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Title: Exposure to airborne asbestos in buildings

Abstract

The concentration of airborne asbestos in buildings and its implication for the health of building occupants is a major public health issue. A total of 2892 air samples from 315 public, commercial, residential, school, and university buildings has been analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The buildings that were surveyed were the subject of litigation related to suits alleging the general building occupants were exposed to a potential health hazard as a result of exposure to the presence of asbestos containing materials (ACM). The average concentration of all asbestos structures was 0.02 structures/ml (s/ml) and the average concentration of asbestos greater than or equal to 5 microns long was 0.00013 fibers/ml (f/ml). The concentration of asbestos was higher in schools than in other buildings. In 48% of indoor samples and 75% of outdoor samples, no asbestos fibers were detected. The observed airborne concentration in 74% of the indoor samples and 96% of the outdoor samples is below the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act clearance level of 0.01 s/ml. Finally, using those fibers which could be seen optically, all indoor samples and all outdoor samples are below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure level of 0.1 f/ml for fibers greatermore » than or equal to 5 microns in length. These results provide substantive verification of the findings of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public building study which found very low ambient concentrations of asbestos fibers in buildings with ACM, irrespective of the condition of the material in the buildings.« less

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]
  1. RJ Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
6914476
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 16:1; Journal ID: ISSN 0273-2300
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; ASBESTOS; ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION; HEALTH HAZARDS; BUILDINGS; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE; INDOOR AIR POLLUTION; MAN; MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE; AIR POLLUTION; ANIMALS; HAZARDS; MAMMALS; POLLUTION; PRIMATES; SAFETY STANDARDS; STANDARDS; VERTEBRATES; 540120* - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-); 560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology

Citation Formats

Lee, R J, Van Orden, D R, Corn, M, and Crump, K S. Exposure to airborne asbestos in buildings. United States: N. p., 1992. Web. doi:10.1016/0273-2300(92)90024-4.
Lee, R J, Van Orden, D R, Corn, M, & Crump, K S. Exposure to airborne asbestos in buildings. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-2300(92)90024-4
Lee, R J, Van Orden, D R, Corn, M, and Crump, K S. 1992. "Exposure to airborne asbestos in buildings". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-2300(92)90024-4.
@article{osti_6914476,
title = {Exposure to airborne asbestos in buildings},
author = {Lee, R J and Van Orden, D R and Corn, M and Crump, K S},
abstractNote = {The concentration of airborne asbestos in buildings and its implication for the health of building occupants is a major public health issue. A total of 2892 air samples from 315 public, commercial, residential, school, and university buildings has been analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The buildings that were surveyed were the subject of litigation related to suits alleging the general building occupants were exposed to a potential health hazard as a result of exposure to the presence of asbestos containing materials (ACM). The average concentration of all asbestos structures was 0.02 structures/ml (s/ml) and the average concentration of asbestos greater than or equal to 5 microns long was 0.00013 fibers/ml (f/ml). The concentration of asbestos was higher in schools than in other buildings. In 48% of indoor samples and 75% of outdoor samples, no asbestos fibers were detected. The observed airborne concentration in 74% of the indoor samples and 96% of the outdoor samples is below the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act clearance level of 0.01 s/ml. Finally, using those fibers which could be seen optically, all indoor samples and all outdoor samples are below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure level of 0.1 f/ml for fibers greater than or equal to 5 microns in length. These results provide substantive verification of the findings of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency public building study which found very low ambient concentrations of asbestos fibers in buildings with ACM, irrespective of the condition of the material in the buildings.},
doi = {10.1016/0273-2300(92)90024-4},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6914476}, journal = {Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology; (United States)},
issn = {0273-2300},
number = ,
volume = 16:1,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992},
month = {Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992}
}