The paper addresses the issue of health risk associated with the presence of
chrysotile in the soil type ranker formed on massive serpentines occurring in
the area of Bubanj Potok, a settlement located in the southern Belgrade
environs, Serbia. Characterization of the ranker soil was conducted by
scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectroscopy and
transmission 57Fe M?ssbauer spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy
figures showed regular shaped smectite (montmorillonite) particles,
aggregates of chlorite, and elongated sheets of serpentines minerals
antigorite. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the presence of detrital
mineral quartz polymorph as well as minor amounts of other mineral species.
Micro-Raman spectroscopy identified the presence of dominant minerals, such
as montmorillonite, kaolinite, muscovite, gypsum, calcite, albite, amphiboles
(hornblende/kaersutite) and orthoclase. Important polymorph silica
modifications of quartz, olivine (forsterite), pyroxene
(enstatite/ferrosilite, diopside/hedenbergite), and serpentine
(antigorite/lizardite/chrysotile) were identified.