In an effort to determine if trees serve as reservoirs for amphibole fibers, Montana Tech and University of Montana researchers collected tree bark and core samples from areas surrounding the asbestos-contaminated Vermiculite Mine in Libby, Montana.  Based on the results of the initial samples, a follow-up sampling program was conducted both in the town of Libby and directly outside the city limits.

Gravimetric reduction of tree core samples did not indicate the presence of amphibole fibers.  However, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of bark samples collected near the Vermiculite Mine yielded substantial amphibole fiber concentrations ranging from 41 million to 530 million fibers per gram of bark.

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