Abstract:
Many countries banned asbestos due to its toxicity, but considering its colossal use, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, disposing of waste containing asbestos is the current problem. Today,
many asbestos disposal technologies are known, but they usually involve colossal investment and
operating expenses, and the end- and by-products of these methods negatively impact the environment. This paper identifies a unique modern direction in detoxifying asbestos minerals, which
involves using microorganisms and plants and their metabolites. The work comprehensively focuses
on the interactions between asbestos and plants, bacteria and fungi, including lichens and, for the
first time, yeast. Biological treatment is a prospect for in situ land reclamation and under industrial
conditions, which can be a viable alternative to landfilling and an environmentally friendly substitute
or supplement to thermal, mechanical, and chemical methods, often characterized by high cost
intensity. Plant and microbial metabolism products are part of the green chemistry trend, a central
strategic pillar of global industrial and environmental development.
