Exposure to airborne asbestos in buildings

Journal Article · Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992 · Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0273-2300(92)90024-4· OSTI ID:6914476

Lee, R J; Van Orden, D R; Corn, M; Crump, K S ^[1]

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1. RJ Lee Group, Inc., Monroeville, PA (United States)

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.

• OSTI ID: 6914476
• Journal Information: Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology; (United States), Vol. 16:1; ISSN 0273-2300
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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