Asbestos, silicate minerals present in soil and used for building constructions for many years, are highly toxic due primarily to the presence of high concentrations of the transition metal iron. Microbial weathering of asbestos occurs through various alteration mechanisms. Siderophores, complex agents specialized in metal chelation, are common mechanisms described in mineral alteration. Solubilized metals from the fiber can serve as micronutrients for telluric microorganisms. The review focuses on the bioweathering of asbestos fibers, found in soil or manufactured by humans with gypsum (asbestos flocking) or cement, by siderophore-producing Pseudomonas. A better understanding of the interactions between asbestos and bacteria will give a perspective of a detoxification process inhibiting asbestos toxicity.
Keywords: Pseudomonas; asbestos; iron; minerals; siderophores; weathering.