry, and even people using asbestos based materials were affected. It has been estimated that it takes from 10 to 40 years for a person to become ill after exposure to asbestos. It is believed that it is very likely that one will develop such an illness after an episode of exposure to large quantities of asbestos fibers or by exposure over a short period of time to small quantities (Liebenberg, et al., 2012). Asbestos is a collective term used to describe six naturally occurring fibrous minerals that have specific physical/ chemical properties. These properties make them resistant to heat and acid, giving the material a high tensile strength, which makes it ideal for use in many industrial materials – everything from brake linings to building insulation. Asbestos was commonly used in a variety of construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. The strength of its fibers make it suitable for use in the manufacture of roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products and asbestos cement, and its heat resistant properties for friction products, such as automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts, heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings. Since it is a major contributor to environmental problems, the management of asbestos deposits in the Zidani Asbestos Mining Area (ZAMA), must be monitored regularly and controlled by the environmental conditions to ensure that the rehabilitation of the affected area is successful (Damigos and Kaliampakos, 2006).
The asbestos surface exploitation of the MABE Company was situated at Zidani, in Western Macedonia in North-western Greece, 40 km south of the city of Kozani (Fig. 1). The Zidani area covers 4,135,115 m2. It operated from 1982 to 2000 (MABE, 2012). It was Europe's largest mine and the last to stop working after the ban of asbestos. During operation, it produced 106 tons of asbestos. The mining area is about 1km away from the Aliakmon River and near the Polyfytos reservoir through which the river flows (Pavlou et al. 2013). The river is the main source of drinking water for large cities in Greece, such as Thessaloniki and Kastoria and is used extensively for irrigation (Koumantakis et al. 2009). Asbestos concentrations throughout the Aliakmon river and polyfytos lake were considerably higher than the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA standard values for asbestos in surface waters (SOP Protocol, 2013).
Figure 1. Zidani Asbestos Mining Area “ZAMA” in Greece