Human health risks associated with asbestos abatement

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Risk Analysis; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1991.tb00632.x· OSTI ID:6098836

Chrostowski, P C; Foster, S A; Anderson, E L ^[1]

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1. Clement International Corporation, Fairfax, VA (United States)

Upperbound lifetime excess cancer risks were calculated for activities associated with asbestos abatement using a risk assessment framework developed for EPA's Superfund program. It was found that removals were associated with cancer risks to workers which were often greater than the commonly accepted cancer risk of 1 {times} 10(-6), although lower than occupational exposure limits associated with risks of 1 {times} 10(-3). Removals had little effect in reducing risk to school populations. Risks to teachers and students in school buildings containing asbestos were approximately the same as risks associated with exposure to ambient asbestos by the general public and were below the levels typically of concern to regulatory agencies. During abatement, however, there were increased risks to both workers and nearby individuals. Careless, everyday building maintenance generated the greatest risk to workers followed by removals and encapsulation. If asbestos abatement was judged by the risk criteria applied to EPA's Superfund program, the no-action alternative would likely be selected in preference to removal in a majority of cases. These conclusions should only be interpreted within the context of an overall asbestos risk management program, which includes consideration of specific fiber types and sizes, sampling and analytical limitations, physical condition of asbestos-containing material, episodic peak exposures, and the number of people potentially exposed.

• OSTI ID: 6098836
• Journal Information: Risk Analysis; (United States), Journal Name: Risk Analysis; (United States) Vol. 11:3; ISSN RIAND; ISSN 0272-4332
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
ASBESTOS
CARCINOGENESIS
LAWS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PATHOGENESIS
PERSONNEL
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
POLLUTION LAWS
RISK ASSESSMENT
US SUPERFUND