EVALUATION OF AIRBORNE ASBESTOS CONCENTRATIONS BEFORE AND DURING AND O&M ACTIVITY: A CASE STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

The current lack of information regarding the impact of O&M activities on the potential for asbestos exposure to building staff and occupants prompted this study. This report presents a statistical evaluation of airborne asbestos data collected before and during an O&M activity i...

Occupational exposure to airborne asbestos from phenolic molding material (Bakelite) during sanding, drilling, and related activities.

PubMed

Mowat, Fionna; Bono, Michael; Lee, R J; Tamburello, Susan; Paustenbach, Dennis

2005-10-01

In this study, a historical phenolic (Bakelite) molding material, BMMA-5353, was tested to determine the airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers released during four different activities (sawing, sanding, drilling, and cleanup of dust generated from these activities). Each activity was performed for 30 min, often in triplicate. The primary objective for testing BMMA-5353 was to quantitatively determine the airborne concentration of asbestos fibers, if any, in the breathing zone of workers. Uses of this product typically did not include sawing or sanding, but it may have been drilled occasionally. For this reason, only small quantities were sawed, sanded, and drilled in this simulation study. Personal (n = 40), area (n = 80), and background/clearance (n = 88) air samples were collected during each activity and analyzed for total fiber concentrations using phase contrast microscopy (PCM) and, for asbestos fiber counts, transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The raw PCM-total fiber concentrations were adjusted based on TEM analyses that reported the fraction of asbestos fibers, to derive a PCM-asbestos concentration that would enable calculation of an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). The estimated 8-hour TWAs ranged from 0.006 to 0.08 fibers per cubic centimeter using a variety of worker exposure scenarios. Therefore, assuming an exposure scenario in which a worker uses power tools to cut and sand products molded from BMMA-5353 and similar products in the manner evaluated in this study, airborne asbestos concentrations should not exceed current or historical occupational exposure limits.

ASBESTOS EXPOSURES DURING ROUTINE FLOOR TILE MAINTENANCE. PART 1: SPRAY-BUFFING AND WET-STRIPPING

EPA Science Inventory

This study was conducted to ealuate airborne asbestos concentrations during spray-uffing and wet-stripping of asbestos-containing residient floor tile under three levels of floor conditions (poor, medium, and good). Airborne asbestos concentrations were measured by transmission e...

Buffing, burnishing, and stripping of vinyl asbestos floor tile

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hollett, B.A.; Edwards, A.; Clark, P.J.

Studies were conducted to evaluate airborne asbestos concentrations during the three principal types of preventative maintenance (low-speed spray-buffing, ultra high-speed burnishing, and wet-stripping) used on asbestos-containing floor tiles. These were done under pre-existing and prepared levels of floor care maintenance. Airborne asbestos concentrations were measured before and during each floor care procedure to determine the magnitude of the increase in airborne asbestos levels during each procedure. Airborne total fiber concentrations were also measured for comparison with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration`s (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 0.1 f/cm{sup 3}. Low-speed spray-buffing and wet-stripping were evaluated on pre-existing floormore » conditions and three levels of prepared floor care conditions (poor, medium, and good). Ultra high-speed burnishing and wet-stripping were evaluated on two levels of prepared floor care conditions (poor and good). Floor care conditions were defined in consultation with the Chemical Specialty Manufacturers Association and other representatives of floor-care chemical manufacturers. Controlled studies were conducted in an unoccupied building at the decommissioned Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois, with the cooperation of the U.S. Air Force. The building offered approximately 8600 ft{sup 2} of open floor space tiled with 9-inch by 9-inch resilient floor tile containing approximately 5% chrysotile asbestos.« less

Airborne fibre and asbestos concentrations in system built schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burdett, Garry; Cottrell, Steve; Taylor, Catherine

2009-02-01

This paper summarises the airborne fibre concentration data measured in system built schools that contained asbestos insulation board (AIB) enclosed in the support columns by a protective steel casing. The particular focus of this work was the CLASP (Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme) system buildings. A variety of air monitoring tests were carried out to assess the potential for fibres to be released into the classroom. A peak release testing protocol was adopted that involved static sampling, while simulating direct impact disturbances to selected columns. This was carried out before remediation, after sealing gaps and holes in and around the casing visible in the room (i.e. below ceiling level) and additionally round the tops of the columns, which extended into the suspended ceiling void. Simulated and actual measurements of worker exposures were also undertaken, while sealing columns, carrying out cleaning and maintenance work in the ceiling voids. Routine analysis of these air samples was carried out by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) with a limited amount of analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis to confirm whether the fibres visible by PCM were asbestos or non-asbestos. The PCM fibre concentrations data from the peak release tests showed that while direct releases of fibres to the room air can occur from gaps and holes in and around the column casings, sealing is an effective way of minimising releases to below the limit of quantification (0.01 f/ml) of the PCM method for some 95% of the tests carried out. Sealing with silicone filler and taping any gaps and seams visible on the column casing in the room, also gave concentrations below the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the PCM method for 95% of the tests carried out. The data available did not show any significant difference between the PCM fibre concentrations in the room air for columns that had or had not been sealed in the ceiling void, as well as in the room

ASBESTOS EXPOSURES DURING ROUTINE FLOOR TILE MAINTENANCE. PART 2: ULTRA HIGH SPEED BURNISHING AND WET-STRIPPING

EPA Science Inventory

This study was conducted to evaluate airborne asbestos concentrations during ultra high speed (UHS) burnishing and wet-stripping of asbestos-containing resilient floor tile under two levels of floor care condition (poor and good). Airborne asbestos concentrations were measured by...

Releasable Asbestos Field Sampler

EPA Science Inventory

Asbestos aerosolization (or releasability) is the potential for fibrous asbestos structures that are present in a material or on a solid surface to become airborne when the source is disturbed by human activities or natural forces. In turn, the magnitude of the airborne concentra...

Evaluation of airborne asbestos exposure from routine handling of asbestos-containing wire gauze pads in the research laboratory.

PubMed

Garcia, Ediberto; Newfang, Daniel; Coyle, Jayme P; Blake, Charles L; Spencer, John W; Burrelli, Leonard G; Johnson, Giffe T; Harbison, Raymond D

2018-07-01

Three independently conducted asbestos exposure evaluations were conducted using wire gauze pads similar to standard practice in the laboratory setting. All testing occurred in a controlled atmosphere inside an enclosed chamber simulating a laboratory setting. Separate teams consisting of a laboratory technician, or technician and assistant simulated common tasks involving wire gauze pads, including heating and direct wire gauze manipulation. Area and personal air samples were collected and evaluated for asbestos consistent with the National Institute of Occupational Safety Health method 7400 and 7402, and the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) method. Bulk gauze pad samples were analyzed by Polarized Light Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy to determine asbestos content. Among air samples, chrysotile asbestos was the only fiber found in the first and third experiments, and tremolite asbestos for the second experiment. None of the air samples contained asbestos in concentrations above the current permissible regulatory levels promulgated by OSHA. These findings indicate that the level of asbestos exposure when working with wire gauze pads in the laboratory setting is much lower than levels associated with asbestosis or asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evaluation of two cleaning methods for the removal of asbestos fibers from carpet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kominsky, J.R.; Freyberg, R.W.; Chesson, J.

The research study examined the effectiveness of dry vacuuming and wet cleaning for the removal of asbestos fibers from carpet, and evaluated the potential for fiber reentrainment during carpet cleaning activities. Routine carpet cleaning operations using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered dry vacuum cleaners and HEPA-filtered hot-water extraction cleaners were simulated on carpet artificially contaminated with asbestos fibers. Overall, wet cleaning the carpet with a hot-water extraction cleaner reduced the level of asbestos contamination by approximately 70 percent. There was no significant evidence of either an increase or a decrease in the asbestos concentration after dry vacuuming. The level ofmore » asbestos contamination had no significant effect on the difference between the carpet asbestos concentrations before and after cleaning. Airborne asbestos concentrations were between two and four times greater during the carpet cleaning activities. The level of asbestos contamination in the carpet cleaning activities. The level of asbestos contamination in the carpet and the type of cleaning method used had no statistically significant effect on the difference between the airborne asbestos concentrations before and during cleaning.« less

Airborne asbestos take-home exposures during handling of chrysotile-contaminated clothing following simulated full shift workplace exposures.

PubMed

Sahmel, Jennifer; Barlow, Christy A; Gaffney, Shannon; Avens, Heather J; Madl, Amy K; Henshaw, John; Unice, Ken; Galbraith, David; DeRose, Gretchen; Lee, Richard J; Van Orden, Drew; Sanchez, Matthew; Zock, Matthew; Paustenbach, Dennis J

2016-01-01

The potential for para-occupational, domestic, or take-home exposures from asbestos-contaminated work clothing has been acknowledged for decades, but historically has not been quantitatively well characterized. A simulation study was performed to measure airborne chrysotile concentrations associated with laundering of contaminated clothing worn during a full shift work day. Work clothing fitted onto mannequins was exposed for 6.5 h to an airborne concentration of 11.4 f/cc (PCME) of chrysotile asbestos, and was subsequently handled and shaken. Mean 5-min and 15-min concentrations during active clothes handling and shake-out were 3.2 f/cc and 2.9 f/cc, respectively (PCME). Mean airborne PCME concentrations decreased by 55% 15 min after clothes handling ceased, and by 85% after 30 min. PCM concentrations during clothes handling were 11-47% greater than PCME concentrations. Consistent with previously published data, daily mean 8-h TWA airborne concentrations for clothes-handling activity were approximately 1.0% of workplace concentrations. Similarly, weekly 40-h TWAs for clothes handling were approximately 0.20% of workplace concentrations. Estimated take-home cumulative exposure estimates for weekly clothes handling over 25-year working durations were below 1 f/cc-year for handling work clothes contaminated in an occupational environment with full shift airborne chrysotile concentrations of up to 9 f/cc (8-h TWA).

Asbestos concentrations two years after abatement in seventeen schools. Final summary report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kominsky, J.R.; Freyberg, R.W.; Brownlee, J.A.

Airborne asbestos concentrations were measured at 17 schools that underwent an asbestos abatement 2 years before in 1988. These 17 schools, which involved 20 abatement sites, were part of a study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) in 1988. The 1988 study showed that asbestos concentrations measured independently by the NJDOH and EPA during the clearance phase of the abatement were elevated in the abatement and perimeter areas compared with outdoor concentrations. The present study was conducted to determine the current levels of airborne asbestos under simulated occupancy conditions andmore » to determine whether the elevated levels found during the clearance phase were still present 2 years after abatement. In 1990, four sites showed significantly higher mean asbestos concentrations inside the building (i.e., the previously abated area and/or perimeter area) compared with those outdoors (p<0.05). In 1990, the mean asbestos concentration measured in the perimeter area at one site and in the previously abated area at two sites were significantly higher than those in 1988 (p<0.05). Variations in asbestos levels between 1988 and 1990 may be due to sampling techniques (passive and aggressive versus modified aggressive), residual air-entrainable asbestos from the 1988 abatement, or air-entrainable asbestos from operations and maintenance activities since 1988.« less

Exposures to asbestos arising from bandsawing gasket material.

PubMed

Fowler, D P

2000-05-01

A simulation of bandsawing sheet asbestos gasket material was performed as part of a retrospective exposure evaluation undertaken to assist in determining causation of a case of mesothelioma. The work was performed by bandsawing a chrysotile asbestos (80%)/neoprene gasket sheet with a conventional 16-inch woodworking bandsaw inside a chamber. Measurements of airborne asbestos were made using conventional area and personal sampling methods, with analysis of collected samples by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and phase contrast microscopy (PCM). These were supplemented by qualitative scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations of some of the airborne particles collected on the filters. In contrast with findings from studies examining manual handling (installation and removal) of gaskets, airborne asbestos concentrations from this operation were found to be well above current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) (eight-hour time-weighted average [TWA]) and excursion limit (30-minute) standards. Although some "encapsulation" effect of the neoprene matrix was seen on the particles in the airborne dust, unencapsulated individual fiber bundles were also seen. Suggestions for the implications of the work are given. In summary, the airborne asbestos concentrations arising from this work were quite high, and point to the need for careful observation of common sense precautions when manipulation of asbestos-containing materials (even those believed to have limited emissions potential) may involved machining operations.

Occupational exposure to asbestos in the drywall taping process.

PubMed

Verma, D K; Middleton, C G

1980-04-01

Studies of airborne asbestos fiber concentrations associated with various operations of the drywall taping process have been undertaken in the province of Alberta, Canada. The results show that mixing, sanding and sweeping created high levels of airborne asbestos dust. The measured concentrations were frequently in excess of occupational health standards. Sanding in particular was assessed the most hazardous operation. The results are discussed in light of present and proposed Occupational Health Standards, and in terms of its implications for other workers, household contacts, and consumer's risk. Measures to reduce and control the health hazards associated with the process are described.

Airborne asbestos exposures associated with gasket and packing replacement: a simulation study of flange and valve repair work and an assessment of exposure variables.

PubMed

Madl, Amy K; Devlin, Kathryn D; Perez, Angela L; Hollins, Dana M; Cowan, Dallas M; Scott, Paul K; White, Katherine; Cheng, Thales J; Henshaw, John L

2015-02-01

A simulation study was conducted to evaluate worker and area exposure to airborne asbestos associated with the replacement of asbestos-containing gaskets and packing materials from flanges and valves and assess the influence of several variables previously not investigated. Additionally, potential of take home exposures from clothing worn during the study was characterized. Our data showed that product type, ventilation type, gasket location, flange or bonnet size, number of flanges involved, surface characteristics, gasket surface adherence, and even activity type did not have a significant effect on worker exposures. Average worker asbestos exposures during flange gasket work (PCME=0.166 f/cc, 12-59 min) were similar to average worker asbestos exposures during valve overhaul work (PCME=0.165 f/cc, 7-76 min). Average 8-h TWA asbestos exposures were estimated to range from 0.010 to 0.062 f/cc. Handling clothes worn during gasket and packing replacement activities demonstrated exposures that were 0.71% (0.0009 f/cc 40-h TWA) of the airborne asbestos concentration experienced during the 5 days of the study. Despite the many variables considered in this study, exposures during gasket and packing replacement occur within a relatively narrow range, are below current and historical occupational exposure limits for asbestos, and are consistent with previously published data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Airborne Asbestos Health Assessment Update (Project Summary, 1991)

EPA Science Inventory

Recent data from population studies strengthened the association of asbestos with disease. Lung cancer and mesothelioma are the most important asbestos-related causes of death. The data suggest that the excess risk of lung cancer from asbestos exposure is proportional to cumulati...

Exposure to airborne asbestos during removal and installation of gaskets and packings: a review of published and unpublished studies.

PubMed

Madl, Amy K; Clark, Katherine; Paustenbach, Dennis J

2007-01-01

In recent years, questions have been raised about the health risks to persons who have been occupationally exposed to asbestos-containing gaskets and packing materials used in pipes, valves, and machinery (pumps, autos, etc.). Up until the late 1970s, these materials were widely used throughout industrial and maritime operations, refineries, chemical plants, naval ships, and energy plants. Seven simulation studies and four work-site industrial hygiene studies of industrial and maritime settings involving the collection of more than 300 air samples were evaluated to determine the likely airborne fiber concentrations to which a worker may have been exposed while working with encapsulated asbestos-containing gaskets and packing materials. Each study was evaluated for the representativeness of work practices, analytical methods, sample size, and potential for asbestos contamination (e.g., insulation on valves or pipes used in the study). Specific activities evaluated included the removal and installation of gaskets and packings, flange cleaning, and gasket formation. In all but one of the studies relating to the replacement of gaskets and packing using hand-held tools, the short-term average exposures were less than the current 30-min OSHA excursion limit of 1 fiber per cubic centimeter (f/cc) and all of the long-term average exposures were less than the current 8-h permissible exposure limit time-weighted average (PEL-TWA) of 0.1 f/cc. The weight of evidence indicates that the use of hand tools and hand-operated power tools to remove or install gaskets or packing as performed by pipefitters or other tradesmen in nearly all plausible situations would not have produced airborne concentrations in excess of contemporaneous regulatory levels.

Assessment of potential asbestos exposures from jet engine overhaul work.

PubMed

Mlynarek, S P; Van Orden, D R

2012-06-01

Asbestos fibers have been used in a wide variety of products and numerous studies have shown that exposures from the use or manipulation of these products can vary widely. Jet engines contained various components (gaskets, clamps, o-rings and insulation) that contained asbestos that potentially could release airborne fibers during routine maintenance or during an engine overhaul. To evaluate the potential exposures to aircraft mechanics, a Pratt & Whitney JT3D jet engine was obtained and overhauled by experienced mechanics using tools and work practices similar to those used since the time this engine was manufactured. This study has demonstrated that the disturbance of asbestos-containing gaskets, o-rings, and other types of asbestos-containing components, while performing overhaul work to a jet engine produces very few airborne fibers, and that virtually none of these aerosolized fibers is asbestos. The overhaul work was observed to be dirty and oily. The exposures to the mechanics and bystanders were several orders of magnitude below OSHA exposure regulations, both current and historic. The data presented underscore the lack of risk to the health of persons conducting this work and to other persons in proximity to it from airborne asbestos. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Asbestos: The Need for and Feasibility of Air Pollution Controls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Div. of Medical Sciences.

The monograph presents a brief summary of the problems associated with airborne asbestos. It discusses the evidence regarding the pathogenicity of asbestos in man and animals, considers the evidence of human non-occupational exposure to asbestos, evaluates the evidence regarding health risks associated with various degrees and types of exposure,…

Determination of Micro-Quantities of Chrysotile Asbestos by Dye Adsorption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markham, M. Clare; Wosczyna, Karen

1976-01-01

Airborne asbestos is analyzed by differential dye adsorption. Quantities can be estimated down to 100 mg. For industrial use, asbestos samples must be separated from interfering minerals by density flotation. (Author/BT)

Releasable Asbestos Field Sampler and a Breathing Zone Model for Risk Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

Asbestos aerosolization (or releasability) is the potential for asbestos structures to become airborne when the source is disturbed. The source can be naturally occurring asbestos in soil, mine tailings in the soil at brownfield sites, vermiculite attic insulation in indoor envi...

Simulation tests to assess occupational exposure to airborne asbestos from artificially weathered asphalt-based roofing products.

PubMed

Sheehan, Patrick; Mowat, Fionna; Weidling, Ryan; Floyd, Mark

2010-11-01

Historically, asbestos-containing roof cements and coatings were widely used for patching and repairing leaks. Although fiber releases from these materials when newly applied have been studied, there are virtually no useful data on airborne asbestos fiber concentrations associated with the repair or removal of weathered roof coatings and cements, as most studies involve complete tear-out of old roofs, rather than only limited removal of the roof coating or cement during a repair job. This study was undertaken to estimate potential chrysotile asbestos fiber exposures specific to these types of roofing products following artificially enhanced weathering. Roof panels coated with plastic roof cement and fibered roof coating were subjected to intense solar radiation and daily simulated precipitation events for 1 year and then scraped to remove the weathered materials to assess chrysotile fiber release and potential worker exposures. Analysis of measured fiber concentrations for hand scraping of the weathered products showed 8-h time-weighted average concentrations that were well below the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limit for asbestos. There was, however, visibly more dust and a few more fibers collected during the hand scraping of weathered products compared to the cured products previously tested. There was a notable difference between fibers released from weathered and cured roofing products. In weathered samples, a large fraction of chrysotile fibers contained low concentrations of or essentially no magnesium and did not meet the spectral, mineralogical, or morphological definitions of chrysotile asbestos. The extent of magnesium leaching from chrysotile fibers is of interest because several researchers have reported that magnesium-depleted chrysotile fibers are less toxic and produce fewer mesothelial tumors in animal studies than normal chrysotile fibers.

ASBESTOS CONCENTRATIONS TWO YEARS AFTER ABATEMENT IN SEVENTEEN SCHOOLS

EPA Science Inventory

Airborne asbestos concentrations were measured at 17 schools that underwent an asbestos abatement 2 years before in 1988. These 17 schools, which involved 20 abatement sites, were part of a study conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Depar...

ENGINEERING CONTROL PRACTICES FOR REDUCING EMISSIONS DURING DRILLING OF ASBESTOS-CONTAINING FLOORING MATERIALS

EPA Science Inventory

This report describes the implementation and testing of control measures to reduce airborne asbestos generated by the drilling of asbestos-containing flooring materials, an OSHA Class III asbestos maintenance activity. Bosch 11224 and 11222 rotary drills were fitted with shrouds ...

Follow up study of workers manufacturing chrysotile asbestos cement products.

PubMed Central

Gardner, M J; Winter, P D; Pannett, B; Powell, C A

1986-01-01

A cohort study has been carried out of 2167 subjects employed between 1941 and 1983 at an asbestos cement factory in England. The production process incorporated the use of chrysotile asbestos fibre only, except for a small amount of amosite during four months in 1976. Measured airborne fibre concentrations available since 1970 from personal samplers showed mean levels below 1 fibre/ml, although higher levels had probably occurred previously in certain areas of the factory. No excess of lung cancer was observed in the mortality follow up by comparison with either national or local death rates, and analyses of subgroups of the workforce by job, exposure level, duration of employment, duration since entry, or calendar years of employment gave no real suggestion of an asbestos related excess for this cause of death. There was one death from pleural mesothelioma and one with asbestosis mentioned as an associated cause on the death certificate, but neither is thought to be linked to asbestos exposure at this factory. Other suggested asbestos related cancers, such as laryngeal and gastrointestinal, did not show raised risks. Although the durations of exposure were short in this study, the findings are consistent with two other studies of workers exposed to low concentrations of chrysotile fibre in the manufacture of asbestos cement products which reported no excess mortality. PMID:3024695

Domestic Asbestos Exposure: A Review of Epidemiologic and Exposure Data

PubMed Central

Goswami, Emily; Craven, Valerie; Dahlstrom, David L.; Alexander, Dominik; Mowat, Fionna

2013-01-01

Inhalation of asbestos resulting from living with and handling the clothing of workers directly exposed to asbestos has been established as a possible contributor to disease. This review evaluates epidemiologic studies of asbestos-related disease or conditions (mesothelioma, lung cancer, and pleural and interstitial abnormalities) among domestically exposed individuals and exposure studies that provide either direct exposure measurements or surrogate measures of asbestos exposure. A meta-analysis of studies providing relative risk estimates (n = 12) of mesothelioma was performed, resulting in a summary relative risk estimate (SRRE) of 5.02 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.48–10.13). This SRRE pertains to persons domestically exposed via workers involved in occupations with a traditionally high risk of disease from exposure to asbestos (i.e., asbestos product manufacturing workers, insulators, shipyard workers, and asbestos miners). The epidemiologic studies also show an elevated risk of interstitial, but more likely pleural, abnormalities (n = 6), though only half accounted for confounding exposures. The studies are limited with regard to lung cancer (n = 2). Several exposure-related studies describe results from airborne samples collected within the home (n = 3), during laundering of contaminated clothing (n = 1) or in controlled exposure simulations (n = 5) of domestic exposures, the latter of which were generally associated with low-level chrysotile-exposed workers. Lung burden studies (n = 6) were also evaluated as a surrogate of exposure. In general, available results for domestic exposures are lower than the workers’ exposures. Recent simulations of low-level chrysotile-exposed workers indicate asbestos levels commensurate with background concentrations in those exposed domestically. PMID:24185840

A study of airborne chrysotile concentrations associated with handling, unpacking, and repacking boxes of automobile clutch discs.

PubMed

Jiang, George C T; Madl, Amy K; Ingmundson, Kelsey J; Murbach, Dana M; Fehling, Kurt A; Paustenbach, Dennis J; Finley, Brent L

2008-06-01

Although automotive friction products (brakes and manual clutches) historically contained chrysotile asbestos, industrial hygiene surveys and epidemiologic studies of auto mechanics have consistently shown that these workers are not at an increased risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. Airborne asbestos levels during brake repair and brake parts handling have been well-characterized, but the potential exposure to airborne asbestos fibers during the handling of clutch parts has not been examined. In this study, breathing zone samples on the lapel of a volunteer worker (n=100) and area samples at bystander (n=50), remote area (n=25), and ambient (n=9) locations collected during the stacking, unpacking, and repacking of boxes of asbestos-containing clutches, and the subsequent cleanup and clothes handling, were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, fiber morphology and size distribution was evaluated using X-ray diffraction, polarized light microscopy, and ISO analytical methods. It was observed that the (1) airborne asbestos concentrations increased with the number of boxes unpacked and repacked, (2) repetitive stacking of unopened boxes of clutches resulted in higher asbestos concentrations than unpacking and repacking the boxes of clutches, (3) cleanup and clothes handling tasks yielded very low asbestos concentrations. Fiber size and morphology analyses showed that amphibole fibers were not detected in the clutches and that the vast majority (>95%) of the airborne chrysotile fibers were less than 20 microm in length. Applying the ratio of asbestos fibers:total fibers (including non-asbestos) as determined by TEM to the PCM results, it was found that 30-min average airborne chrysotile concentrations (PCM adjusted) were 0.026+/-0.004 f/cc or 0.100+/-0.017 f/cc for a worker unpacking and repacking 1 or 2 boxes of clutches, respectively. The 30-min PCM adjusted average airborne asbestos

Historical state of knowledge of the health risks of asbestos posed to seamen on merchant ships.

PubMed

Dodge, David G; Beck, Barbara D

2016-12-01

We examined the development of knowledge concerning the risks posed by asbestos to seamen working aboard merchant ships at sea (i.e. commercial, rather than naval vessels). Seamen were potentially exposed to "in-place" asbestos on merchant ships by performing intermittent repair and maintenance tasks. We reviewed studies measuring airborne asbestos onboard merchant ships and health outcomes of merchant seamen, as well as studies, communications, and actions of U.S. organizations with roles in maritime health and safety. Up to the 1970s, most knowledge of the health risks of asbestos was derived from studies of workers in asbestos product manufacturing and asbestos mining and milling industries, and certain end-users of asbestos products (particularly insulators). We found that attention to the potential health risks of asbestos to merchant seamen began in the mid- to late 1970s and early 1980s. Findings of pleural abnormalities in U.S. seamen elicited some concern from governmental and industry/labor organizations, but airborne asbestos concentrations aboard merchant ships were found to be <1 f/cc for most short-term repair and maintenance tasks. Responses to this evolving information served to warn seamen and the merchant shipping industry and led to increased precautions regarding asbestos exposure. Starting in the 1990s, findings of modest increases in lung cancer and/or mesothelioma in some epidemiology studies of seamen led some authors to propose that a causal link between shipboard exposures and asbestos-related diseases existed. Limitations in these studies, however, together with mostly unremarkable measures of airborne asbestos on merchant ships, preclude definitive conclusions in this regard.

Multi-parameter observation of environmental asbestos pollution at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (Jussieu Campus, France).

PubMed

Besson, P; Lalanne, F X; Wang, Y; Guyot, F

1999-11-01

An original multi-parameter system has been used to study the nature of dust in the ambient air, particularly the total fibers and asbestos fibers, in eight areas of the Institut de Physique de Globe de Paris (France). These analyses provide a detailed case study of environmental pollution by asbestos fibers at low levels. The levels of total fibers with a length greater than 3 microns, measured with a real time fiber analyser monitor (FAM), give a baseline of 2.5 fibers per l., throughout the duration of sampling. The same levels, calculated during periods of effective presence of staff, are smaller than 10 fb per l. During these periods, the instantaneous value can show high peaks, reaching a maximum of 60 fb per l., but more often of about 5 to 10 fb per l. A direct cause and effect relationship exists between fiber concentrations and the presence of people, and indirectly with the variation of the other environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, air velocity). The baseline concentration of asbestos fibers, determined by analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM), is about 10(-1) fb per l., with a mean value during the presence of people always less than 1.5 fb per l. The low levels of asbestos fibers do not allow us to establish a precise correlation between the concentration of total fibers and the asbestos concentration, but a rough estimate suggests that asbestos could represent 10-20% of the airborne fibers monitored with the FAM. The statistical study of fiber sizes shows that 70 and 55% of analyzed chrysotile and amosite fibers respectively are smaller than 5 microns. These numbers are 40 and 35% for fibers smaller than 3 microns, which are undetected by the FAM. Amosite, which characterizes most of the asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in the analyzed areas, is detected in the ambient air in quantities ten times less important than chrysotile. The low asbestos levels and the difference between the nature of building asbestos and airborne

Asbestos

Cancer.gov

Asbestos are a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals used in fire-resistant and insulating material. Breathing high levels of asbestos can cause several diseases, including lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. The use of asbestos is now highly regulated in the United States.

Malignant mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure in dental tape.

PubMed

Markowitz, Steven B; Moline, Jacqueline M

2017-05-01

Although most cases of malignant mesothelioma of the pleura are caused by one or more readily recognized sources of exposure to asbestos, cases of the disease with more occult exposure occur, especially since asbestos has been used in over 3,000 products. Dental lining tape contained asbestos from the 1930s until at least the 1970s and was used in the lost wax method of casting crowns, bridges, and other metal dental prosthetic devices. We report six cases of pathology-verified malignant mesothelioma, mostly among dentists, following exposure to airborne dust from asbestos dental tape, which resulted in asbestos tort litigation. According to evidence available at present, chrysotile asbestos was the type of asbestos used in dental tape in the past in the United States, and the described cases followed relatively brief and intermittent exposure to this type of asbestos. These cases underscore the need for comprehensive exposure histories to determine exposure scenarios. Am. J. Ind. Med. 60:437-442, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Asbestos exposure from gaskets during disassembly of a medium duty diesel engine.

PubMed

Liukonen, Larry R; Weir, Francis W

2005-03-01

Diesel engines have historically used asbestos-containing gaskets leading to concerns of fiber release and mechanic exposure. Other published studies regarding asbestos fiber release during gasket removal have reported on short-duration events; were conducted under simulated work conditions; or had other limitations. There are no comprehensive studies relating to diesel engine gaskets under conditions similar to those reported herein, evaluating asbestos fiber release from gaskets during all facets of a complete disassembly and cleaning of a medium duty diesel engine in a busy repair and service shop by a journeyman mechanic. Asbestos content of all gaskets was identified; all disassembly tasks were described and timed; and personal and area air monitoring was conducted for each task. Twenty seven of thirty three gaskets contained chrysotile asbestos in concentrations that ranged from 5 to 70%. All but one air monitoring sample reported results below the limit of reliable detection even though plumes of visible dust were evident during various removal, cleaning, and buffing procedures. The detection limit for airborne asbestos fibers in this investigation was influenced by the presence of other shop dust in the air. Our investigation demonstrates that using shop-standard procedures in an established repair facility, a journeyman mechanic has very little potential for exposure to airborne asbestos fibers during disassembly of an engine, approximately 10% or less than that currently considered to be acceptable by OSHA.

An exposure study of bystanders and workers during the installation and removal of asbestos gaskets and packing.

PubMed

Mangold, Carl; Clark, Katherine; Madl, Amy; Paustenbach, Dennis

2006-02-01

From 1982 until 1991, a series of studies was performed to evaluate the airborne concentration of chrysotile asbestos associated with replacing gaskets and packing materials. These studies were conducted by the senior author in response to concerns raised by a report from the Navy in 1978 on asbestos exposures associated with gasket work. A series of studies was conducted because results of those who worked with gaskets within the Navy study did not address the background concentrations of asbestos in the work areas, which may have been significant due to the presence of asbestos insulation in the ships and shipyards. The intent of the studies performed from 1982 through 1991 was to re-create the Navy's work practices in a contaminant-free environment during an 8-hour workday (so the data could be compared with the OSHA permissible exposure limit [PEL]). Samples were collected to characterize personal and area airborne asbestos concentrations associated with the formation, removal, and storage of gaskets, as well as the scraping of flanges and the replacement of valve packing. The results indicate that the 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) exposures of pipefitters and other tradesmen who performed these activities were below the current PEL and all previous PELs. Specifically, the highest average 8-hour TWA concentration measured for workers manipulating asbestos gaskets during this study was 0.030 f/cc (during gasket removal and flange face scraping onboard a naval ship). Likewise, the 8-hour TWA breathing zone concentrations of a worker removing and replacing asbestos valve packing did not exceed 0.016 f/cc. In most cases, the concentrations were not distinguishable from ambient levels of asbestos in the ships or the general environment. These results are not surprising given that asbestos fibers in gasket materials are encapsulated within a binder.

[Asbestos exposure on board ships: a study of the environmental situation on 2 classes of ferryboats].

PubMed

Turi, E; Tidei, F; Paoletti, L

1993-01-01

The article describes the results of a study on contamination by airborne asbestos fibres on board a number of ships belonging to fleets operating from Civitavecchia, a port on the coast of central Italy. Asbestos was widely used throughout the ships as fire- and soundproofing insulation. Samples taken before, during and after removal of the insulation in areas of the ship outside the asbestos removal worksite gave concentration levels that were similar to those observed in other indoor environments (building), varying according to the sample location and the condition of the insulation material. The results are discussed taking into consideration the fact that a ship is also a living environment for crew and passengers.

Desquamative interstitial pneumonia associated with chrysotile asbestos fibres.

PubMed Central

Freed, J A; Miller, A; Gordon, R E; Fischbein, A; Kleinerman, J; Langer, A M

1991-01-01

The drywall construction trade has in the past been associated with exposure to airborne asbestos fibres. This paper reports a drywall construction worker with 32 years of dust exposure who developed dyspnoea and diminished diffusing capacity, and showed diffuse irregular opacities on chest radiography. He did not respond to treatment with corticosteroids. Open lung biopsy examination showed desquamative interstitial pneumonia. Only a single ferruginous body was seen on frozen section, but tissue examination by electron microscopy showed an extraordinary pulmonary burden of mineral dust with especially high concentrations of chrysotile asbestos fibres. This report emphasises the need to consider asbestos fibre as an agent in the aetiology of desquamative interstitial pneumonia. The coexistent slight interstitial fibrosis present in this case is also considered to have resulted from exposure to mineral dust, particularly ultramicroscopic asbestos fibres. Images PMID:1645584

A review of historical exposures to asbestos among skilled craftsmen (1940-2006).

PubMed

Williams, Pamela R D; Phelka, Amanda D; Paustenbach, Dennis J

2007-01-01

This article provides a review and synthesis of the published and selected unpublished literature on historical asbestos exposures among skilled craftsmen in various nonshipyard and shipyard settings. The specific crafts evaluated were insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, masons, welders, sheet-metal workers, millwrights, electricians, carpenters, painters, laborers, maintenance workers, and abatement workers. Over 50 documents were identified and summarized. Sufficient information was available to quantitatively characterize historical asbestos exposures for the most highly exposed workers (insulators), even though data were lacking for some job tasks or time periods. Average airborne fiber concentrations collected for the duration of the task and/or the entire work shift were found to range from about 2 to 10 fibers per cubic centimeter (cm3 or cc) during activities performed by insulators in various nonshipyard settings from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Higher exposure levels were observed for this craft during the 1940s to 1950s, when dust counts were converted from millions of particles per cubic foot (mppcf) to units of fibers per cubic centimeter (fibers/cc) using a 1:6 conversion factor. Similar tasks performed in U.S. shipyards yielded average fiber concentrations about two-fold greater, likely due to inadequate ventilation and confined work environments; however, excessively high exposure levels were reported in some British Naval shipyards due to the spraying of asbestos. Improved industrial hygiene practices initiated in the early to mid-1970s were found to reduce average fiber concentrations for insulator tasks approximately two- to five-fold. For most other crafts, average fiber concentrations were found to typically range from <0.01 to 1 fibers/cc (depending on the task or time period), with higher concentrations observed during the use of powered tools, the mixing or sanding of drywall cement, and the cleanup of asbestos insulation or lagging

Asbestos fiber release from the brake pads of overhead industrial cranes.

PubMed

Spencer, J W; Plisko, M J; Balzer, J L

1999-06-01

The purpose of this evaluation was to determine the actual contribution of airborne asbestos fibers to the work environment from the operation of overhead cranes and hoists that use asbestos composition brake pads. The evaluation was conducted in a working manufacturing facility. Other potential sources of asbestos were accounted for by visual inspection and background air monitoring. An overhead crane assembly comprised of a trolley and two hoists was employed for this study. The crane was operated for two consecutive eight-hour shifts representative of a heavy-duty cycle. Forty-four personal and area air samples were collected during the assessment. Asbestos fibers were analyzed for by phase contrast (NIOSH 7400), and transmission electron (NIOSH 7402) microscopy methods. Eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) asbestos fiber concentrations ranged from < 0.005 to 0.011 fibers/cc (PCM), and < 0.0026 to < 0.0094 f/cc (TEM). There were no asbestos fibers detected by the TEM method from air samples collected during the operation of the cranes.

How to recycle asbestos containing materials (ACM)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jantzen, C.M.

The current disposal of asbestos containing materials (ACM) in the private sector consists of sealing asbestos wetted with water in plastic for safe transportation and burial in regulated land fills. This disposal methodology requires large disposal volumes especially for asbestos covered pipe and asbestos/fiberglass adhering to metal framework, e.g. filters. This wrap and bury technology precludes recycle of the asbestos, the pipe and/or the metal frameworks. Safe disposal of ACM at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sites, likewise, requires large disposal volumes in landfills for non-radioactive ACM and large disposal volumes in radioactive burial grounds for radioactive and suspect contaminatedmore » ACM. The availability of regulated disposal sites is rapidly diminishing causing recycle to be a more attractive option. Asbestos adhering to metal (e.g., pipes) can be recycled by safely removing the asbestos from the metal in a patented hot caustic bath which prevents airborne contamination /inhalation of asbestos fibers. The dissolution residue (caustic and asbestos) can be wet slurry fed to a melter and vitrified into a glass or glass-ceramic. Palex glasses, which are commercially manufactured, are shown to be preferred over conventional borosilicate glasses. The Palex glasses are alkali magnesium silicate glasses derived by substituting MgO for B{sub 2}O{sub 3} in borosilicate type glasses. Palex glasses are very tolerant of the high MgO and high CaO content of the fillers used in forming asbestos coverings for pipes and found in boiler lashing, e.g., hydromagnesite (3MgCO{sub 3} Mg(OH){sub 2} 3H{sub 2}O) and plaster of paris, gypsum (CaSO{sub 4}). The high temperate of the vitrification process destroys the asbestos fibers and renders the asbestos non-hazardous, e.g., a glass or glass-ceramic. In this manner the glass or glass-ceramic produced can be recycled, e.g., glassphalt or glasscrete, as can the clean metal pipe or metal framework.« less

Evaluation of asbestos-containing products and released fibers in home appliances.

PubMed

Hwang, Sung Ho; Park, Wha Me

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to detect asbestos-containing products and released asbestos fibers from home appliances. The authors investigated a total of 414 appliances manufactured between 1986 and 2007. Appliances were divided into three categories: large-sized electric appliances, small-sized electric appliances, and household items. Analysis for asbestos-containing material (ACM) was performed using polarized light microscopy (PLM) and stereoscopic microscopy. Air sampling was performed to measure airborne concentration of asbestos using a phase-contrast microscope (PCM). The results of the analysis for ACM in appliances show that large-sized electric appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, kimchi-refrigerators) and household items (bicycles, motorcycles, gas boilers) contain asbestos material and small-sized electric appliances do not contain asbestos material. All appliances with detected asbestos material showed typical characteristics of chrysotile (7-50%) and tremolite (7-10%). No released fibers of ACM were detected from the tested appliances when the appliances were operating. This study gives the basic information on asbestos risk to people who use home appliances. All appliances with detected asbestos material showed typical characteristics of chrysotile (7-50%) and tremolite (7-10%). No released fibers of ACM were detected from the tested appliances when the appliances were operating.

Trends and the Economic Effect of Asbestos Bans and Decline in Asbestos Consumption and Production Worldwide

PubMed Central

Allen, Lucy P.; Baez, Jorge; Stern, Mary Elizabeth C.

2018-01-01

Although some countries have reduced asbestos consumption and instituted bans, other countries continue to produce and consume asbestos even as asbestos-related deaths mount and the associated societal costs are high. Asbestos production and consumption has declined globally; the number of bans has increased; and the speed at which countries have tapered off consumption has increased. Using country-level data, we study the economic impact of historical changes in the production and use of asbestos. We compare changes in gross domestic product (GDP) following the enactment of asbestos bans. We do not find any significant effect on GDP following an asbestos ban. In a regional case study, we compare changes in GDP and employment with changes in asbestos production. Regional-level data revealed a temporary employment decline at the local level that was then reversed. PMID:29547510

Asbestos fiber release from the brake pads of overhead industrial cranes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spencer, J.W.; Plisko, M.J.; Balzer, J.L.

The purpose of this evaluation was to determine the actual contribution of airborne asbestos fibers to the work environment from the operation of overhead cranes and hoists that use asbestos composition brake pads. The evaluation was conducted in a working manufacturing facility. Other potential sources of asbestos were accounted for by visual inspection and background air monitoring. An overhead crane assembly comprised of a trolley and two hoists was employed for this study. The crane was operated for two consecutive eight-hour shifts representative of a heavy-duty cycle. Forty-four personal and area air samples were collected during the assessment. Asbestos fibersmore » were analyzed for by phase contrast (NIOSH 7400), and transmission electron (NIOSH 7402) microscopy methods. Eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) asbestos fiber concentrations ranges from <0.005 to 0.011 fibers/cc (PCM), and <0.0026 to <0.0094f/cc (TEM). There were no asbestos fibers detected by the TEM method from air samples collected during the operation of the cranes.« less

History of knowledge and evolution of occupational health and regulatory aspects of asbestos exposure science: 1900-1975.

PubMed

Barlow, Christy A; Sahmel, Jennifer; Paustenbach, Dennis J; Henshaw, John L

2017-04-01

The understanding by industrial hygienists of the hazards of asbestos and appropriate ways to characterize and control exposure has evolved over the years. Here, a detailed analysis of the evolution of industrial hygiene practices regarding asbestos and its health risks, from the early 1900s until the advent of the national occupational health and safety regulatory structure currently in place in the US (early-to-mid 1970s) is presented. While industrial hygienists recognized in the early 1900s that chronic and high-level exposures to airborne concentrations of asbestos could pose a serious health hazard, it was not until the mid-1950s that the carcinogenic nature of asbestos began to be characterized and widespread concern followed. With the introduction of the membrane filter sampling method in the late 1960s and early 1970s, asbestos sampling and exposure assessment capabilities advanced to a degree which allowed industrial hygienists to more precisely characterize the exposure-response relationship. The ability of industrial hygienists, analytical chemists, toxicologists, and physicians to more accurately define this relationship was instrumental to the scientific community's ability to establish Occupational Exposure Levels (OELs) for asbestos. These early developments set the stage for decades of additional study on asbestos exposure potential and risk of disease. This was followed by the application of engineering controls and improved respiratory protection which, over the years, saved thousands of lives. This paper represents a state-of-the-art review of the knowledge of asbestos within the industrial hygiene community from about 1900 to 1975.

Asbestos-related malignancy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Talcott, J.A.; Antman, K.H.

Asbestos-associated malignancies have received significant attention in the lay and medical literature because of the increasing frequency of two asbestos-associated tumors, lung carcinoma and mesothelioma; the wide distribution of asbestos; its status as a prototype environmental carcinogen; and the many recent legal compensation proceedings, for which medical testimony has been required. The understanding of asbestos-associated carcinogenesis has increased through study of animal models, human epidemiology, and, recently, the application of modern molecular biological techniques. However, the detailed mechanisms of carcinogenesis remain unknown. A wide variety of malignancies have been associated with asbestos, although the strongest evidence for a causal associationmore » is confined to lung cancer and mesothelioma. Epidemiological studies have provided evidence that both the type of asbestos fiber and the industry in which the exposure occurs may affect the rates of asbestos-associated cancers. It has been shown that asbestos exerts a carcinogenic effect independent of exposure to cigarette smoking that, for lung cancers, is synergistically enhanced by smoking. Other questions remain controversial, such as whether pulmonary fibrosis necessarily precedes asbestos-associated lung cancer and whether some threshold level of exposure to asbestos (including low-dose exposures that may occur in asbestos-associated public buildings) may be safe. Mesothelioma, the most closely asbestos-associated malignancy, has a dismal natural history and has been highly resistant to therapy. However, investigational multi-modality therapy may offer benefit to some patients. 179 references.« less

The geology of asbestos in the United States and its practical applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, B. S.

2007-01-01

Recently, naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) has drawn the attention of numerous health and regulatory agencies and citizen groups. NOA can be released airborne by (1) the disturbance of asbestos-bearing bedrocks through human activities or natural weathering, and (2) the mining and milling of some mineral deposits in which asbestos occurs as an accessory mineral(s). Because asbestos forms in specific rock types and geologic conditions, this information can be used to focus on areas with the potential to contain asbestos, rather than devoting effort to areas with minimal NOA potential. All asbestos minerals contain magnesium, silica, and water as essential constituents, and some also contain major iron and/or calcium. Predictably, the geologic environments that host asbestos are enriched in these components. Most asbestos deposits form by metasomatic replacement of magnesium-rich rocks. Asbestos-forming environments typically display shear or evidence for a significant influx of silica-rich hydrothermal fluids. Asbestos-forming processes can be driven by regional metamorphism, contact metamorphism, or magmatic hydrothermal systems. Thus, asbestos deposits of all sizes and styles are typically hosted by magnesium-rich rocks (often also iron-rich) that were altered by a metamorphic or magmatic process. Rock types known to host asbestos include serpentinites, altered ultramafic and some mafic rocks, dolomitic marbles and metamorphosed dolostones, metamorphosed iron formations, and alkalic intrusions and carbonatites. Other rock types appear unlikely to contain asbestos. These geologic insights can be used by the mining industry, regulators, land managers, and others to focus attention on the critical locales most likely to contain asbestos.

Analysis of the Asbestos Permissible Exposure Level Threshold Standard

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

Risks from Smoki in. . .. . . .. ... .. 44 4. Is Society Paying Too Much? . . . . . . . . 44 a. Death Rates Compared to Lung Cancer .. 44 C. Conclusions...risk of death. Table 2 compares age-standardized lung cancer death rates (per 100,000 man-years) for cigarette smoking and/or occupational exposure to...Cancer Death Rates for Cigarette Smoking and Asbestos ZZposuze Group Exposed to Smoker Mortality Asbestos Ratio * Control No No 1.00 Asbestos Worker

Asbestos-induced autoimmunity in C57BL/6 mice.

PubMed

Pfau, Jean C; Sentissi, Jami J; Li, Sheng'ai; Calderon-Garciduenas, Lilian; Brown, Jared M; Blake, David J

2008-04-01

Environmental impacts on autoimmunity have significant public health implications. Epidemiological studies have shown associations between exposure to airborne silicates, such as crystalline silica or asbestos, and autoimmunity, but the etiology remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that asbestos could lead to a specific pattern of autoantibodies and pathology indicative of systemic autoimmune disease (SAID). Female C57Bl/6 mice were instilled intratracheally with 2 doses x 60 microg/mouse of amphibole asbestos (tremolite), wollastonite (a non-fibrogenic control fiber), or saline alone. Serum samples were collected and urine was checked for protein bi-weekly for 7 months. By 26 weeks, the asbestos-instilled animals had a significantly higher frequency of positive anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) tests compared to wollastonite and saline groups. The majority of positive ANAs showed homogeneous or combined homogeneous/speckled patterns, and tested positive for antibodies to dsDNA and SSA/Ro 52. Serum isotyping showed no significant changes in IgM, IgA, or IgG subclasses. However, there was an overall decrease in the mean IgG serum concentration in asbestos-instilled mice. IgG immune complex deposition was demonstrated in the kidneys of asbestos-instilled mice, with evidence of glomerular and tubule abnormalities suggestive of glomerulonephritis. Flow cytometry demonstrated moderate changes in the percentages of CD25+ T-suppressor cells and B1a B-cells in the superficial cervical lymph nodes of the asbestos-instilled mice. These data demonstrate that asbestos leads to immunologic changes consistent with the development of autoimmunity. This study provides a non-autoimmune prone murine model for use in future elucidation of mechanisms involved in asbestos-induced autoimmune disease.

Trades of dangers: a study of asbestos industry transfer cases in Asia.

PubMed

Choi, Yeyong; Lim, Sinye; Paek, Domyung

2013-03-01

In a study of asbestos industry transfers in Asia, we examined the transfer of health and safety measures at the time of industry transfer and resulting health outcomes thereafter. Field surveys were conducted in Japan, Germany, Indonesia, and South Korea over a 5 year period beginning in 2007. The surveys involved interviews and field assessments of health and safety conditions. Even when there were transfers of entire engineering plant processes, we observed that the health and safety measures that should have accompanied the transfer, including technical capacities of risk assessment and management, regulatory protection, and cultural practices, were not actually transferred. According to work environment assessment records, there were differences in airborne asbestos levels of approximately 5-6 fibers/cc between the exporting and importing sides of the transfer. This amounted to a 10 years of time delay in comparable health and safety conditions. These differences resulted in repeated adverse health consequences at each factory operation site. Dangerous transfers of asbestos industry technology have occurred repeatedly over the years with the result that Asia has become the largest consumer of asbestos in the world. No effective internationally accepted safety measures have been introduced in the region. The study results support the need for both improved public awareness and international cooperation, such as sharing of substitute material technologies by the exporting countries, and provide the rationale for the creation of an Asian fund for asbestos victims. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Asbestos

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, Robert

2011-01-01

The term asbestos is a generic designation referring usually to six types of naturally occurring mineral fibers that are or have been commercially exploited. These fibers belong to two mineral groups: serpentines and amphiboles. The serpentine group is represented by a single asbestiform variety-chrysotile. There also are five commercial asbestiform varieties of amphiboles-anthophyllite asbestos, cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos (amosite), riebeckite asbestos (crocidolite), tremolite asbestos, and actinolite asbestos. Amosite and crocidolite are no longer mined. Nearly all of the asbestos mined after the mid-1990s was chrysotile. Only very small amounts of actinolite, anthophyllite, and tremolite asbestos may be mined in a few countries. Asbestos was mined in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Kazakhstan, and Russia in 2010; world production was estimated to be 1.97 × 106 tons. Properties that made asbestos valuable for industrial applications were their thermal, electrical, and sound insulation properties; inflammability; matrix reinforcement (cement, plastic, and resins); adsorption capacity (filtration, liquid sterilization); wear and friction properties (friction materials such as brakes and clutches); and chemical inertia (except in acids). These properties led to the use of asbestos in about 3,000 products by the 1960s. Since about 1995, asbestos-cement products, including pipe and sheets, accounted for more than 95% of global asbestos consumption as other uses of asbestos have declined. Global consumption of asbestos was estimated to have been about 1.98 × 106 tons in 2009. The leading consuming countries in 2009 were Brazil, China, India, Russia, and Thailand, each with more than 100,000 tons of consumption.

Lessons learnt from a factory fire with asbestos-containing fallout.

PubMed

Bridgman, S A

1999-06-01

Fallout containing asbestos from a factory fire at Tranmere, Wirral, England, landed on a highly populated urban area with an estimated 16000 people living in the area worst affected, which included a shipbuilding community. There was considerable public concern over the health impact of the acute environmental incident, and great media interest. A descriptive study was carried out of the acute environmental incident and its management, and the difficulties encountered. Practical lessons learnt include need for: increased fire-fighter awareness of potential adverse health effects from asbestos in the structure of buildings; early involvement of both Local Authority environmental health and National Health Service public health departments; creation of a systematic local database of potential environmental health hazards in the structure of buildings as well as their contents; 24 hour on-call arrangements with laboratories expert in analyses of fire fallout; rapid quantitative analyses of multiple environmental samples; district written policy on handling asbestos incidents; systematic assessment of fright and media factors in public impact of an incident; dedicated public help-lines open long hours; consistent evidence-based public messages from all those communicating with the public; measurement of asbestos levels in the street and homes for public reassurance; local and health authorities' subscription to an environmental incident support service; formation of an acute environmental incident team to jointly manage and publicly report on airborne acute environmental incidents; clear government definition of responsibilities of different agencies. This paper provides a description of important lessons learnt during an acute environmental incident with asbestos-containing fallout. It will be helpful to those involved in the practical planning for and management of future incidents.

Retrospective view of airborne dust levels in workplace of a chrysotile mine in Ural, Russia.

PubMed

Kashansky, S V; Domnin, S G; Kochelayev, V A; Monakhov, D D; Kogan, F M

2001-04-01

The Bazhenovskoye chrysotile asbestos deposit has been exploited for 115 years. All the technological operations in the quarry are accompanied by the formation of high-dispersion asbestos-containing aerosols. The dust concentrations at the miner's working places for the last 30 years (1970-2000) were at or below the Russian MACs(m.s.) level (4.0 mg/m3). The seasonal precipitation amount in the deposit area causes a rise in dust content in certain periods. The maximum density of asbestos respirable fibres exceeded 2.7 f/cm3. All the identified fibres belonged to chrysotile asbestos, and no amphibole asbestos, such as tremolite asbestos, has been identified. An excessive dust level remains, despite the dust content level decrease, at the work sites of oversized lump drillers and unloaders, and oncopathology heightened risk remains in these occupational groups, as a result.

AIRBORNE ASBESTOS CONCENTRATIONS THREE YEARS AFTER ABATEMENT IN SEVENTEEN SCHOOLS

EPA Science Inventory

From 1988 through 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory and the New Jersey Department of Health's Environmental Health Service conducted air monitoring in 17 schools in New Jersey to determine the effectiveness of their asbestos c...

Asbestos

MedlinePlus

... Healthy Air > Indoor > Indoor Air Pollutants and Health Asbestos What is asbestos? Asbestos refers to a group of naturally occurring, ... in others. 2 What are the sources of asbestos? Deteriorating, damaged or disturbed products—such as insulation, ...

Search for biomarkers of asbestos exposure and asbestos-induced cancers in investigations of the immunological effects of asbestos.

PubMed

Matsuzaki, Hidenori; Kumagai-Takei, Naoko; Lee, Suni; Maeda, Megumi; Sada, Nagisa; Hatayama, Tamayo; Yamamoto, Shoko; Ikeda, Miho; Yoshitome, Kei; Min, Yu; Nishimura, Yasumitsu; Otsuki, Takemi

2017-06-09

The immunological effects of asbestos exposure on various lymphocytes such as the regulatory T cell (Treg), responder CD4+ T helper cell (Tresp), CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), and natural killer (NK) cells were investigated. Results show that asbestos exposure impairs antitumor immunity through enhancement of regulatory T cell function and volume, reduction of CXCR3 chemokine receptor in responder CD4+ T helper cells, and impairment of the killing activities of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and NK cells. These findings were used to explore biological markers associated with asbestos exposure and asbestos-induced cancers and suggested the usefulness of serum/plasma IL-10 and TGF-β, surface CXCR3 expression in Tresp, the secreting potential of IFN-γ in Tresp, intracellular perforin level in CTL, and surface expression NKp46 in NK cells. Although other unexplored cytokines in serum/plasma and molecules in these immunological cells, including Th17, should be investigated by experimental procedures in addition to a comprehensive analysis of screening methods, biomarkers based on immunological alterations may be helpful in clinical situations to screen the high-risk population exposed to asbestos and susceptible to asbestos-related cancers such as mesothelioma.

Analysis of workplace compliance measurements of asbestos by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (1984-2011).

PubMed

Cowan, Dallas M; Cheng, Thales J; Ground, Matthew; Sahmel, Jennifer; Varughese, Allysha; Madl, Amy K

2015-08-01

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains the Chemical Exposure Health Data (CEHD) and the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) databases, which contain quantitative and qualitative data resulting from compliance inspections conducted from 1984 to 2011. This analysis aimed to evaluate trends in workplace asbestos concentrations over time and across industries by combining the samples from these two databases. From 1984 to 2011, personal air samples ranged from 0.001 to 175 f/cc. Asbestos compliance sampling data associated with the construction, automotive repair, manufacturing, and chemical/petroleum/rubber industries included measurements in excess of 10 f/cc, and were above the permissible exposure limit from 2001 to 2011. The utility of combining the databases was limited by the completeness and accuracy of the data recorded. In this analysis, 40% of the data overlapped between the two databases. Other limitations included sampling bias associated with compliance sampling and errors occurring from user-entered data. A clear decreasing trend in both airborne fiber concentrations and the numbers of asbestos samples collected parallels historically decreasing trends in the consumption of asbestos, and declining mesothelioma incidence rates. Although air sampling data indicated that airborne fiber exposure potential was high (>10 f/cc for short and long-term samples) in some industries (e.g., construction, manufacturing), airborne concentrations have significantly declined over the past 30 years. Recommendations for improving the existing exposure OSHA databases are provided. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

New detoxification processes for asbestos fibers in the environment.

PubMed

Turci, Francesco; Colonna, Massimiliano; Tomatis, Maura; Mantegna, Stefano; Cravotto, Giancarlo; Fubini, Bice

2010-01-01

Airborne asbestos fibers are associated with many serious detrimental effects on human health, while the hazard posed by waterborne fibers remains an object of debate. In adopting a precautionary principle, asbestos content in water needs to be kept as low as possible and polluting waters with asbestos should be avoided. Turci et al. (2008) recently reported a method for the decontamination of asbestos-polluted waters or landfill leachates from chrysotile that combines power ultrasound (US) with oxalic acid (Ox), an acidic chelating molecule. In the previous study, the occurrence of antigorite, a polymorph of serpentine, the mineral group encompassing chrysotile asbestos, acted as a confounding factor for complete removal of chrysotile from water. The effects of US + Ox on pure chrysotile asbestos from Val Malenco, Italian Central Alps, were examined in this investigation. In the absence of mineral contaminants, a more rapid removal of pure chrysotile from water was undertaken with respect to the previous specimen. After only 12 h of combined US + Ox acid treatment, imaging (SEM) of mineral debris indicated complete loss of fibrous habit. In addition, crystallography and vibrational features of chrysotile were not detectable (x-ray powder diffraction [XRPD] and micro-Raman spectroscopy) and elemental analysis showed a low Mg/Si ratio, i.e., the loss of the brucitic layer in chrysotile (x-ray fluorescence, XRF). Some nanometric rod-shaped debris, observed in the previous study and tentatively recognized as serpentine antigorite, was now found to be made of amorphous silica, which is relatively safe and noncarcinogenic to humans, providing further assurance regarding the safety of treated product. Thus, data indicated the proposed method was effective in detoxifying waterborne chrysotile asbestos fibers.

Guidelines for asbestos remediation at Italian superfund sites.

PubMed

Paglietti, F; Malinconico, S; Di Molfetta, V; Giangrasso, M

2012-01-01

Asbestos is now banned in 52 countries. Although Italy banned asbestos in 1992, up until that date it had been one of the main producer nations of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials, and asbestos-related contamination is still widespread in the country. To reduce asbestos-related health effects, Italy has adopted many laws and regulations regarding exposure thresholds and remediation tools. Even so, there are legislative gaps that are making it difficult to manage related risks especially in the operative phase. The lack of standard procedures at a national level regarding emergency shutdown and remediation as well as reference thresholds for specific risk situations creates difficulties and different actions when dealing with the cleanup of Italian asbestos superfund sites. The authors propose operative guidelines for asbestos remediation at Italian superfund sites. INAIL, the reference national organization for asbestos-related matters, acting as an advisor to a number of state, regional, and local authorities, examined the main asbestos-related risk situations in Italy and proposed the most appropriate actions to take. The detailed analysis of many actual cases of risk, in part through inspections and the management of cleanup actions at asbestos Italian superfund sites, resulted in proposals to modify existing procedures and thresholds, which were subsequently discussed with all national, regional, and local scientific bodies. After more than two years of work and discussion at a national level, INAIL-DIPIA-Asbestos Group drafted new Guidelines for Asbestos Remediation at Italian Superfund sites, and officially submitted them to the Environment Ministry. The Ministry then adopted the document in regard to all asbestos Italian superfunds. This recently released document is also a useful reference for contaminated sites at a regional and local level. The operative Guidelines for Asbestos Remediation at Italian Superfund sites may also be of use at an

Potential health hazards associated with exposures to asbestos-containing drywall accessory products: A state-of-the-science assessment.

PubMed

Phelka, Amanda D; Finley, Brent L

2012-01-01

Until the late 1970s, chrysotile asbestos was an ingredient in most industrial and consumer drywall accessory products manufactured in the US. In 1977, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a ban of consumer patching compounds containing "respirable, free-form asbestos" based on their prediction of exceptionally high rates of asbestos-related diseases among individuals using patching compounds for as little as a few days. Although hundreds of thousands of workers and homeowners handling these products may have experienced exposure to asbestos prior to the ban, there has been no systematic effort to summarize and interpret the information relevant to the potential health effects of such exposures. In this analysis, we provide a comprehensive review and analysis of the scientific studies assessing fiber type and dimension, toxicological and epidemiological endpoints, and airborne fiber concentrations associated with joint compound use. We conclude that: 1) asbestos in drywall accessory products was primarily short fiber (< 5 µm) chrysotile, 2) asbestos in inhaled joint compound particulate is probably not biopersistent in the lung, 3) estimated cumulative chrysotile exposures experienced by workers and homeowners are below levels known to be associated with respiratory disease, and 4) mortality studies of drywall installers have not demonstrated a significantly increased incidence of death attributable to any asbestos-related disease. Consequently, contrary to the predictions of the CPSC, the current weight of evidence does not indicate any clear health risks associated with the use of asbestos-containing drywall accessory products. We also describe information gaps and suggest possible areas of future research.

Biological responses to asbestos inhalation and pathogenesis of asbestos-related benign and malignant disease.

PubMed

Solbes, Eduardo; Harper, Richart W

2018-04-01

Asbestos comprises a group of fibrous minerals that are naturally occurring in the environment. Because of its natural properties, asbestos gained popularity for commercial applications in the late 19th century and was used throughout the majority of the 20th century, with predominant use in the construction, automotive, and shipbuilding industries. Asbestos has been linked to a spectrum of pulmonary diseases, such as pleural fibrosis and plaques, asbestosis, benign asbestos pleural effusion, small cell lung carcinoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, and malignant mesothelioma. There are several mechanisms through which asbestos can lead to both benign and malignant disease, and they include alterations at the chromosomal level, activation of oncogenes, loss of tumor suppressor genes, alterations in cellular signal transduction pathways, generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and direct mechanical damage to cells from asbestos fibers. While known risk factors exist for the development of asbestos-related malignancies, there are currently no effective means to determine which asbestos-exposed patients will develop malignancy and which will not. There are also no established screening strategies to detect asbestos-related malignancies in patients who have a history of asbestos exposure. In this article, we present a case that highlights the different biological responses in human hosts to asbestos exposure. © American Federation for Medical Research (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Rapid on-site detection of airborne asbestos fibers and potentially hazardous nanomaterials using fluorescence microscopy-based biosensing.

PubMed

Kuroda, Akio; Alexandrov, Maxym; Nishimura, Tomoki; Ishida, Takenori

2016-06-01

A large number of peptides with binding affinity to various inorganic materials have been identified and used as linkers, catalysts, and building blocks in nanotechnology and nanobiotechnology. However, there have been few applications of material-binding peptides in the fluorescence microscopy-based biosensing (FM method) of environmental pollutants. A notable exception is the application of the FM method for the detection of asbestos, a dangerous industrial toxin that is still widely used in many developing countries. This review details the selection and isolation of asbestos-binding proteins and peptides with sufficient specificity to distinguish asbestos from a large variety of safer fibrous materials used as asbestos substitutes. High sensitivity to nanoscale asbestos fibers (30-35 nm in diameter) invisible under conventional phase contrast microscopy can be achieved. The FM method is the basis for developing an automated system for asbestos biosensing that can be used for on-site testing with a portable fluorescence microscope. In the future, the FM method could also become a useful tool for detecting other potentially hazardous nanomaterials in the environment. Copyright © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Health risk among asbestos cement sheet manufacturing workers in Thailand.

PubMed

Phanprasit, Wantanee; Sujirarat, Dusit; Chaikittiporn, Chalermchai

2009-12-01

To assess asbestos exposure and calculate the relative risks of lung cancer among asbestos cement roof sheet workers and to predict the incidence rate of lung cancer caused by asbestos in Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four asbestos cement roof factories. Both area and personal air samples were collected and analyzed employing NIOSH method # 7400 and counting rule A for all procesess and activities. The time weight average exposures were calculated for each studied task using average area concentrations of the mill and personal concentrations. Then, cumulative exposures were estimated based on the past nation-wide air sampling concentrations and those from the present study. The relative risk (RR) of lung cancer among asbestos cement sheet workers was calculated and the number of asbestos related lung cancer case was estimated. The roof fitting polishers had the highest exposure to airborne asbestos fiber (0.73 fiber/ml). The highest average area concentration was at the conveyor to the de-bagger areas (0.02 fiber/ml). The estimated cumulative exposure for the workers performed studied-tasks ranged in between 90.13-115.65 fiber-years/ml while the relative risk of lung cancer calculated using US. EPA's model were 5.37-5.96. Based on the obtained RR, lung cancer among AC sheet in Thailand would be 2 case/year. In case that AC sheet will not be prohibited from being manufactured, even though only chrysotile is allowed, the surveillance system should be further developed and more seriously implemented. The better control measures for all processes must be implemented. Furthermore, due to the environmental persistence of asbestos fiber, its life cycle analysis should be conducted in order to control environmental exposure of general population.

Asbestos.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smither, W. J.

1978-01-01

Explains the structure and properties of asbestos, its importance in industry, and its world-wide use and production. Discusses asbestos-related diseases and suggests ways of preventing them, adding that current research is trying to make working with asbestos safer. (GA)

Lung Cancer Risk Associated with Regulated and Unregulated Chrysotile Asbestos Fibers.

PubMed

Hamra, Ghassan B; Richardson, David B; Dement, John; Loomis, Dana

2017-03-01

Regulation of asbestos fibers in the workplace is partly determined by which fibers can be visually counted. However, a majority of fibers are too short and thin to count this way and are, consequently, not subject to regulation. We estimate lung cancer risk associated with asbestos fibers of varying length and width. We apply an order-constrained prior both to leverage external information from toxicological studies of asbestos health effects. This prior assumes that risk from asbestos fibers increases with increasing length and decreases with increasing width. When we apply a shared mean for the effect of all asbestos fiber exposure groups, the rate ratios for each fiber group per unit exposure appear mostly equal. Rate ratio estimates for fibers of diameter <0.25 μm and length <1.5 and 1.5-5.0 μm are the most precise. When applying an order-constrained prior, we find that estimates of lung cancer rate ratio per unit of exposure to unregulated fibers 20-40 and >40 μm in the thinnest fiber group are similar in magnitude to estimates of risk associated with long fibers in the regulated fraction of airborne asbestos fibers. Rate ratio estimates for longer fibers are larger than those for shorter fibers, but thicker and thinner fibers do not differ as the toxicologically derived prior had expected. Credible intervals for fiber size-specific risk estimates overlap; thus, we cannot conclude that there are substantial differences in effect by fiber size. Nonetheless, our results suggest that some unregulated asbestos fibers may be associated with increased incidence of lung cancer.

Asbestos/NESHAP regulated asbestos-containing-materials guidance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shafer, R.; Throwe, S.; Salgado, O.

In the initial Asbestos NESHAP rule promulgated in 1973, a distinction was made between building materials that would readily release asbestos fibers when damaged or disturbed and those materials that were unlikely to result in significant fiber release. The terms friable and nonfriable were used to make this distinction. EPA has since determined that, if severely damaged, otherwise nonfriable materials can release significant amounts of asbestos fibers. Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material (RACM) is (a) friable asbestos material, (b) Category 1 nonfriable ACM that has become friable, (c) Category 1 nonfriable ACM that will be or has been subjected to sanding, grinding,more » cutting, or abrading, or (d) Category 2 nonfriable ACM that has a high probability of becoming or has become crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by the forces expected to act on the material in the course of demolition or renovation operations. The purpose of the document is to assist asbestos inspectors and the regulated community in determining whether or not a material is RACM and thus subject to the Asbestos NESHAP.« less

Asbestos exposure--quantitative assessment of risk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hughes, J.M.; Weill, H.

Methods for deriving quantitative estimates of asbestos-associated health risks are reviewed and their numerous assumptions and uncertainties described. These methods involve extrapolation of risks observed at past relatively high asbestos concentration levels down to usually much lower concentration levels of interest today--in some cases, orders of magnitude lower. These models are used to calculate estimates of the potential risk to workers manufacturing asbestos products and to students enrolled in schools containing asbestos products. The potential risk to workers exposed for 40 yr to 0.5 fibers per milliliter (f/ml) of mixed asbestos fiber type (a permissible workplace exposure limit under considerationmore » by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ) are estimated as 82 lifetime excess cancers per 10,000 exposed. The risk to students exposed to an average asbestos concentration of 0.001 f/ml of mixed asbestos fiber types for an average enrollment period of 6 school years is estimated as 5 lifetime excess cancers per one million exposed. If the school exposure is to chrysotile asbestos only, then the estimated risk is 1.5 lifetime excess cancers per million. Risks from other causes are presented for comparison; e.g., annual rates (per million) of 10 deaths from high school football, 14 from bicycling (10-14 yr of age), 5 to 20 for whooping cough vaccination. Decisions concerning asbestos products require participation of all parties involved and should only be made after a scientifically defensible estimate of the associated risk has been obtained. In many cases to date, such decisions have been made without adequate consideration of the level of risk or the cost-effectiveness of attempts to lower the potential risk. 73 references.« less

Measurement of Aerosolization of Asbestos from Soil Using the Releasable Asbestos Field Sampler (RAFS)

EPA Science Inventory

Releasable Asbestos Field Sampler (RAFS) was designed to provide an alternative to activity-based sampling (ABS) for determining likely asbestos exposure resulting from activities at site with low contaminant levels. This paper presents a description of the RAFS device and a comp...

Assessment of occupational exposure to asbestos fibers: Contribution of analytical transmission electron microscopy analysis and comparison with phase-contrast microscopy.

PubMed

Eypert-Blaison, Céline; Romero-Hariot, Anita; Clerc, Frédéric; Vincent, Raymond

2018-03-01

From November 2009 to October 2010, the French general directorate for labor organized a large field-study using analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM) to characterize occupational exposure to asbestos fibers during work on asbestos containing materials (ACM). The primary objective of this study was to establish a method and to validate the feasibility of using ATEM for the analysis of airborne asbestos of individual filters sampled in various occupational environments. For each sampling event, ATEM data were compared to those obtained by phase-contrast optical microscopy (PCOM), the WHO-recommended reference technique. A total of 265 results were obtained from 29 construction sites where workers were in contact with ACM. Data were sorted depending on the combination of the ACM type and the removal technique. For each "ACM-removal technique" combination, ATEM data were used to compute statistical indicators on short, fine and WHO asbestos fibers. Moreover, exposure was assessed taking into account the use of respiratory protective devices (RPD). As in previous studies, no simple relationship was found between results by PCOM and ATEM counting methods. Some ACM, such as asbestos-containing plasters, generated very high dust levels, and some techniques generated considerable levels of dust whatever the ACM treated. On the basis of these observations, recommendations were made to measure and control the occupational exposure limit. General prevention measures to be taken during work with ACM are also suggested. Finally, it is necessary to continue acquiring knowledge, in particular regarding RPD and the dust levels measured by ATEM for the activities not evaluated during this study.

DEFINITION FOR ASBESTOS.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ross, Malcolm; Kuntze, Richard A.; Clifton, Robert A.; ,

1984-01-01

A definition of asbestos is proposed. Under this definition, the term asbestos applies to six naturally occurring minerals exploited commercially for their desirable physical properties, which are in part derived from their asbestiform habit. The six minerals are the serpentine mineral chrysotile and the amphibole minerals grunerite asbestos (also referred to as amosite), riebeckite asbestos (also referred to as crocidolite), anthophyllite asbestos, tremolite asbestos, and actinolite asbestos. Individual mineral particles, however processed and regardless of their mineral name, are not demonstrated to be asbestos if the length-to-width ratio is less than 20:1.

Asbestos publications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-06-01

NIOSH publications and testimony on the health effects of exposure to asbestos were included in this compilation as full text articles or abstracts. Additional NIOSH publications on asbestos were listed in a bibliography. The information in this report included occupational safety and health guidelines for asbestos from NIOSH; respiratory diseases (asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma); work related lung disease surveillance report; and the NIOSH analytical methods for fibers, asbestos fibers, chrysotile asbestos, and bulk asbestos. Also contained in this report was NIOSH's testimony of January 24, 1991 on OSHA's proposed rule on occupational exposure to asbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite; andmore » NIOSH's statement of April 26, 1990 before the Subcommittee on Toxic Substances, Environmental Oversight, Research and Development, Committee on Environment and Public Works.« less

Asbestos, the Law.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGovern, Matthew

1989-01-01

Describes structure and use of asbestos; diseases associated with asbestos exposure; legislation and regulations concerning asbestos; training requirements of individuals involved in asbestos abatement; sampling and testing whether a material contains asbestos; and liabilities. (MLF)

Prevention of Asbestos-Related Disease in Countries Currently Using Asbestos.

PubMed

Marsili, Daniela; Terracini, Benedetto; Santana, Vilma S; Ramos-Bonilla, Juan Pablo; Pasetto, Roberto; Mazzeo, Agata; Loomis, Dana; Comba, Pietro; Algranti, Eduardo

2016-05-12

More than 40 years of evaluation have consistently confirmed the carcinogenicity of asbestos in all of its forms. This notwithstanding, according to recent figures, the annual world production of asbestos is approximatively 2,000,000 tons. Currently, about 90% of world asbestos comes from four countries: Russia, China, Brazil and Kazakhstan; and the wide use of asbestos worldwide represents a global threat. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the asbestos health impact and to discuss the role of epidemiological investigations in countries where asbestos is still used. In these contexts, new, "local" studies can stimulate awareness of the size of the problem by public opinion and other stakeholders and provide important information on the circumstances of exposure, as well as local asbestos-related health impacts. This paper suggests an agenda for an international cooperation framework dedicated to foster a public health response to asbestos, including: new epidemiological studies for assessing the health impact of asbestos in specific contexts; socio-cultural and economic analyses for contributing to identifying stakeholders and to address both the local and global implications of asbestos diffusion; public awareness on the health and socio-economic impact of asbestos use and banning.

Investigative studies for the use of an inactive asbestos mine as a disposal site for asbestos wastes.

PubMed

Gidarakos, Evangelos; Anastasiadou, Kalliopi; Koumantakis, Emmanuil; Nikolaos, Stappas

2008-05-30

Although, according to European legislation the use of Asbestos Containing Materials is forbidden, many buildings in Greece still contain asbestos products, which must be removed at some point in the near future. Therefore, suitable disposal sites must be found within Greece, so that the unverified disposal of asbestos waste in municipal waste Landfills is brought to an end. In the present work, an innovative approach to the disposal problem of asbestos wastes in Greece has been examined, through a risk assessment analysis of the inactive asbestos mine of Northern Greece and an evaluation of its suitability as a disposal site for asbestos wastes in the future. According to the research carried out, two areas (Site 1 and Site 2) inside the mine area are suitable for the construction of a disposal site for asbestos wastes. The geological investigations showed that in Site 1 and Site 2 ultrabasic rocks of ophiolite complex were prevalent, which have been intensely serpentinized and converted into the fibrous shape of serpentine (asbestos). Concentrations of hazardous substances such as heavy metals in the soil of Site 1 and Site 2 oscillate at low levels, with the exception of the concentrations of nickel and chrome which are high. The investigative work also included the collection of meteorological data and the monitoring of the water level of the artificial lake, which has developed inside the open mine. The main aim is to safely dispose asbestos wastes inside the mine, to minimize any pollution of the wider vicinity of the mine, as well as to engage in restoration activities.

National use of asbestos in relation to economic development.

PubMed

Le, Giang Vinh; Takahashi, Ken; Karjalainen, Antti; Delgermaa, Vanya; Hoshuyama, Tsutomu; Miyamura, Yoshitaka; Furuya, Sugio; Higashi, Toshiaki; Pan, Guowei; Wagner, Gregory

2010-01-01

National disparities in asbestos use will likely lead to an unequal burden of asbestos diseases. As economic status may be linked to asbestos use, we assessed, globally, the relationship between indicators of national economic development and asbestos use. For the 135 countries that have ever used asbestos, per capita asbestos use (kilograms per capita per year) was compared with per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 1990 Geary-Khamis dollars (GKD) for the period 1920-2003. Countries were grouped into three income levels (high, middle, and low) that were adapted from the 2003 World Bank categories. The historical pattern of asbestos use followed the environmental Kuznets curve in which use by high-income countries peaked when incomes attained 10,000-15,000 GKD and essentially ceased at income levels over 20,000 GKD. Currently, middle- and low-income countries are increasing their use of asbestos, closely following the paths once traced by higher income countries. Developing countries have the opportunity to eliminate asbestos use sooner than high-income countries and thus reduce the future burden of asbestos diseases.

Brake mechanics, asbestos, and disease risk.

PubMed

Huncharek, M

1990-09-01

Health risks posed by inhalable asbestos fibers are known to exist in a variety of industrial and nonindustrial settings. Although early studies described an increased risk of asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma in asbestos-industry workers, subsequent research revealed the existence of a potential asbestos-related health hazard in nonasbestos industries such as the textile and railroad industries. Brake mechanics and garage workers constitute a large work force with potential exposures to levels of asbestos capable of producing disease. Unfortunately, the health risk faced by these workers has received little attention. This article briefly discusses currently available information on the asbestos health risks of workers in this setting, and highlights the need for further investigations of this occupational group.

Prevention of Asbestos-Related Disease in Countries Currently Using Asbestos

PubMed Central

Marsili, Daniela; Terracini, Benedetto; Santana, Vilma S.; Ramos-Bonilla, Juan Pablo; Pasetto, Roberto; Mazzeo, Agata; Loomis, Dana; Comba, Pietro; Algranti, Eduardo

2016-01-01

More than 40 years of evaluation have consistently confirmed the carcinogenicity of asbestos in all of its forms. This notwithstanding, according to recent figures, the annual world production of asbestos is approximatively 2,000,000 tons. Currently, about 90% of world asbestos comes from four countries: Russia, China, Brazil and Kazakhstan; and the wide use of asbestos worldwide represents a global threat. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the asbestos health impact and to discuss the role of epidemiological investigations in countries where asbestos is still used. In these contexts, new, “local” studies can stimulate awareness of the size of the problem by public opinion and other stakeholders and provide important information on the circumstances of exposure, as well as local asbestos-related health impacts. This paper suggests an agenda for an international cooperation framework dedicated to foster a public health response to asbestos, including: new epidemiological studies for assessing the health impact of asbestos in specific contexts; socio-cultural and economic analyses for contributing to identifying stakeholders and to address both the local and global implications of asbestos diffusion; public awareness on the health and socio-economic impact of asbestos use and banning. PMID:27187433

National Use of Asbestos in Relation to Economic Development

PubMed Central

Le, Giang Vinh; Takahashi, Ken; Karjalainen, Antti; Delgermaa, Vanya; Hoshuyama, Tsutomu; Miyamura, Yoshitaka; Furuya, Sugio; Higashi, Toshiaki; Pan, Guowei; Wagner, Gregory

2010-01-01

Background National disparities in asbestos use will likely lead to an unequal burden of asbestos diseases. Objectives As economic status may be linked to asbestos use, we assessed, globally, the relationship between indicators of national economic development and asbestos use. Methods For the 135 countries that have ever used asbestos, per capita asbestos use (kilograms per capita per year) was compared with per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 1990 Geary–Khamis dollars (GKD) for the period 1920–2003. Countries were grouped into three income levels (high, middle, and low) that were adapted from the 2003 World Bank categories. Results The historical pattern of asbestos use followed the environmental Kuznets curve in which use by high-income countries peaked when incomes attained 10,000–15,000 GKD and essentially ceased at income levels over 20,000 GKD. Currently, middle- and low-income countries are increasing their use of asbestos, closely following the paths once traced by higher income countries. Conclusions Developing countries have the opportunity to eliminate asbestos use sooner than high-income countries and thus reduce the future burden of asbestos diseases. PMID:20056590

Asbestos-Related Disease in South Africa

PubMed Central

Braun, Lundy; Kisting, Sophia

2006-01-01

South Africa was the third largest exporter of asbestos in the world for more than a century. As a consequence of particularly exploitative social conditions, former workers and residents of mining regions suffered—and continue to suffer—from a serious yet still largely undocumented burden of asbestos-related disease. This epidemic has been invisible both internationally and inside South Africa. We examined the work environment, labor policies, and occupational-health framework of the asbestos industry in South Africa during the 20th century. In a changing local context where the majority of workers were increasingly disenfranchised, unorganized, excluded from skilled work, and predominantly rural, mining operations of the asbestos industry not only exposed workers to high levels of asbestos but also contaminated the environment extensively. PMID:16809596

Mapping Asbestos-Cement Roofing with Hyperspectral Remote Sensing over a Large Mountain Region of the Italian Western Alps

PubMed Central

Frassy, Federico; Candiani, Gabriele; Rusmini, Marco; Maianti, Pieralberto; Marchesi, Andrea; Nodari, Francesco Rota; Via, Giorgio Dalla; Albonico, Carlo; Gianinetto, Marco

2014-01-01

The World Health Organization estimates that 100 thousand people in the world die every year from asbestos-related cancers and more than 300 thousand European citizens are expected to die from asbestos-related mesothelioma by 2030. Both the European and the Italian legislations have banned the manufacture, importation, processing and distribution in commerce of asbestos-containing products and have recommended action plans for the safe removal of asbestos from public and private buildings. This paper describes the quantitative mapping of asbestos-cement covers over a large mountainous region of Italian Western Alps using the Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer sensor. A very large data set made up of 61 airborne transect strips covering 3263 km2 were processed to support the identification of buildings with asbestos-cement roofing, promoted by the Valle d'Aosta Autonomous Region with the support of the Regional Environmental Protection Agency. Results showed an overall mapping accuracy of 80%, in terms of asbestos-cement surface detected. The influence of topography on the classification's accuracy suggested that even in high relief landscapes, the spatial resolution of data is the major source of errors and the smaller asbestos-cement covers were not detected or misclassified. PMID:25166502

Asbestos exposure during quarrying and processing of serpentinites: a case study in Valmalenco, Central Alps, Northern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavallo, A.; Rimoldi, B.

2012-04-01

serpentine minerals due to the close resemblance of their basic structures. For this reason, the massive samples were studied by combined use of optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, X-ray powder diffraction and FT-IR. Geological and geostructural mapping of the chrysotile veins was also performed by the University, in order to characterize and quantify the "asbestos content" in each quarry. The analyses performed on massive samples showed that chrysotile asbestos is concentrated only along fissures and veins, and is not "dispersed" in the rock. Airborne personal and environmental samples (performed both in quarries and laboratories), were analyzed by means of phase-contrast microscopy (PCM) and SEM-EDS. The exposure values were extremely variable, and mostly below the permissible exposure level. The airborne samples revealed some critical details: the extreme fineness of chrysotile fibers (not detectable by PCM), the presence of chrysotile "aggregates", the difficulty to distinguish between chrysotile and splintery antigorite fragments (produced by mechanical fragmentation during quarrying and processing). Prevention actions were planned on the basis of the analytical results, and are still in progress: preliminary geological surveys (in order to avoid mineralized fissures), drilling technologies, dust suction and water abatement were tested in the field, procedural and organizational solutions are implemented both in the quarries and in the processing sites. Employers and workers are trained appropriately according to the law. A specific method for monitoring NOA exposure in these workplaces will be soon released.

Release of asbestos fibers from weathered and corroded asbestos cement products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spurny, K.R.

The controversy on whether weathered and corroded asbestos cement products are emitting biologically significant asbestos fiber concentrations in ambient air has not been resolved. Nor is it known if the weathered and corroded asbestos cement products release asbestos fibers which have the same carcinogenic potency as standard chrysotile. The purpose of this research project was to develop a method for sampling and measuring asbestos fiber emissions from solid planar surfaces (i.e., roofs and facades) consisting of asbestos cement products and to develop methods for studying the physical and chemical changes and the carcinogenic potency of the emitted fibers. Using thismore » method asbestos fiber emissions in ambient air have been measured in the FRG during 1984/1986. The emissions of asbestos fibers longer than 5 microns were in the range 10(6) to 10(8) fibers/m2.hr. The ambient air concentrations of these asbestos fibers were for the most part less than 10(3) fibers/m3. It was shown that the emitted asbestos fibers were chemically changed and it was shown with animal experiments that their carcinogenic potency did not differ from the carcinogenicity of standard chrysotile fibers.« less

PROPOSED ASTM METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF ASBESTOS IN AIR BY TEM AND INFORMATION ON INTERFERING FIBERS

EPA Science Inventory

The draft of the ASTM Test Method for air entitled: "Airborne Asbestos Concentration in Ambient and Indoor Atmospheres as Determined by Transmission Electron Microscopy Direct Transfer (TEM)" (ASTM Z7077Z) is an adaptation of the International Standard, ISO 10312. It is currently...

Efficiency of Sampling and Analysis of Asbestos Fibers on Filter Media: Implications for Exposure Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

To measure airborne asbestos and other fibers, an air sample must represent the actual number and size of fibers. Typically, mixed cellulose ester (MCE, 0.45 or 0.8 µm pore size) and to a much lesser extent, capillary-pore polycarbonate (PC, 0.4 µm pore size) membrane filters are...

[Possible health risks from asbestos in drinking water].

PubMed

Di Ciaula, Agostino; Gennaro, Valerio

2016-01-01

The recent finding of asbestos fibres in drinking water (up to 700.000 fibres/litres) in Tuscany (Central Italy) leads to concerns about health risks in exposed communities. Exposure to asbestos has been linked with cancer at several levels of the gastrointestinal tract, and it has been documented, in an animal model, a direct cytotoxic effect of asbestos fibres on the ileum. It has been recently described a possible link between asbestos and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and asbestos fibres have been detected in humans in histological samples from colon cancer and in gallbladder bile. Taken together, these findings suggest the possibility of an enterohepatic translocation of asbestos fibres, alternative to lymphatic translocation from lungs. In animal models, asbestos fibres ingested with drinking water act as a co-carcinogen in the presence of benzo(a) pyrene and, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC ), there is evidence pointing to a causal effect of ingested asbestos on gastric and colorectal cancer. The risk seems to be proportional to the concentration of ingested fibres, to the extent of individual water consumption, to exposure timing, and to the possible exposure to other toxics (i.e., benzo(a)pyrene). Furthermore, the exposure to asbestos by ingestion could explain the epidemiological finding of mesothelioma in subjects certainly unexposed by inhalation. In conclusion, several findings suggest that health risks from asbestos could not exclusively derive from inhalation of fibres. Health hazards might also be present after ingestion, mainly after daily ingestion of drinking water for long periods. In Italy, a systemic assessment of the presence of asbestos fibres in drinking water is still lacking, although asbestos-coated pipelines are widely diffused and still operating. Despite the fact that the existence of a threshold level for health risks linked to the presence of asbestos in drinking water is still under debate, the

Asbestos Surveillance Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Background on asbestos is presented including the different types and the important medical distinctions between those different types. The four diseases associated with asbestos exposure are discussed: mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and benign pleural disorders. The purpose of the LeRC Asbestos Surveillance Program is outlined, and the specifics of the Medical Surveillance Program for Asbestos Monitoring at LeRC are discussed.

Reported historic asbestos mines, historic asbestos prospects, and other natural occurrences of asbestos in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.; Clinkenbeard, John P.

2011-01-01

The map (Plate.pdf), pamphlet (Pamphlet.pdf), and the accompanying datasets in this report provide information for 290 sites in California where asbestos occurs in natural settings, using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos and their geological characteristics in California. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map sites where asbestos mineralization occurs in the United States, which includes similar maps and datasets of natural asbestos localities within the Eastern United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/), the Central United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1211/), the Rocky Mountain States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1182/), the Southwestern United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1095/), and the Northwestern United States (Oregon and Washington) (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1041/). These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on reported asbestos mineralization in the United States.

A common-sense approach to asbestos in roofing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steinmetz, W.R. Jr.

The word asbestos carries an ominous connotation to many plant engineers and building owners. Many are caught up in the hype surrounding asbestos abatement. Others are confused about how to face the questions surrounding this mysterious, dangerous, and often misunderstood substance. Asbestos issues cast a particularly perplexing spell over decisions about how to deal with the material in the removal of roofing systems. The product is an excellent roofing choice because it is fire-resistant, durable, and nonrotting. And most significantly on the other hand, asbestos causes three deadly diseases: lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining andmore » always fatal). This danger prompted enactment of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) in the early 1980s. The regulation required every K-12 school in the US to develop a management plant for dealing with asbestos. Since then, much has been done to raise awareness of the issues surrounding this material. The standard`s earliest form based removal requirements primarily on exposure levels. A 1994 revision, however, extended stringent removal requirements to all roof removal work involving asbestos, regardless of exposure level. This paper looks at the regulations, concerns, considerations, and procedures for dealing with the problem.« less

[Hygienic aspects of the production of asbestos substitutes].

PubMed

Nikitina, O V; Troitskaia, N A; Kogan, F M; Velichkovskiĭ, B T; Blokhin, V A; Kuznetsova, Z M; Vanchugova, N N

1990-01-01

Due to the high level aggressiveness of asbestos, more attempts have been made in the recent years to replace asbestos by other artificial mineral fibres. In this connection, the labour conditions were studied in the basalt and carbon fibres processing sites. The major occupational hazards of these sites included basalt and carbon fibres dusts, heating microclimate in some working zones and physical overload. An intratracheal experiment revealed a lower degree of fibrinogenicity of the basalt and carbon fibres as compared to chrysotile asbestos. The number of the induced mesothelioma in the intraperitoneal introduction of basalt and carbon fibres was markedly lower than in case with chrysotile asbestos. Hygienically, asbestos should be replaced wherever possible, and the dust control measures should by no means be inferior to those with asbestos.

Development of the Releasable Asbestos Field Sampler

EPA Science Inventory

A risk assessment for intermittent, low-level exposure to asbestos requires personal breathing concentration data. Currently, activity-based sampling (ABS) is the preferred approach to measurement of a person’s inhalation exposure; i.e., asbestos structures per cubic centimeter ...

Guidelines for catastrophic emergency situations involving asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

These guidelines are intended to assist regional, state, and local agencies in managing potential asbestos hazards resulting from a catastrophic accident or disaster. The guidelines may be used as a reference for advanced planning or, once the emergency presents itself, to help ensure that, to the extent feasible and compatible with other emergency measures, all appropriate steps are taken to safely handle and dispose of all asbestos, while avoiding unnecessary exposures to asbestos. The guidelines provide information that may be helpful to EPA Regional offices and delegated NESHAP agencies that must respond to emergencies involving asbestos. The guidelines review themore » experiences of EPA Regional and state enforcement agencies in dealing with asbestos during recent emergencies. Information is included on statutes and regulations that may be applicable in emergency situations, including the emergency provisions of the asbestos NESHAP. Lines of communication within EPA and between EPA and emergency management agencies are discussed. A list of contacts responsible at the state level for emergency and disaster activities is provided. Information is provided to help identify potential sources of asbestos releases, and factors are identified that should be considered in planning for the cleanup and disposal of asbestos.« less

NIOSH comments to DOL on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's notice of proposed rulemaking on occupational exposure to asbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-04-09

NIOSH is concerned that deleting coverage of cleavage fragments from nonasbestiform tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite from the standard poses a health risk for exposed workers. On June 21, 1984, NIOSH testified at the OSHA public hearings on occupational exposure to asbestos and presented supporting evidence that there is no safe concentration for exposure to asbestos (NIOSH 1984). In the NIOSH/OSHA report, NIOSH also reaffirmed its position that there is no scientific basis for differentiating health risks between types of asbestos fibers for regulatory purposes. In its 1984 testimony, NIOSH urged that the goal be to eliminate asbestos exposure (NIOSH 1984).more » Where asbestos exposure cannot be eliminated, it should be limited to the lowest concentration possible. NIOSH finds no scientifically valid health evidence for removing from the asbestos standard cleavage fragments that (1) become airborne when nonasbestiform tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite are mined, milled and used and (2) meet the microscopic definition of a fiber.« less

Asbestos exposure during renovation and demolition of asbestos-cement clad buildings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, S.K.

External asbestos cement (AC) claddings become weathered after many years by the gradual loss of cement from exposed surfaces; as a result, loosely bound layers enriched with asbestos fibers are formed. Asbestos fibers on such weathered surfaces may be mixtures of chrysotile with amosite or crocidolite. Renovation and demolition of old AC clad buildings could cause asbestos fiber emission, but this has not been investigated in the past. The exposure of workers to asbestos dust during these operations and precautions to minimize exposure now have been investigated at several building sites. Asbestos dust concentrations during water jet cleaning or paintingmore » of weathered AC roofing were approximately 0.1 to 0.2 fibers per milliliter (f/mL). Limited results suggest that concentrations may be reduced substantially by avoiding abrasion of surfaces. Concentrations during AC roof replacement averaged approximately 0.1 f/mL and were reduced markedly by employing more careful work procedures. Asbestos dust concentrations during demolition by removal of whole sheets averaged 0.3 to 0.6 f/mL for roofs and less than 0.1 f/mL for walls, reflecting the significant differences in extent of weathering between these elements. Suppression of asbestos emissions from roof sheets by wetting or sealing of weathered surfaces was not predictable because of the occurrence of asbestos fibers in dust trapped under sheet laps.« less

Concentrations of asbestos fibers and metals in drinking water caused by natural crocidolite asbestos in the soil from a rural area.

PubMed

Wei, Binggan; Ye, Bingxiong; Yu, Jiangping; Jia, Xianjie; Zhang, Biao; Zhang, Xiuwu; Lu, Rongan; Dong, Tingrong; Yang, Linsheng

2013-04-01

Asbestos fibers and metals in drinking water are of significant importance to the field of asbestos toxicology. However, little is known about asbestos fibers and metals in drinking water caused by naturally occurring asbestos. Therefore, concentrations of asbestos fibers and metals in well and surface waters from asbestos and control areas were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP) optical emission spectrometer, and ICP-mass spectrometry in this study. The results indicated that the mean concentration of asbestos fibers was 42.34 millions of fibers per liter by SEM, which was much higher than the permission exposure level. The main compositions of both asbestos fibers in crocidolite mineral and in drinking water were Na, Mg, Fe, and Si based on energy dispersive X-ray analysis. This revealed that the drinking water has been contaminated by asbestos fibers from crocidolite mineral in soil and rock. Except for Cr, Pb, Zn, and Mn, the mean concentrations of Ni, Na, Mg, K, Fe, Ca, and SiO2 were much higher in both surface water and well waters from the asbestos area than in well water from the control area. The results of principal component and cluster analyses indicated that the metals in surface and well waters from the asbestos area were significantly influenced by crocidolite mineral in soil and rock. In the asbestos area, the mean concentrations of asbestos fibers and Ni, Na, Mg, K, Fe, Ca, and SiO2 were higher in surface and well waters, indicating that asbestos fibers and the metals were significantly influenced by crocidolite in soil and rock.

Australia’s Ongoing Legacy of Asbestos: Significant Challenges Remain Even after the Complete Banning of Asbestos Almost Fifteen Years Ago

PubMed Central

Soeberg, Matthew; Vallance, Deborah A.; Keena, Victoria

2018-01-01

The most effective way of reducing the global burden of asbestos-related diseases is through the implementation of asbestos bans and minimising occupational and non-occupational exposure to respirable asbestos fibres. Australia’s asbestos consumption peaked in the 1970s with Australia widely thought to have had among the highest per-capita asbestos consumption level of any country. Australia’s discontinuation of all forms of asbestos and asbestos-containing products and materials did not occur at a single point of time. Crocidolite consumption ceased in the late 1960s, followed by amosite consumption stopping in the mid 1980s. Despite significant government reports being published in 1990 and 1999, it was not until the end of 2003 that a complete ban on all forms of asbestos (crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile) was introduced in Australia. The sustained efforts of trade unions and non-governmental organisations were essential in forcing the Australian government to finally implement the 2003 asbestos ban. Trade unions and non-government organisations continue to play a key role today in monitoring the government’s response to Australian asbestos-related disease epidemic. There are significant challenges that remain in Australia, despite a complete asbestos ban being implemented almost fifteen years ago. The Australian epidemic of asbestos-related disease has only now reached its peak. A total of 16,679 people were newly diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma between 1982 and 2016, with 84% of cases occurring in men. There has been a stabilisation of the age-standardised malignant mesothelioma incidence rate in the last 10 years. In 2016, the incidence rate per 100,000 was 2.5 using the Australian standard population and 1.3 using the Segi world standard population. Despite Australia’s complete asbestos ban being in place since 2003, public health efforts must continue to focus on preventing the devastating effects of avoidable asbestos-related diseases

Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Other Natural Occurrences of Asbestos in Oregon and Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2010-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 51 natural occurrences of asbestos in Washington and Oregon, using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Pacific Northwest States of Washington and Oregon. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the United States, which thus far includes similar maps and datasets of natural asbestos occurrences within the Eastern United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/), the Central United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1211/), the Rocky Mountain States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1182/), and the Southwestern United States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1095/). These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the United States.

Evaluation of errors in quantitative determination of asbestos in rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baietto, Oliviero; Marini, Paola; Vitaliti, Martina

2016-04-01

The quantitative determination of the content of asbestos in rock matrices is a complex operation which is susceptible to important errors. The principal methodologies for the analysis are Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Phase Contrast Optical Microscopy (PCOM). Despite the PCOM resolution is inferior to that of SEM, PCOM analysis has several advantages, including more representativity of the analyzed sample, more effective recognition of chrysotile and a lower cost. The DIATI LAA internal methodology for the analysis in PCOM is based on a mild grinding of a rock sample, its subdivision in 5-6 grain size classes smaller than 2 mm and a subsequent microscopic analysis of a portion of each class. The PCOM is based on the optical properties of asbestos and of the liquids with note refractive index in which the particles in analysis are immersed. The error evaluation in the analysis of rock samples, contrary to the analysis of airborne filters, cannot be based on a statistical distribution. In fact for airborne filters a binomial distribution (Poisson), which theoretically defines the variation in the count of fibers resulting from the observation of analysis fields, chosen randomly on the filter, can be applied. The analysis in rock matrices instead cannot lean on any statistical distribution because the most important object of the analysis is the size of the of asbestiform fibers and bundles of fibers observed and the resulting relationship between the weights of the fibrous component compared to the one granular. The error evaluation generally provided by public and private institutions varies between 50 and 150 percent, but there are not, however, specific studies that discuss the origin of the error or that link it to the asbestos content. Our work aims to provide a reliable estimation of the error in relation to the applied methodologies and to the total content of asbestos, especially for the values close to the legal limits. The error assessments must

Additive Synergism between Asbestos and Smoking in Lung Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Ngamwong, Yuwadee; Tangamornsuksan, Wimonchat; Lohitnavy, Ornrat; Chaiyakunapruk, Nathorn; Scholfield, C. Norman; Reisfeld, Brad; Lohitnavy, Manupat

2015-01-01

Smoking and asbestos exposure are important risks for lung cancer. Several epidemiological studies have linked asbestos exposure and smoking to lung cancer. To reconcile and unify these results, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide a quantitative estimate of the increased risk of lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking and to classify their interaction. Five electronic databases were searched from inception to May, 2015 for observational studies on lung cancer. All case-control (N = 10) and cohort (N = 7) studies were included in the analysis. We calculated pooled odds ratios (ORs), relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model for the association of asbestos exposure and smoking with lung cancer. Lung cancer patients who were not exposed to asbestos and non-smoking (A-S-) were compared with; (i) asbestos-exposed and non-smoking (A+S-), (ii) non-exposure to asbestos and smoking (A-S+), and (iii) asbestos-exposed and smoking (A+S+). Our meta-analysis showed a significant difference in risk of developing lung cancer among asbestos exposed and/or smoking workers compared to controls (A-S-), odds ratios for the disease (95% CI) were (i) 1.70 (A+S-, 1.31–2.21), (ii) 5.65; (A-S+, 3.38–9.42), (iii) 8.70 (A+S+, 5.8–13.10). The additive interaction index of synergy was 1.44 (95% CI = 1.26–1.77) and the multiplicative index = 0.91 (95% CI = 0.63–1.30). Corresponding values for cohort studies were 1.11 (95% CI = 1.00–1.28) and 0.51 (95% CI = 0.31–0.85). Our results point to an additive synergism for lung cancer with co-exposure of asbestos and cigarette smoking. Assessments of industrial health risks should take smoking and other airborne health risks when setting occupational asbestos exposure limits. PMID:26274395

Naturally occurring asbestos: a recurring public policy challenge.

PubMed

Lee, R J; Strohmeier, B R; Bunker, K L; Van Orden, D R

2008-05-01

The potential environmental hazards and associated public health issues related to exposure to respirable dusts from the vicinity of natural in-place asbestos deposits (commonly referred to as naturally occurring asbestos, NOA) have gained the regulatory and media spotlight in many areas around the United States, such as Libby, MT, Fairfax County, VA, and El Dorado Hills, CA, among others. NOA deposits may be present in a variety of geologic formations. It has been suggested that airborne asbestos may be released from NOA deposits, and absent appropriate engineering controls, may pose a potential health hazard if these rocks are crushed or exposed to natural weathering and erosion or to human activities that create dust. The issue that needs to be addressed at a policy level is the method of assessing exposures to elongated rock fragments ubiquitous in dust clouds in these same environments and the associated risk. Elongated rock fragments and single crystal minerals present in NOA have been construed by some as having attributes, including the health effects, of asbestos fibers. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) found that the scientific evidence did not support this assumption. As in many environmental fields of study, the evidence is often disputed. Regulatory policy is not uniform on the subject of rock fragments, even within single agencies. The core of the issue is whether the risk parameters associated with exposures to commercial asbestos can or should be applied to rock fragments meeting an arbitrary set of particle dimensions used for counting asbestos fibers. Inappropriate inclusion of particles or fragments results in dilution of risk and needless expenditure of resources. On the other hand, inappropriate exclusion of particles or fragments may result in increased and unnecessary risk. Some of the fastest growing counties in

Urinary asbestos fibers and inorganic particles in past asbestos workers.

PubMed

Zaina, Sara; Mastrangelo, Giuseppe; Ballarin, Maria Nicoletta; Scoizzato, Luca; Carradori, Giorgio; Fedeli, Ugo; Capella, Silvana; Belluso, Elena

2016-05-03

To assess the validity of the procedure as a test of asbestos exposure, we compared urinary asbestos fibers with occupational and environmental exposure data in a random sample of 48 subjects with high past asbestos exposure. Occupational and environmental exposure was estimated on questionnaire, pleural plaques were diagnosed with computed tomography, and inorganic fibers and particles were identified by scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive spectrometry. Few urinary asbestos fibers (in 15% of workers and 17% of cases with pleural plaques) and high amount of urinary silicate (particularly nonfibrous particles) were detected. Asbestos undergoes dissolution in lung tissues, but the secondary minerals are largely unknown. These materials, possibly nonfibrous silicates or metals, could be excreted with urine. Therefore, another study including a control group is warranted to discriminate the occupational origin of minerals in the urine.

Asbestos in Asia.

PubMed

Leong, Su Lyn; Zainudin, Rizka; Kazan-Allen, Laurie; Robinson, Bruce W

2015-05-01

Asbestos is a global killer. Despite lessons learned in the developed world on the use of asbestos and its hazardous pulmonary consequences, its use continues to increase in Asia. Although some countries such as Japan, Korea and Singapore have curtailed the use of this mineral, there are numerous countries in Asia that continue to mine, import and use this fibre, particularly China, which is one of the largest consumers in the world. Numerous factors ranging from political and economic to the lack of understanding of asbestos and the management of asbestos-related lung disease are keys to this observed trend. Awareness of these factors combined with early intervention may prevent the predicted Asian 'tsunami' of asbestos diseases. © 2015 Asian Pacific Society of Respirology.

How EPA's Asbestos Regulations Apply to Asbestos-Containing Vermiculite

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Letters and guidance that detail the requirements of asbestos National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants as is applies to vermiculite asbestos-containing material during residential demolitions

Asbestos in the Home.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

The United States Government is concerned about asbestos-containing products in the home because sometimes asbestos fibers can be released from these produces. If asbestos fibers are inhaled, certain types of cancer may later develop. Asbestos in homes poses several problems. Household members have little or no protection from exposure to asbestos…

Workplace Respiratory Protection Factors during Asbestos Removal Operations.

PubMed

Chazelet, Sandrine; Wild, Pascal; Silvente, Eric; Eypert-Blaison, Céline

2018-05-28

Numerous changes have been made to the French labour regulations in recent years relating to the prevention of risks of exposure to asbestos fibres for operators removing asbestos-containing materials. These changes refer to the method used to count fibres, the collective and personal protective devices to be used on these worksites, and the occupational exposure limit value, which was reduced to 10 f.L-1 on 2 July 2015. In this context, this study assessed the level of respiratory protection afforded by supplied-air respirators and powered air-purifying respirators by monitoring exposure for several operators on nine worksites. The levels of dustiness measured in personal samples taken outside masks showed significant evidence of potential exposure during removal of asbestos-containing plaster or sprayed asbestos, and when using abrasive blasting to treat asbestos-containing materials. For these tasks outside concentration regularly exceeds 25000 f.L-1. Measurements inside masks were generally low, under 10 f.L-1, except in some situations involving the removal of asbestos-containing plaster. This partial penetration of fibres inside masks could be due to the high loading linked to this material. The distributions of Workplace Protection Factors obtained for the two types of respiratory protective devices studied were broad, and the fifth percentile values equal to 236 and 104, respectively, for supplied-air respirators and powered air-purifying respirators. This work highlights once again the need to prioritize collective protection when seeking to prevent asbestos-related risks.

Asbestos related diseases among workers of asbestos processing plants in relation to type of production and asbestos use.

PubMed

Szeszenia-Dąbrowska, Neonila; Świątkowska, Beata; Sobala, Wojciech; Szubert, Zuzanna; Wilczyńska, Urszula

2015-01-01

Asbestos dust is one of the most dangerous pneumoconiotic and carcinogenic agents. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of asbestosis and pleural mesothelioma, depending on asbestos consumption and the type of manufactured products, among former asbestos workers in Poland. The study subjects included employees of 18 large state-owned asbestos processing enterprises operating in the Polish market in 1945-1998. The study is based on data obtained from asbestos company records and the Central Register of Occupational Diseases data on the cases of asbestosis and mesothelioma for the period from 1970 till 2012 as well as data from Amiantus Programme. The analysis was performed for 5 sectors comprising plants classified according to the products manufactured and applied production technology. In the study period, 2160 cases of asbestosis and 138 cases of mesothelioma were reported. The plants processed a total of about 2 million tons of asbestos, including about 7.5% of crocidolite. Total asbestosis consumption was a strong predictor of the rate of asbestosis incidence (R2 = 0.68, p = 0.055). The highest risk occurrence of asbestosis was observed in the production of textiles and sealing products. Mesothelioma occurred only in plants where crocidolite had been ever processed. Total asbestos consumption was a strong predictor of the rate of asbestosis incidence. The observation confirms the relationship between exposure to crocidolite and the occurrence of mesothelioma, regardless of the manufactured products, and suggests the absence of such a link for the total volume of asbestos consumption.

Asbestos in Scotland.

PubMed

Gorman, Thomas; Johnston, Ronnie; McIvor, Arthur; Watterson, Andrew

2004-01-01

This paper outlines the asbestos hazard in Scotland and draws upon a systematic oral history project to analyze from the workers' perspective the nature of exposure, the limitations of government regulatory initiatives, and the ramifications of contracting asbestos-related diseases for sufferers and their families. Current issues are investigated, stressing the agency of workers, trade unions, sympathetic local councils, and, especially, the victims' pressure groups. The occupational and environmental health threats of asbestos in Scotland remain significant, although recent E.U.- and U.K.-based decisions to ban further use of asbestos together with active campaigning by local activist groups have helped to reduce them. Mesothelioma mortality rates remain high, due to historic exposures, and much work remains to be done to reduce the number and plight of asbestos-exposed workers.

Essential Components of a Perimeter Air Monitoring Plan and Worker Protection Program at Sites Involving the Excavation of Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) in California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zdeb, T. F.

2012-12-01

Preparing a Perimeter Air Monitoring Plan that provides the essential information and methods of evaluation needed to assure that the health of the surrounding community is adequately protected and adapting currently existing Cal/OSHA regulations to be relevant to the protection of workers at sites involving the excavation of Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) is oftentimes challenging in California. Current guidelines regarding what constitutes an effective air monitoring program are often lacking in details regarding what should be sampled and analyzed to characterize a site and what evaluation techniques should be applied to process the results of monitoring, and the current Cal/OSHA asbestos related regulations regarding worker protection are for the most part largely pertinent to the abatement of asbestos in buildings. An overview of the essential components of an effective Baseline and Perimeter Air Monitoring Plan will be presented that includes a brief discussion of the various asbestos types and fiber sizes that may need to be considered, possible approachs for evaluating temporal and spatial variability, review of selected site boundary target concentrations, and consideration of the potential for airborne dust and soil containing asbestos (and other contaminants) to migrate and accumulate offsite eventually contributing to "background creep" --the incremental increase of overall airborne asbestos concentrations in the areas surrounding the site due to the re-entrainment of asbestos from the settled dust and/or transported soil. In addition to the above, the current Cal/OSHA asbestos regulations related to worker protection will be briefly discussed with respect to their relevancy at NOA sites with an overview of the adaptations to the regulations that were developed as a result of some fairly lengthy discussions with representatives of Cal/OSHA. These adaptations include, among other things, defining how regulated areas (asbestos concentrations over 1

NIOSH testimony to DOL on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's notice of proposed rulemaking on occupational exposure to asbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-05-09

Richard A. Lemen's purpose for appearing at the hearing is to provide testimony to OSHA regarding the proposed rulemaking to remove nonasbestiform tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite from the asbestos standard. NIOSH is concerned that deleting cleavage fragments of nonasbestiform tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite from the asbestos standard poses a potentially serious health risk for exposed workers. In the NIOSH/OSHA report, NIOSH also reaffirmed its position that there is no scientific basis for differentiating health risks between types of asbestos fibers for regulatory purposes. In its 1984 testimony, NIOSH urged that the goal be to eliminate asbestos fiber exposures (NIOSH 1984).more » Where fiber exposures cannot be eliminated, exposures should be limited to the lowest concentration possible. NIOSH finds no scientifically valid health evidence for removing from the asbestos standard cleavage fragments that (1) become airborne when nonasbestiform tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite are mined, milled and used and (2) meet the microscopic definition of a fiber.« less

Nonpulmonary Outcomes of Asbestos Exposure

PubMed Central

Bunderson-Schelvan, Melisa; Pfau, Jean C.; Crouch, Robert; Holian, Andrij

2011-01-01

The adverse pulmonary effects of asbestos are well accepted in scientific circles. However, the extrapulmonary consequences of asbestos exposure are not as clearly defined. In this review the potential for asbestos to produce diseases of the peritoneum, immune, gastrointestinal (GIT), and reproductive systems are explored as evidenced in published, peer-reviewed literature. Several hundred epidemiological, in vivo, and in vitro publications analyzing the extrapulmonary effects of asbestos were used as sources to arrive at the conclusions and to establish areas needing further study. In order to be considered, each study had to monitor extrapulmonary outcomes following exposure to asbestos. The literature supports a strong association between asbestos exposure and peritoneal neoplasms. Correlations between asbestos exposure and immune-related disease are less conclusive; nevertheless, it was concluded from the combined autoimmune studies that there is a possibility for a higher-than-expected risk of systemic autoimmune disease among asbestos-exposed populations. In general, the GIT effects of asbestos exposure appear to be minimal, with the most likely outcome being development of stomach cancer. However, IARC recently concluded the evidence to support asbestos-induced stomach cancer to be “limited.” The strongest evidence for reproductive disease due to asbestos is in regard to ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, effects on fertility and the developing fetus are under-studied. The possibility of other asbestos-induced health effects does exist. These include brain-related tumors, blood disorders due to the mutagenic and hemolytic properties of asbestos, and peritoneal fibrosis. It is clear from the literature that the adverse properties of asbestos are not confined to the pulmonary system. PMID:21534087

Factoring-in agglomeration of carbon nanotubes and nanofibers for better prediction of their toxicity versus asbestos.

PubMed

Murray, Ashley R; Kisin, Elena R; Tkach, Alexey V; Yanamala, Naveena; Mercer, Robert; Young, Shih-Houng; Fadeel, Bengt; Kagan, Valerian E; Shvedova, Anna A

2012-04-10

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon nanofibers (CNF) are allotropes of carbon featuring fibrous morphology. The dimensions and high aspect ratio of CNT and CNF have prompted the comparison with naturally occurring asbestos fibers which are known to be extremely pathogenic. While the toxicity and hazardous outcomes elicited by airborne exposure to single-walled CNT or asbestos have been widely reported, very limited data are currently available describing adverse effects of respirable CNF. Here, we assessed pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress markers and systemic immune responses to respirable CNF in comparison to single-walled CNT (SWCNT) and asbestos. Pulmonary inflammatory and fibrogenic responses to CNF, SWCNT and asbestos varied depending upon the agglomeration state of the particles/fibers. Foci of granulomatous lesions and collagen deposition were associated with dense particle-like SWCNT agglomerates, while no granuloma formation was found following exposure to fiber-like CNF or asbestos. The average thickness of the alveolar connective tissue--a marker of interstitial fibrosis--was increased 28 days post SWCNT, CNF or asbestos exposure. Exposure to SWCNT, CNF or asbestos resulted in oxidative stress evidenced by accumulations of 4-HNE and carbonylated proteins in the lung tissues. Additionally, local inflammatory and fibrogenic responses were accompanied by modified systemic immunity, as documented by decreased proliferation of splenic T cells ex vivo on day 28 post exposure. The accuracies of assessments of effective surface area for asbestos, SWCNT and CNF (based on geometrical analysis of their agglomeration) versus estimates of mass dose and number of particles were compared as predictors of toxicological outcomes. We provide evidence that effective surface area along with mass dose rather than specific surface area or particle number are significantly correlated with toxicological responses to carbonaceous fibrous nanoparticles. Therefore

Asbestos in Colorado schools.

PubMed

Baldwin, C A; Beaulieu, H J; Buchan, R M; Johnson, H H

1982-01-01

Forty-one public schools in Colorado were drawn at random and surveyed for asbestos-containing materials. After bulk samples of possible asbestos materials from the schools were collected and analyzed, the K2 asbestos screening test was used to eliminate samples that did not contain asbestos. Samples with positive results on the K2 test were analyzed by an outside laboratory by polarized light microscopy. The risk of potential exposure presented by these materials was then assessed for each site from which a sample was taken. Of 113 samples collected, results were negative for asbestos for only 10.6 percent by the K2 test. Of the 101 samples for which results were positive, 56 actually contained 1 or more forms of asbestos. Twelve of these 56 samples were from sprayed material; the remaining 44 were from other materials containing asbestos. Of the 41 schools sampled, 31 had asbestos materials in one of more locations. The potential exposure values for these materials ranged from very low to very high, but the majority had high-exposure potentials. Estimates based on the survey of the 41 schools indicated that 63 to 89 percent of the public schools in Colorado have asbestos materials that present potentially serious hazards, not only to the children, teachers, and staff, but also to members of the community who use the school buildings after regular school hours.

Occupational exposure in the removal and disposal of asbestos-containing materials in Italy.

PubMed

Scarselli, Alberto; Corfiati, Marisa; Di Marzio, Davide

2016-07-01

A great variety of asbestos-containing materials are present in both residential and work settings because of the widespread use made in the past, and many occupational activities still entail the risk of asbestos exposure in Italy, more than 2 decades after the total national ban, mainly those involved in the removal and disposal of asbestos. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level and extent of asbestos exposure in Italy between the years 1996-2013 in the sector of asbestos abatement. Data were collected from firm registries of asbestos-exposed workers and descriptive statistics were calculated for exposure-related variables. Overall, 15,860 measurements of asbestos exposure were selected from the national database of registries, mostly referring to the construction sector (N = 11,353). Despite the mean exposure levels are low, the air concentration of asbestos fibers measured during these activities may overcome the action level established by the Italian legislation and, in a limited number of cases, can exceed even the occupational limit value. Among occupations at higher risk, there are also garbage collectors and insulation workers. Starting from the analysis of the Italian database of occupational exposure registries, this study outlines the current levels of asbestos exposure in abatement-related sectors, discussing their possible implications for public health policies and surveillance programs.

Asbestos: No Easy Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Figlio, Mary Ellen

1979-01-01

Asbestos in the schools has become a serious problem. Current activity in inspecting for asbestos and plans for corrective action are discussed. Suggestions are offered administrators in choosing contractors for asbestos removal. (MLF)

Community exposure to asbestos from a vermiculite exfoliation plant in NE Minneapolis.

PubMed

Kelly, James; Pratt, Gregory C; Johnson, Jean; Messing, Rita B

2006-11-01

Western Mineral Products/W. R. Grace operated a vermiculite plant in a mixed industrial/residential area of northeast Minneapolis from 1936 to 1989. The plant processed vermiculite ore contaminated with amphibole asbestos from a mine in Libby, MT. Air monitoring in the early 1970s found fiber concentrations in excess of 10 fibers per cubic centimeter of air (f/cc), indicating that worker exposure to asbestos was occasionally 100 times the current occupational standard. Residents of the surrounding community also had direct contact with vermiculite processing wastes (containing up to 10% amphibole asbestos) that were made freely available. Children played on waste piles and neighborhood residents hauled the wastes away for home use. In total, 259 contaminated residential properties have been found to date. Reported emission factors and plant process data were used as inputs to model airborne emissions from the plant over several operating scenarios using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ISC-Prime model. Results estimate short-term air concentrations of asbestos fibers in residential areas nearest the plant may have at times exceeded current occupational standards. Exposure estimates for other pathways were derived primarily from assessments done in Libby by the U.S. EPA. The Northeast Minneapolis Community Vermiculite Investigation (NMCVI) was conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health to identify and characterize the exposures of a cohort of over 6000 people who live or lived in Northeast Minneapolis and may have been exposed to asbestos. This cohort is now being investigated in a respiratory health screening study conducted by the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health.

Asbestos

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

1998-01-01

Part of a special section on the state of industrial minerals in 1997. The state of the asbestos industry in 1997 is discussed. World production of asbestos in 1997 was estimated to be 2.07 Mt. Consumption in the U.S. fell 3 percent to 21 kt, and it is expected to continue to decline at a rate of 2–4 percent per year.

[Measurement of airborne asbestos fibers on railroad rolling stock].

PubMed

Camilucci, L; Catasta, P F; Chiappino, G; Governa, M; Munafò, E; Verduchi, P; Paba, G

2000-01-01

In February 1995 the Italian Railways Health Department set up a special study group in order to assess the effectiveness of the measures adopted against hazards due to the presence of asbestos in rolling stock currently in use on the rail network. The group set up specific procedures for sampling and analysis, on the basis of the criteria fixed for civil buildings in Ministerial Decree of 6/9/94, which was subsequently applied to rolling stock by Ministerial Decree of 26/10/95. In accordance with these procedures the study group carried out environmental studies via test runs programmed by the Railways Technical Departments, on trains made up of different types of vehicles. Insulated, completely or partially deinsulated and originally non-insulated vehicles were studied. Samples were analysed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with elementary dispersion X spectroscopy (EDXS) carried out by highly qualified public laboratories (ISPESL--National Institute for Prevention and Work Safety, ARPA--Regional Environmental Protection Agency, CRA--Veneto Region, University Departments). Altogether, from the start of the programme up to September 1998, 1464 samples in 170 test runs on 619 rolling stock vehicles were examined. These involved 83 locomotives, 83 electric rail-cars and 453 carriages. The results showed that in over 99% of the samples the fibre concentrations were below 2 fibres/litre, which is the value fixed by law for buildings and rail vehicles in order to qualify for effective decontamination status. Values exceeding 2 fibres/litre were found in only 4 vehicles, which were withdrawn or blocked for further checks. As a precaution, 18 vehicles where concentrations over 1 but less than 2 fibres/litre were found, were also blocked and their return to service has been postponed for further checks and analyses until the results show concentrations below 1 fibre/litre. Environmental analyses carried out up to the present indicate an overall situation comparable

Plasma vitrification of asbestos fibers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Camacho, S.L.

Asbestos is a mineral in the form of long, thread-like fibers. Asbestos fibers have been among the best insulators of pipes, boilers, ducts, tanks, etc., in buildings, ships, and industrial furnaces. Over 150,000 metric tons of asbestos were consumed in the United States in 1984. The Environmental Protection Agency has declared asbestos fibers a known human carcinogen. And today, asbestos insulators are being replaced by manmade non-hazardous fibers. Millions of tons of replaced asbestos fiber insulators are in storage, awaiting the demonstration of effective alternative disposal technologies. Plasma vitrification has been demonstrated during May, June and July 1995 as amore » viable, cost-effective, safe technology for asbestos fiber disposal. A low-mass plasma arc heater is submerged under the waste asbestos insulating materials, and the intense heat of the plasma flame heats and melts the fibers. The by-product is dark, non-hazardous glass pellets. The vitrification process renders the asbestos waste safe for use as road construction aggregates or other fill materials. This paper will describe the results of start-up of a 1 ton-per-hour Plasma Mobile Asbestos Vitrification (MAV) Plant at a DOD Site in Port Clinton, Ohio. The Plasma MAV Plant is being demonstrated for the on-site disposal of 1.5 million pounds of Amosite asbestos fibers.« less

California Dept. of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Update of the Schools Naturally Occurring Asbestos Guidance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malinowski, M.

2012-12-01

Prior to acquisition and/or construction of prospective school sites, the California Education Code mandates that school districts complete environmental assessments and cleanups for prospective new or expanding school sites in order to qualify for state funding. If prospective school sites are determined to have environmental contamination from hazardous materials, including naturally occurring hazardous materials such as naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), where there may be unacceptable potential health risks, the school sites must be properly mitigated prior to occupancy for protection of human health and the environment. NOA is of special concern for schools, because children who are exposed to asbestos may be at increased risk of developing asbestos-related diseases over time. In order to protect human health, the Department of Toxic Substances Control's (DTSC) goals at school sites are to: 1) identify the presence of NOA in school site soils using exposure-reducing soil thresholds; 2) manage potential NOA exposures using mitigation measures to reduce generation of airborne asbestos fibers from soils on school sites; and 3) ensure long-term monitoring and protection of mitigation measures via Operations & Maintenance activities. DTSC is currently in the process of revising its Interim Guidance Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) at School Sites - September 2004. The revisions include: 1) updating the guidance to consider incremental sampling for use at NOA sites in consultation with DTSC's project manager and technical staff, and 2) documenting a tiered approach to addressing high and low activity areas on a school.

Asbestos Ban in Italy: A Major Milestone, Not the Final Cut

PubMed Central

Marsili, Daniela; Bruno, Caterina; Marinaccio, Alessandro; Zona, Amerigo; Comba, Pietro

2017-01-01

Background and history: Italy was the main asbestos producer and one of the greatest consumers in 20th century Europe until the asbestos ban was introduced in 1992. Asbestos exposure affected the population in a wide range of working environments, namely mining and marketing of asbestos, asbestos cement production, shipyards and textile industries. This also determined a widespread environmental asbestos exposure affecting the surrounding communities. Methods: To investigate the drivers and difficulties of the process leading to the asbestos ban and its subsequent implementation, we focused on stakeholder involvement, environmental health policies, capacity building and communication. Results: In the past three decades, stakeholder involvement has been instrumental in advancing the industrial asbestos replacement process, prevention and remediation interventions. Furthermore, involvement also contributed to the integration of environmental and health policies at national, regional and local levels, including capacity building and communication. In a global public health perspective, international scientific cooperation has been established with countries using and producing asbestos. Discussion and Conclusions: Key factors and lessons learnt in Italy from both successful and ineffective asbestos policies are described to support the relevant stakeholders in countries still using asbestos contributing to the termination of its use. PMID:29137208

Asbestos Ban in Italy: A Major Milestone, Not the Final Cut.

PubMed

Marsili, Daniela; Angelini, Alessia; Bruno, Caterina; Corfiati, Marisa; Marinaccio, Alessandro; Silvestri, Stefano; Zona, Amerigo; Comba, Pietro

2017-11-13

Background and history: Italy was the main asbestos producer and one of the greatest consumers in 20th century Europe until the asbestos ban was introduced in 1992. Asbestos exposure affected the population in a wide range of working environments, namely mining and marketing of asbestos, asbestos cement production, shipyards and textile industries. This also determined a widespread environmental asbestos exposure affecting the surrounding communities. Methods: To investigate the drivers and difficulties of the process leading to the asbestos ban and its subsequent implementation, we focused on stakeholder involvement, environmental health policies, capacity building and communication. Results: In the past three decades, stakeholder involvement has been instrumental in advancing the industrial asbestos replacement process, prevention and remediation interventions. Furthermore, involvement also contributed to the integration of environmental and health policies at national, regional and local levels, including capacity building and communication. In a global public health perspective, international scientific cooperation has been established with countries using and producing asbestos. Discussion and Conclusions: Key factors and lessons learnt in Italy from both successful and ineffective asbestos policies are described to support the relevant stakeholders in countries still using asbestos contributing to the termination of its use.

The Global Health Dimensions of Asbestos and Asbestos-Related Diseases.

PubMed

Takahashi, Ken; Landrigan, Philip J

2016-01-01

The Collegium Ramazzini (CR) reaffirms its long-standing position that responsible public health action is to ban all extraction and use of asbestos, including chrysotile. This current statement updates earlier statements by the CR with a focus on global health dimensions of asbestos and asbestos-related diseases (ARDs). The ARD epidemic will likely not peak for at least a decade in most industrialized countries and for several decades in industrializing countries. Asbestos and ARDs will continue to present challenges in the arena of occupational medicine and public health, as well as in clinical research and practice, and have thus emerged as a global health issue. Industrialized countries that have already gone through the transition to an asbestos ban have learned lessons and acquired know-how and capacity that could be of great value if deployed in industrializing countries embarking on the transition. The accumulated wealth of experience and technologies in industrialized countries should thus be shared internationally through global campaigns to eliminate ARDs. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Natural Asbestos Occurrences in the Southwestern United States (Arizona, Nevada, and Utah)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2008-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 113 natural asbestos occurrences in the Southwestern United States (U.S.), using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Southwestern U.S., which includes sites in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the U.S., which thus far includes similar maps and datasets of natural asbestos occurrences within the Eastern U.S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/), the Central U.S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1211/), and the Rocky Mountain States (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1182/. These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the U.S.

Chrysotile asbestos exposure associated with removal of automobile exhaust systems (ca. 1945-1975) by mechanics: results of a simulation study.

PubMed

Paustenbach, Dennis J; Madl, Amy K; Donovan, Ellen; Clark, Katherine; Fehling, Kurt; Lee, Terry C

2006-03-01

For decades, asbestos-containing gaskets were used in virtually every system that involved the transport of fluids or gases. Prior to the mid-1970s, some automobile exhaust systems contained asbestos gaskets either at flanges along the exhaust pipes or at the exhaust manifolds of the engine. A limited number of automobile mufflers were lined with asbestos paper. This paper describes a simulation study that characterized personal and bystander exposures to asbestos during the removal of automobile exhaust systems (ca. 1945-1975) containing asbestos gaskets. A total of 16 pre-1974 vehicles with old or original exhaust systems were studied. Of the 16 vehicles, 12 contained asbestos gaskets in the exhaust system and two vehicles had asbestos lining inside the muffler. A total of 82 samples (23 personal, 38 bystander, and 21 indoor background) were analyzed by Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM) and 88 samples (25 personal, 41 bystander, and 22 indoor background) by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Only seven of 25 worker samples analyzed by TEM detected asbestos fibers and 18 were below the analytical sensitivity limit (mean 0.013 f/cc, range 0.001-0.074 f/cc). Applying the ratio of asbestos fibers:total fibers (including non-asbestos) as determined by TEM to the PCM results showed an average (1 h) adjusted PCM worker exposure of 0.018 f/cc (0.002-0.04 f/cc). The average (1 h) adjusted PCM airborne concentration for bystanders was 0.008 f/cc (range 0.0008-0.015 f/cc). Assuming a mechanic can replace four automobile single exhaust systems in 1 workday, the estimated 8-h time-weighted average (TWA) for a mechanic performing this work was 0.01 f/cc. Under a scenario where a mechanic might repeatedly conduct exhaust work, these results suggest that exposures to asbestos from work with automobile exhaust systems during the 1950s through the 1970s containing asbestos gaskets were substantially below 0.1 f/cc, the current PEL for chrysotile asbestos, and quite often were

Asbestos pollution in an inactive mine: determination of asbestos fibers in the deposit tailings and water.

PubMed

Koumantakis, Emmanouil; Kalliopi, Anastasiadou; Dimitrios, Kalderis; Gidarakos, Evangelos

2009-08-15

An inactive asbestos mine in Northern Greece, known as MABE, had been operational for 18 years, showing an annual chrysotile production of approximately 100,000 tons. It is estimated that a total of 68 million tons of the mineral serpentine were excavated from the mine, of which 881,000 tons of chrysotile asbestos were produced. The mine deposits are located very near to the river Aliakmonas. The water of the river is extensively used as drinking water, as well as for irrigation. This study estimated the amount of asbestos currently present in the deposits, to at least 1.33 million tons. This is a 10-fold increase since the start of mine operation in 1982. Water samples obtained throughout the river had high chrysotile concentrations, in most cases far exceeding EPA's standard value (7 x 10(6)f/l). Therefore, the mine and the deposits urgently require remediation works, such as removal of large contaminated objects from the mine buildings and re-vegetation of the deposit areas, in order to reduce the asbestos levels in the river water.

Legal Aspects of Asbestos Abatement. Responses to the Threat of Asbestos-Containing Materials in School Buildings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Kristin

Exposure to asbestos in the air poses serious health threats, particularly to children. The use of asbestos in schools after World War II may have exposed millions of persons before regulations controlling asbestos use began appearing in the 1970s. Federal efforts to reduce exposure to asbestos have included passage of the Asbestos School Hazard…

Alternative Asbestos Control Method and the Asbestos Releasability Research

EPA Science Inventory

Alternative Asbestos Control Method shows promise in speed, cost, and efficiency if equally protective. ORD conducted side by side test of AACM vs NESHAP on identical asbestos-containing buildings at Fort Chaffee. This abstract and presentation are based, at least in part, on pr...

30 CFR 71.702 - Asbestos standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Asbestos standard. 71.702 Section 71.702... Contaminants § 71.702 Asbestos standard. (a) Definitions. Asbestos is a generic term for a number of... fibrils. Asbestos means chrysotile, cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos (amosite), crocidolite, anthophylite...

30 CFR 71.702 - Asbestos standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Asbestos standard. 71.702 Section 71.702... Contaminants § 71.702 Asbestos standard. (a) Definitions. Asbestos is a generic term for a number of... fibrils. Asbestos means chrysotile, cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos (amosite), crocidolite, anthophylite...

30 CFR 71.702 - Asbestos standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Asbestos standard. 71.702 Section 71.702... Contaminants § 71.702 Asbestos standard. (a) Definitions. Asbestos is a generic term for a number of... fibrils. Asbestos means chrysotile, cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos (amosite), crocidolite, anthophylite...

30 CFR 71.702 - Asbestos standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Asbestos standard. 71.702 Section 71.702... Contaminants § 71.702 Asbestos standard. (a) Definitions. Asbestos is a generic term for a number of... fibrils. Asbestos means chrysotile, cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos (amosite), crocidolite, anthophylite...

30 CFR 71.702 - Asbestos standard.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Asbestos standard. 71.702 Section 71.702... Contaminants § 71.702 Asbestos standard. (a) Definitions. Asbestos is a generic term for a number of... fibrils. Asbestos means chrysotile, cummingtonite-grunerite asbestos (amosite), crocidolite, anthophylite...

The asbestos cancer epidemic.

PubMed Central

LaDou, Joseph

2004-01-01

The asbestos cancer epidemic may take as many as 10 million lives before asbestos is banned worldwide and exposures are brought to an end. In many developed countries, in the most affected age groups, mesothelioma may account for 1% of all deaths. In addition to mesotheliomas, 5-7% of all lung cancers can be attributed to occupational exposures to asbestos. The asbestos cancer epidemic would have been largely preventable if the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) had responded early and responsibly. The WHO was late in recognizing the epidemic and failed to act decisively after it was well under way. The WHO and the ILO continue to fail to address the problem of asbestos mining, manufacturing, and use and world trade of a known human carcinogen. Part of the problem is that the WHO and the ILO have allowed organizations such as the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) and other asbestos industry advocates to manipulate them and to distort scientific evidence. The global asbestos cancer epidemic is a story of monumental failure to protect the public health. PMID:14998741

Asbestos bodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. A study of 20 asbestos-exposed individuals and comparison to patients with other chronic interstitial lung diseases

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roggli, V.L.; Piantadosi, C.A.; Bell, D.Y.

1986-09-01

We studied the asbestos body (AB) content of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 20 patients with a history of occupational asbestos exposure, 31 patients with sarcoidosis and 5 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The cellular lavage pellet was digested in sodium hypochlorite and filtered onto Nuclepore filters for AB quantification by light microscopy. ABs were found in 15 of 20 asbestos-exposed individuals, 9 of 31 sarcoidosis cases and 2 of 5 patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of ABs per million cells recovered or per milliliter of recovered lavage fluid in the asbestos-exposedmore » group as compared to the other categories of chronic interstitial lung disease. The highest levels occurred in patients with asbestosis. Large numbers of asbestos bodies in the lavage fluid (greater than 1 AB/10(6) cells) were indicative of considerable occupational asbestos exposure, whereas occasional bodies were a nonspecific finding.« less

Chrysotile asbestos quantification in serpentinite quarries: a case study in Valmalenco, central Alps, northern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavallo, Alessandro

2013-04-01

Outcrops of serpentinites are usually strongly fractured and cataclastic, and the rock can only be used as ballast. However, in rare cases, like in Valmalenco (Central Alps, Northern Italy), fractures are regular and well spaced, and the rock mass has good geotechnical quality, ideal conditions for the extraction of dimension stone blocks. The Valmalenco Serpentinite is marketed worldwide as dimension and decorative stone, with remarkable mechanical properties and pleasing colours and textures. However, the same area was once subject to chrysotile asbestos mining, in the form of discrete veins along the main discontinuities of the rock mass. For this reason, airborne asbestos contamination can occur during the extraction and processing cycle of the rocks, therefore it is essential to locate and quantify asbestos in the rock mass, to reduce as much as possible the exposure risk. The first step was a detailed geostructural survey of each quarry, in order to characterize the main discontinuities (orientation, spacing, linear persistence, opening, filling), with special attention to the identification of fibrous minerals. The surveys was followed by extensive sampling of massive rocks, mineralized veins and fillings of fractures, and the cutting sludge derived from diamond wire cutting. Preliminary qualitative XRPD was performed on all samples, while quantitative analysis was carried out on the most representative samples of the main rock mass discontinuities. On the other hand, XRPD is not effective in the identification of asbestos percentages of less than 2% by weight, and the accurate distinction among the various serpentine polymorphs (antigorite, lizardite, chrysotile) is very difficult (if not impossible) when they are simultaneously present, due to their very similar basic structure and the strong structural disorder. The same samples were then analyzed by SEM-EDS (fiber counting after filtration on a polycarbonate filter), for a better distinction between

Asbestos. LC Science Tracer Bullet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Joanna, Comp.

Asbestos is a generic term that refers to several silicate materials occurring naturally as fibrous rocks. Insignificant amounts of asbestos fiber can be found in ambient air, but this, and materials containing hard asbestos, usually do not create problems. Soft materials, however, can release high amounts of asbestos fibers into the air, and…

Criminality and Asbestos in Industry.

PubMed

Castleman, Barry

2017-02-01

Criminal prosecutions of individuals in the asbestos industry are reviewed, particularly the case of asbestos owner-executive Stephan Schmidheiny. Italian courts sentenced Schmidheiny to sixteen to eighteen years in jail for creating an environmental disaster causing three thousand deaths. The convictions were overturned on a technicality, and a murder case against Schmidheiny has started. His firm, Eternit, made asbestos-cement building products in many countries. Schmidheiny directed a cover-up that the Italian Court of Appeal blamed for delaying the ban of asbestos in Italy by ten years. Today, the asbestos industry is a criminal industry, profiting only by minimizing its costs for the prevention and compensation of occupational and environmental illness. The asbestos industry should only be consulted by governments for the purpose of closing it and dealing with the legacy of in-place asbestos.

ABCs of Asbestos in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

Information about asbestos in the schools is provided in this pamphlet. The document describes the nature and dangers of asbestos and the passage of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act in 1986. The responsibilities of school boards and other school officials to protect students and employees from asbestos exposure are explained as well as…

Potential source of asbestos in non-asbestos textile manufacturing company.

PubMed

Yu, Il Je; Choi, Jeong Keun; Kang, Seong-Kyu; Chang, Hee Kyung; Chung, Yong Hyun; Han, Jeong Hee; Song, Kyung Seuk; Lee, Yong Mook; Chung, Ho Keun

2002-04-01

Recently, a worker with lung carcinoma and a metastatic brain tumor was diagnosed as having a work-related disease. He had been employed in a non-asbestos textile company for 25 years. Consequently, to identify and explore possible causative agents for lung cancer in a non-asbestos textile manufacturing company and establish a causal relationship between exposure and lung cancer, an epidemiological investigative study was conducted and the work processes the worker was engaged in were examined. Air samples were taken from the workplace and during the drilling processes, and a suspected causative material was analyzed. The study revealed that the subject had been employed in the non-asbestos textile manufacturing company for 25 years from 1973 and his responsibilities included repairing spinning machines. In particular, the subject was involved in drilling B-bushings that were used to protect against gear abrasion in the spinning machines. An analysis of the B-bushings using a transmission electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer indicated that they contained crocidolite asbestos fibers. Air samples obtained when drilling the B-bushings clearly indicated that the subject had most likely been exposed to crocidolite fibers when installing the B-bushings in the spinning machines. The frequency and duration of the work suggested that there would be a sufficient degree of exposure to crocidolite fibers to cause lung cancer. Except for smoking and asbestos exposure, no other chemical exposure was suspected for developing lung cancer in the workplace. Smoking appeared to be more of a potentiating risk factor in conjunction with the asbestos exposure. Accordingly, this case may provide significant evidence in identifying the cause of the mesothelioma or lung carcinoma found among workers in non-asbestos textile manufacturing companies elsewhere.

Experimental asbestos studies in the UK: 1912-1950.

PubMed

Greenberg, Morris

2017-11-01

The asbestos industry originated in the UK in the 1870s. By 1898, asbestos had many applications and was reported to be one of the four leading causes of severe occupational disease. In 1912, the UK government sponsored an experimental study that reported that exposure to asbestos produced no more than a modicum of pulmonary fibrosis in guinea pigs. In the 1930s, the newly established Medical Research Council, with assistance from industry, sponsored a study of the effects of exposing animals to asbestos by injection (intratracheal and subcutaneous) and by inhalation in the factory environment. Government reports, publications, and contemporary records obtained by legal discovery have been reviewed in the context of the stage of scientific development and the history of the times. Experimenters were engaged in a learning process during the 1912-1950 period, and their reports of the effects of asbestos were inconsistent. Pathologists who studied the effects of asbestos experimentally, at whole animal, tissue and cellular levels, advanced experimental methodology and mechanistic knowledge. In the hands of public relations experts, however, research was exploited to preserve an industry and perpetuate preventable diseases, a practice that continues to this day. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Malignant mesothelioma in Australia 2015: Current incidence and asbestos exposure trends.

PubMed

Soeberg, Matthew J; Leigh, James; van Zandwijk, Nico

2016-01-01

Australia is known to have had the highest per-capita asbestos consumption level of any nation, reaching a peak in the 1970s. Although crocidolite was effectively banned in the late 1960s, and amosite use ceased in the mid 1980s, a complete asbestos ban was not implemented until 2003. This resulted in an epidemic of asbestos-related disease, which has only now reached its peak. Between 1982 and 2011, 13,036 individuals were newly diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, with 690 diagnosed in 2011. A further 778 cases were identified between 1945 and 1981 from retrospective searches and the first 2 years of the Australian Mesothelioma Program. The age-standardized malignant mesothelioma incidence rate has leveled off in the last 10 years (2.8 per 100,000 in 2011). There has been a marked increase over time in the age-specific incidence rates for individuals aged 75 years or older. Data from the current Australian Mesothelioma Registry on asbestos exposure history in Australia is available for 449 subjects diagnosed between July 1, 2010, and April 1, 2015. This asbestos exposure history data show that 60% (n = 268) of cases had probable or possible occupational asbestos exposure, with trade-based jobs being the most frequent sources of occupational asbestos exposure. In addition, out of the 449 cases, 377 were recorded as having probable or possible nonoccupational asbestos exposure. Continuous vigilance toward changes over time in the settings in which people are exposed to asbestos and in the descriptive epidemiology of malignant mesothelioma is recommended to enable a comprehensive understanding of the current and future impact of asbestos-related diseases in Australia.

Asbestos in Colorado Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Cynthia A.

This study determined, by means of a random sample, how many of Colorado's public schools have asbestos materials and estimated the potential risk of exposure presented by these materials. Forty-one schools were surveyed. Bulk samples of possible asbestos materials were collected and analyzed using the K-squared Asbestos Screening Test to…

Asbestos: Geology, Mineralogy, Mining, and Uses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, Robert L.

2002-01-01

The term asbestos is a generic designation referring usually to six types of naturally occurring mineral fibers that are or have been commercially exploited. These fibers belong to two mineral groups: serpentines and amphiboles. The serpentine group contains a single asbestiform variety: chrysotile; five asbestiform varieties of amphiboles are known: anthophyllite asbestos, grunerite asbestos (amosite), riebeckite asbestos (crocidolite), tremolite asbestos, and actinolite asbestos. These fibrous minerals share several properties which qualify them as asbestiform fibers: they are found in bundles of fibers which can be easily separated from the host matrix or cleaved into thinner fibers; the fibers exhibit high tensile strengths, they show high length: diameter (aspect) ratios, from a minimum of 20 up to greater than 1000; they are sufficiently flexible to be spun; and macroscopically, they resemble organic fibers such as cellulose. Since asbestos fibers are all silicates, they exhibit several other common properties, such as incombustibility, thermal stability, resistance to biodegradation, chemical inertia toward most chemicals, and low electrical conductivity. The term asbestos has traditionally been attributed only to those varieties that are commercially exploited. The industrial applications of asbestos fibers have now shifted almost exclusively to chrysotile. Two types of amphiboles, commonly designated as amosite and crocidolite are no longer mined. The other three amphibole varieties, anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, and tremolite asbestos, have no significant industrial applications presently.

How Canada Changed from Exporting Asbestos to Banning Asbestos: The Challenges That Had to Be Overcome.

PubMed

Ruff, Kathleen

2017-09-27

Less than ten years ago, the asbestos industry enjoyed the support of every Quebec and Canadian political party. The Chrysotile Institute and the International Chrysotile Association, both located in Quebec, aggressively marketed asbestos around the world, claiming scientific evidence showed that chrysotile asbestos could be safely used. The industry created a climate of intimidation. Consequently, no groups advocating for victims of asbestos or campaigning for its outright ban existed in Quebec to challenge the industry. A campaign was launched to mobilize the scientific community to speak out. Working with scientists, activists, and asbestos victims around the world, a small group of Quebec scientists exposed the false arguments of the asbestos industry. They publicly and repeatedly challenged the unscientific and unethical asbestos policy of the government. By appealing to Quebec values and holding those in power accountable, the campaign won public support and succeeded against all odds in defeating the asbestos industry.

How Canada Changed from Exporting Asbestos to Banning Asbestos: The Challenges That Had to Be Overcome

PubMed Central

Ruff, Kathleen

2017-01-01

Less than ten years ago, the asbestos industry enjoyed the support of every Quebec and Canadian political party. The Chrysotile Institute and the International Chrysotile Association, both located in Quebec, aggressively marketed asbestos around the world, claiming scientific evidence showed that chrysotile asbestos could be safely used. The industry created a climate of intimidation. Consequently, no groups advocating for victims of asbestos or campaigning for its outright ban existed in Quebec to challenge the industry. A campaign was launched to mobilize the scientific community to speak out. Working with scientists, activists, and asbestos victims around the world, a small group of Quebec scientists exposed the false arguments of the asbestos industry. They publicly and repeatedly challenged the unscientific and unethical asbestos policy of the government. By appealing to Quebec values and holding those in power accountable, the campaign won public support and succeeded against all odds in defeating the asbestos industry. PMID:28953226

A BASELINE PROFILE OF ASBESTOS IN THE US-AFFILIATED PACIFIC ISLANDS

PubMed Central

David, Annette M.; Ogawa, Hisashi; Takahashi, Ken

2013-01-01

Asbestos is a recognized occupational and environmental hazard in the Asia-Pacific Region, yet information regarding asbestos consumption, exposure and asbestos-related diseases in the US affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPIs) is scarce and the situation regarding asbestos in these islands, particularly with regards to disease burden, surveillance and health care capacity, is not well understood. Searching through scientific and “grey” literature and interviews with local cancer registry personnel and health professionals yielded no published data but sufficient indirect evidence of past and ongoing asbestos exposure, documented cases of mesothelioma and asbestosis, and minimal capacity for preventing and recognizing asbestos-related illnesses. The relatively low levels of capacity and resources within the USAPIs can impede regional progress in asbestos prevention and highlight the need for an integrated regional approach to address these data and capacity gaps. A regional mechanism to share expertise and resources and facilitate technical assistance to the USAPIs is urgently needed. PMID:22550694

Guidance Manual: Asbestos Operations & Maintenance Work Practices. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Building Sciences, Washington, DC.

This technical manual provides detailed guidance to building owners, asbestos program managers, and operations and maintenance (O&M) workers for managing asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in buildings. The manual addresses four different types of ACM found in buildings and three different levels of precaution which may be warranted by…

Pulmonary deposition modeling with airborne fiber exposure data: a study of workers manufacturing refractory ceramic fibers.

PubMed

Lentz, Thomas J; Rice, Carol H; Succop, Paul A; Lockey, James E; Dement, John M; LeMasters, Grace K

2003-04-01

Increasing production of refractory ceramic fiber (RCF), a synthetic vitreous material with industrial applications (e.g., kiln insulation), has created interest in potential respiratory effects of exposure to airborne fibers during manufacturing. An ongoing study of RCF manufacturing workers in the United States has indicated an association between cumulative fiber exposure and pleural plaques. Fiber sizing data, obtained from electron microscopy analyses of 118 air samples collected in three independent studies over a 20-year period (1976-1995), were used with a computer deposition model to estimate pulmonary dose of fibers of specified dimensions for 652 former and current RCF production workers. Separate dose correction factors reflecting differences in fiber dimensions in six uniform job title groups were used with data on airborne fiber concentration and employment duration to calculate cumulative dose estimates for each worker. From review of the literature, critical dimensions (diameter <0.4 microm, length <10 microm) were defined for fibers that may translocate to the parietal pleura. Each of three continuous exposure/dose metrics analyzed in separate logistic regression models was significantly related to plaques, even after adjusting for possible past asbestos exposure: cumulative fiber exposure, chi(2) = 15.2 (p < 0.01); cumulative pulmonary dose (all fibers), chi(2) = 14.6 (p < 0.01); cumulative pulmonary dose (critical dimension fibers), chi(2) = 12.4 (p < 0.01). Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for levels of each metric. Increasing ORs were statistically significant for the two highest dose levels of critical dimension fibers (level three, OR = 11, 95%CI = [1.4, 98]; level four, OR = 25, 95%CI = [3.2, 190]). Similar associations existed for all metrics after adjustment for possible asbestos exposure. It was concluded that development of pleural plaques follows exposure- and dose-response patterns, and that airborne fibers in RCF manufacturing

Environmental projects. Volume 4: Asbestos survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kushner, L.

1988-01-01

The Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex (GDSCC), near Barstow, California, operates in support of six large parabolic dish antennas. Many of the buildings and structures at the GDSCC were erected before it became known that asbestos posed a hazard to human health. Thus, because of concern with asbestos, two field surveys were conducted at the GDSCC in October/November 1986 and in September 1987 to locate, classify, and quantify all asbestos-containing materials in buildings, structures, roofs and boilers. The report describes the results of the two surveys and describes methods for both asbestos management and asbestos abatement. The surveys found that GDSCC practices involving asbestos are conscientious and forward-thinking. A program, due to start in FY 1988 and to be completed in FY 1990, is planned to remove all friable (easily pulverized) asbestos-containing materials discovered during the two field surveys for asbestos at the GDSCC.

Reported historic asbestos prospects and natural asbestos occurrences in the central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2006-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 26 natural asbestos occurrences in the Central United States (U.S.), using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Central U.S. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the U.S., which began with U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2005-1189 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/). These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the U.S.

Recycling of asbestos tailings used as reinforcing fillers in polypropylene based composites.

PubMed

Zhai, Wensi; Wang, Yao; Deng, Yuan; Gao, Hongli; Lin, Zhen; Li, Mao

2014-04-15

In this work, asbestos tailings were recycled and used as reinforcing fillers to enhance the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP). A silane coupling agent was used to chemically modify the asbestos tailings to increase the compatibility between asbestos tailings and polypropylene matrix. Both raw and chemically treated asbestos tailings with different loading levels (from 3 to 30 wt%) were utilized to fabricate composites. Mechanical properties of these composites have been investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis, tensile test and notched impact test. Results showed that hybridization of asbestos tailings in the composites enhanced the mechanical properties of neat PP evidently, and treated asbestos tailings/PP composites yielded even better mechanical properties compared with those of raw asbestos tailings/PP composites. This recycling method of asbestos tailings not only reduces disposal costs and avoids secondary pollution but also produces a new PP-based composite material with enhanced mechanical properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential artifacts associated with historical preparation of joint compound samples and reported airborne asbestos concentrations.

PubMed

Brorby, G P; Sheehan, P J; Berman, D W; Bogen, K T; Holm, S E

2011-05-01

Airborne samples collected in the 1970s for drywall workers using asbestos-containing joint compounds were likely prepared and analyzed according to National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Method P&CAM 239, the historical precursor to current Method 7400. Experimentation with a re-created, chrysotile-containing, carbonate-based joint compound suggested that analysis following sample preparation by the historical vs. current method produces different fiber counts, likely because of an interaction between the different clearing and mounting chemicals used and the carbonate-based joint compound matrix. Differences were also observed during analysis using Method 7402, depending on whether acetic acid/dimethylformamide or acetone was used during preparation to collapse the filter. Specifically, air samples of sanded chrysotile-containing joint compound prepared by the historical method yielded fiber counts significantly greater (average of 1.7-fold, 95% confidence interval: 1.5- to 2.0-fold) than those obtained by the current method. In addition, air samples prepared by Method 7402 using acetic acid/dimethylformamide yielded fiber counts that were greater (2.8-fold, 95% confidence interval: 2.5- to 3.2-fold) than those prepared by this method using acetone. These results indicated (1) there is an interaction between Method P&CAM 239 preparation chemicals and the carbonate-based joint compound matrix that reveals fibers that were previously bound in the matrix, and (2) the same appeared to be true for Method 7402 preparation chemicals acetic acid/dimethylformamide. This difference in fiber counts is the opposite of what has been reported historically for samples of relatively pure chrysotile dusts prepared using the same chemicals. This preparation artifact should be considered when interpreting historical air samples for drywall workers prepared by Method P&CAM 239. Copyright © 2011 JOEH, LLC

Asbestos: The Case for Encapsulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russek, William F.

1980-01-01

Encapsulation has proven to be the safest, surest, and most permanent method of treating sprayed asbestos on ceilings and walls. Federal aid is available to help pay for inspection of school buildings for asbestos and for asbestos removal. (Author/MLF)

NIOSH testimony to DOL on the Occupational Safety And Health Administration's proposed rule on occupational exposure to asbestos, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite by J. D. Millar, January 24, 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-01-24

The testimony contains the comments of NIOSH regarding the proposed rule on occupational exposure to asbestos (1332214), tremolite (14567738), anthophyllite (17068789) and actinolite (77536664) exposures. NIOSH supports OSHA in proposing changes to the existing asbestos standard to minimize the risk of asbestos related diseases in workers. The current standard is insufficient to protect the health of workers exposed to asbestos, and the proposed changes represent a prudent and necessary approach to accomplish this goal. Specific topics addressed in the testimony include exposure limits for asbestos; methods for sampling and analysis of airborne fibers; use of time weighted averages to measuremore » exposure; use of engineering controls, good work practices and personal protective equipment; use of engineering controls and work practices for brake and clutch repair and service; required use of specific work practices during maintenance of vinyl asbestos floor tile; housekeeping; definitions of small scale and short duration operations; exemption of roofing operations from the requirement for negative pressure enclosures; communication among employers and owners; regulated areas for asbestos removal, maintenance, demolition, and renovation operations; use of glove bags; definition of competent person; and notification to OSHA and method of notification.« less

Hanford Site Asbestos Abatement Plan. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mewes, B.S.

The Hanford Site Asbestos Abatement Plan (Plan) lists priorities for asbestos abatement activities to be conducted in Hanford Site facilities. The Plan is based on asbestos assessment information gathered in fiscal year 1989 that evaluated all Hanford Site facilities for the presence and condition of asbestos. Of those facilities evaluated, 414 contain asbestos-containing materials and are classified according to the potential risk of asbestos exposure to building personnel. The Plan requires that asbestos condition update reports be prepared for all affected facilities. The reporting is completed by the asbestos coordinator for each of the 414 affected facilities and transmitted tomore » the Plan manager annually. The Plan manager uses this information to reprioritize future project lists. Currently, five facilities are determined to be Class Al, indicating a high potential for asbestos exposure. Class Al and B1 facilities are the highest priority for asbestos abatement. Abatement of the Class A1 and Bl facilities is scheduled through fiscal year 1997. Removal of asbestos in B1 facilities will reduce the risk for further Class ``A`` conditions to arise.« less

Calcium Free Asbestos for Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snitzer, B. A.

1983-01-01

Organic-acid salt removes unwanted calcium without weakening asbestos. Asbestos mixed with disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (disodium EDTA) in water and agitated for 2 hours. After disodium EDTA solution is drained away, asbestos contains only 0.02 to 0.1 percent calcium. Fiber structure of asbestos unaffected.

Occupational Exposures to Asbestos in Brazil.

PubMed

Giannasi; Thébaud-Mony

1997-04-01

European and Canadian asbestos companies have long taken advantage of the lack of regulation of the asbestos industry in developing countries. Their activities exploit vulnerable workers whose lack of medical care may result in a silent epidemic of asbestos-related diseases. At this time, virtually all cases of asbestosis and asbestos-related cancers are not identified, reported, or compensated in developing countries. Brazil provides a compelling example of this growing problem. To stem the epidemic of asbestos-related diseases, Brazil, and many other countries, must adopt the total ban on asbestos use now in effect in more developed countries. Obstacles to accomplishing this in developing countries are daunting.

Mesothelioma and asbestos.

PubMed

Gibbs, Graham W; Berry, Geoffrey

2008-10-01

The current state of knowledge concerning mesothelioma risk estimates is reviewed. Estimates of the risk of mesothelioma exist for the commercial asbestos fiber types chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite. Data also exist on which to assess risks for winchite (sodic tremolite) and anthophyllite asbestos. Uncertainty in estimates is primarily related to limitations in measurements of exposure. Differences in the dimensions of the various fiber types and of the same fiber types at different stages of processing add a further complication. Never-the-less, in practical terms, crocidolite presents the highest asbestos related mesothelioma risk. The risk associated with sodic tremolite (winchite) appears to be similar. In chrysotile miners and millers, the mesothelioma risk has been linked with exposure to asbestiform tremolite. Exposure to chrysotile in a pure form seems likely to present a very low if any risk of mesothelioma. While the majority of mesothelial tumors result from exposure to the asbestos minerals, there are other well established and suspected etiological agents. While a practical threshold seems to exist for exposure to chrysotile, it is unlikely to exist for the amphibole asbestos minerals, especially for crocidolite. To date there is no indication of an increased risk of mesothelioma resulting from non-commercial fiber exposure in the taconite industry.

Drywall construction and asbestos exposure.

PubMed

Fischbein, A; Rohl, A N; Langer, A M; Selikoff, I J

1979-05-01

The rapid development of the drywall construction trade in the United States is described. It is estimated that some 75,000 U.S. construction workers are currently employed in this trade. The use of a variety of spackle and taping compounds is shown to be associated with significant asbestos exposure; air samples taken in the breathing zone by drywall tapers during sanding of taping compounds show fiber concentrations exceeding, by several times, the maximum level permitted by United States Government regulations. These findings are given together with the result of a clinical field survey of drywall construction workers demonstrating that asbestos disease may be an important health hazard in this trade.

Banning Asbestos in New Zealand, 1936-2016, an 80-Year Long Saga.

PubMed

Glass, William Ivan; Armstrong, Rob; Chen, Grace

2017-11-25

The banning by the New Zealand Government of the import and export of asbestos-containing products resulted from the interplay of a number of factors. At a personal level, there were the actions of the asbestos sufferers, their families and support groups. At the political level, there were the activities of progressive trade union groups representing the hazardous trades, such as labourers, construction workers and demolition workers, and at a Government level, there was a positive response to these public health pressures. The Prohibition Order 2016 concerning Imports and Exports (asbestos-containing products) was the outcome of this 80-year long saga.

41 CFR 101-42.1102-1 - Asbestos.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Asbestos. 101-42.1102-1... Certain Categories of Property § 101-42.1102-1 Asbestos. (a) General. (1) Asbestos is the common name for... Environmental Protection Agency classified asbestos as a hazardous air pollutant in 1972. (2) Friable asbestos...

41 CFR 101-42.1102-1 - Asbestos.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Asbestos. 101-42.1102-1... Certain Categories of Property § 101-42.1102-1 Asbestos. (a) General. (1) Asbestos is the common name for... Environmental Protection Agency classified asbestos as a hazardous air pollutant in 1972. (2) Friable asbestos...

41 CFR 101-42.1102-1 - Asbestos.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2011-07-01 2007-07-01 true Asbestos. 101-42.1102-1... Certain Categories of Property § 101-42.1102-1 Asbestos. (a) General. (1) Asbestos is the common name for... Environmental Protection Agency classified asbestos as a hazardous air pollutant in 1972. (2) Friable asbestos...

41 CFR 101-42.1102-1 - Asbestos.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Asbestos. 101-42.1102-1... Certain Categories of Property § 101-42.1102-1 Asbestos. (a) General. (1) Asbestos is the common name for... Environmental Protection Agency classified asbestos as a hazardous air pollutant in 1972. (2) Friable asbestos...

41 CFR 101-42.1102-1 - Asbestos.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2014-07-01 2012-07-01 true Asbestos. 101-42.1102-1... Certain Categories of Property § 101-42.1102-1 Asbestos. (a) General. (1) Asbestos is the common name for... Environmental Protection Agency classified asbestos as a hazardous air pollutant in 1972. (2) Friable asbestos...

Pleural mesothelioma and neighborhood asbestos exposure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fischbein, A.; Rohl, A.N.

1984-07-06

Widespread use and occupational exposure to asbestos in US shipyards, particularly during World War II, is one reason for the currently high incidence of asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. There is typically a long latency period between asbestos exposure and resulting disease. A case report is presented which lends additional credence to the earlier suggestion that exposure to asbestos in the neighborhood of the shipyard may be related to the development of malignant mesothelioma in this particular patient. The identification of amosite asbestos fibers in the lung tissue of the patient provides plausible evidence for this etiologic connection.more » Amosite asbestos is not found in the lungs of persons from the general population, and its occurrence, therefore, indicates either an occupational exposure or an exposure to a specific environmental source. Although only a very small portion of the total amount of asbestos used consists of amosite, this asbestos type is commonly used in shipbuilding and repair and was used a great deal in the shipyard adjacent to which our patient worked.« less

A Report on Asbestos Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Centifonti, Gary J.; Gerber, Donald R.

1997-01-01

A series of studies in New Jersey schools documented asbestos abatement and management activities in 17 schools representing 20 abatement sites. Findings demonstrate that school officials must increase their awareness of asbestos issues, improve the oversight of asbestos abatement and management programs, and improve lines of communication among…

Asbestos: From Beginning to End.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMullin, Richard C.; Cain, Gary K.

In conjunction with a bond proposal for energy related items, the North County Public Schools (Missouri) undertook the task of removing friable asbestos Missouri school district undertook the task of removing friable asbestos from schools. Specifications for asbestos abatement prepared by the district administrative office were reviewed by the…

Occupational airborne exposure of the general population of a Norwegian county.

PubMed

Bakke, P; Baste, V; Hanoa, R; Gulsvik, A

1992-02-01

Occupational airborne exposure was examined for a stratified sample (N = 1275) of the general population aged 18-73 years in Hordaland County, Norway. The subjects identified all jobs of more than six months since leaving school and stated whether they had been occupationally exposed to specific agents and work processes potentially harmful to the lungs. The prevalence in the population ever having been exposed was 18% for asbestos, 9% for quartz, 5% for aluminum dust, 6% for wood dust, 12% for metal gases, 12% for welding, 9% for soldering, and 1% for hairdressing. According to occupational title (last job), 3% of the population had held a job with a high degree of airborne exposure, 26% a job with moderate exposure, and 70% a job with no airborne exposure. During their worklife both the men and the women tended to leave polluted jobs more often than unpolluted jobs. Occupational exposure to airborne pollutants potentially harmful to the lungs is widespread in this Norwegian general population.

Innovative technologies for asbestos removal, treatment and recycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bossart, S.J.; Kasper, K.M.

This paper will provide an overview of the Office of Science and Technology`s Decontamination and Decommissioning (D & D) Focus Area`s investment in development and demonstration of innovative technologies for asbestos treatment, removal and recycle. The paper will cover the market opportunities for asbestos abatement, major regulations covering asbestos abatement, baseline technologies used by DOE for removal of asbestos, asbestos-related technology needs submitted by DOE`s Site Technology Coordinating Groups, and asbestos development and demonstration projects supported by the D & D Focus Area and other organizations. Based on the Environmental Management Integrated Database, there are about five million cubic feetmore » of asbestos within the DOE Weapons Complex that will be abated by 2030. DOE has three main forms of asbestos: transite used in building construction, thermal pipe insulation, and floor tile. The D & D Focus Area has or is supporting three projects in asbestos removal, and three projects on destruction of asbestos fibers by chemical and thermal treatment. In asbestos removal, the D & D Focus Area is investigating a robot which removes asbestos insulation from pipes; a laser cutting technology which melts asbestos fibers while cutting insulated pipes; and a vacuum system which removes thermal insulation sandwiched between panels of transite. For destruction of asbestos fibers, the D & D Focus Area is supporting development and demonstration of a trailer-mounted process which destroys asbestos fibers by a combination of thermal and chemical treatment; a three-step process which removes organic and radioactive contaminants from the asbestos prior to decomposing the asbestos fibers by acid attack; and an in situ chemical treatment process to convert asbestos fibers into a non-regulated material.« less

Asbestos release from whole-building demolition of buildings with asbestos-containing material.

PubMed

Perkins, Robert A; Hargesheimer, John; Fourie, Walter

2007-12-01

The whole-building demolition method, which entails one-or two-story buildings pushed down by heavy equipment, loaded into trucks, and hauled away, is generally the most cost-effective means to remove small buildings. For taller buildings, a crane and wrecking ball may be used initially to reduce the height of the building. Demolitions might release asbestos fibers from friable asbestos-containing material (ACM). Fibers also might be released from nominally nonfriable ACM (Categories I and II nonfriable ACM) if it becomes friable after rough handling throughout the whole-building demolition process. This paper reports on asbestos air monitoring from two demolition projects involving ACM. In one building, Category II nonfriable ACM was present because it could not be removed safely prior to demolition. Both projects had large quantities of gypsum wallboard with ACM joint compound and ACM flooring. One building had large quantities of ACM spray-on ceiling material. During the demolitions personal air monitoring of the workers and area air monitoring downwind and around the sites were conducted. The monitoring found the concentrations of fibers detected by phase contrast microscopy were generally well below the permissible exposure limits (PEL) of workers. Electron microcopy analysis of samples at or near the PEL indicated most of the fibers were not asbestos, and the actual asbestos exposure was often below the detection limit of the procedure. The buildings were kept wet with fire hoses during the demolition and that required large quantities of water, 20,000-60,000 gal/day (75-225 m(3)/day). Earlier studies found little asbestos release from buildings containing only nonfriable ACM demolished by this method. This project found a negligible release of asbestos fibers, despite the presence of nonfriable materials that might become friable, such as ACM joint compound and spray-on ACM ceiling coating.

Legal Issues in Asbestos Litigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Kristin

Because asbestos exposure poses a serious health threat to school children, Congress enacted the Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control Act in 1980, authorizing federal funds for local programs to locate and remove asbestos-containing materials. No funds have been made available as yet, however, and two-thirds of the affected schools have…

Utility of Bronchoalveolar Lavage for the Diagnosis of Asbestos-Related Diseases.

PubMed

Cruz, María Jesús; Curull, Victor; Pijuan, Lara; Álvarez-Simón, Daniel; Sánchez-Font, Albert; de Gracia, Javier; Culebras, Mario; Ferrer, Jaume

2017-06-01

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analysis has been proposed as an objective technique for confirming asbestos exposure. However, the reliability and diagnostic yield of this procedure has not been studied in Spain. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of the analysis of asbestos bodies (AB) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for the diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases (ARD). BAL samples from 72 patients (66 male, mean age 66 years) undergoing bronchoscopy were analyzed. Lung tissue from 23 of these patients was also analyzed. Asbestos exposure was assessed by anamnesis and a review of the patient's medical records. BAL and lung samples were processed and AB count was determined by light microscopy. The accepted threshold value to diagnose asbestos-related diseases was 1 AB/ml BAL or 1000 AB/gr dry tissue. Thirty-nine patients reported exposure to asbestos. Of these, 13 (33%) presented AB values above 1 AB/ml BAL. In the 33 non-exposed patients, 5 (15%) presented AB values above 1 AB/ml BAL. There was a significant difference between the AB levels of exposed and non-exposed patients (P=.006). The ROC curve showed that a value of 0.5 AB/ml BAL achieved the most satisfactory sensitivity, 46%, and a specificity of 83%. The correlation between AB levels in BAL and lung was 0.633 (P=.002). BAL study provides objective evidence of exposure to asbestos. The good correlation between the AB counts in BAL and lung tissue indicates that both techniques are valid for the analysis of asbestos content. Copyright © 2016 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Contact Us about Asbestos

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

How to contact EPA for more information on asbestos, including state and regional contacts, EPA’s Asbestos Abatement/Management Ombudsman and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Assistance Information Service (TSCA Hotline).

Biodurability of chrysotile and tremolite asbestos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oze, C.; Solt, K.

2008-12-01

Chrysotile and tremolite asbestos represent two mineralogical categories of regulated asbestos commonly evaluated in epidemiological, toxicological, and pathological studies. Lung and digestive fluids are undersaturated with respect to chrysotile and tremolite asbestos (i.e. dissolution is thermodynamically favorable), where the dissolution kinetics control the durability of these minerals in respiratory and gastric systems. Here we examined the biodurability of chrysotile and tremolite asbestos in simulated body fluids (SBFs) as a function of mineral surface area over time. Batch experiments in simulated gastric fluid (SGF; HCl and NaCl solution at pH 1.2) and simulated lung fluid (SLF; a modified Gamble's solution at pH 7.4) were performed at 37°C over 720 hours. The rate-limiting step of Si release for both minerals was used to determine and compare dissolution rates. Chrysotile and tremolite asbestos are less biodurable in SGF compared to SLF. Based on equal suspension densities (surface area per volume of solution, m2 L- 1), chrysotile undergoes dissolution approximately 44 times faster than tremolite asbestos in SGF; however, amphibole asbestos dissolves approximately 6 times faster than chrysotile in SLF. Provided identical fiber dimensions, fiber dissolution models demonstrate that chrysotile is more biodurable in SLF and less biodurable in SGF compared to tremolite asbestos. Overall, the methodology employed here provides an alternative means to evaluate asbestos material fiber lifetimes based on mineral surface considerations.

Differential protein folding and chemical changes in lung tissues exposed to asbestos or particulates

PubMed Central

Pascolo, Lorella; Borelli, Violetta; Canzonieri, Vincenzo; Gianoncelli, Alessandra; Birarda, Giovanni; Bedolla, Diana E.; Salomé, Murielle; Vaccari, Lisa; Calligaro, Carla; Cotte, Marine; Hesse, Bernhard; Luisi, Fernando; Zabucchi, Giuliano; Melato, Mauro; Rizzardi, Clara

2015-01-01

Environmental and occupational inhalants may induce a large number of pulmonary diseases, with asbestos exposure being the most risky. The mechanisms are clearly related to chemical composition and physical and surface properties of materials. A combination of X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) and Fourier Transform InfraRed (μFTIR) microscopy was used to chemically characterize and compare asbestos bodies versus environmental particulates (anthracosis) in lung tissues from asbestos exposed and control patients. μXRF analyses revealed heterogeneously aggregated particles in the anthracotic structures, containing mainly Si, K, Al and Fe. Both asbestos and particulates alter lung iron homeostasis, with a more marked effect in asbestos exposure. μFTIR analyses revealed abundant proteins on asbestos bodies but not on anthracotic particles. Most importantly, the analyses demonstrated that the asbestos coating proteins contain high levels of β-sheet structures. The occurrence of conformational changes in the proteic component of the asbestos coating provides new insights into long-term asbestos effects. PMID:26159651

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, J.

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of phosphoric acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a source of fluoride ions. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOEpatents

Block, J.

1998-05-19

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of phosphoric acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a source of fluoride ions. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, Jacob

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed, wherein the composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of phosphoric acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a source of fluoride ions. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

All about Asbestos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, Ken

2005-01-01

Asbestos has been used in the construction of elementary, middle, and high school ceilings, floor tile adhesives, pipe and structural beam insulations, science laboratory benches, wire gauss on ring stands, fume hood panels, general insulation, and more during the 1950s through early 1970s. Why? Primarily asbestos was selected because of its…

Occupational burden of asbestos-related cancer in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.

PubMed

Pasetto, Roberto; Terracini, Benedetto; Marsili, Daniela; Comba, Pietro

2014-01-01

An estimate at the national level of the occupational cancer burden brought about by the industrial use of asbestos requires detailed routine information on such uses as well as on vital statistics of good quality. A causal association with asbestos exposure has been established for mesothelioma and cancers of the lung, larynx, and ovary. The aim of this study was to provide estimates of the occupational burden of asbestos-related cancer for the Latin American countries that are or have been the highest asbestos consumers in the region: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. The burden of multifactorial cancers has been estimated through the approach suggested for the World Health Organization using the population attributable fraction. The following data were used: Proportion of workforce employed in each economic sector. Proportion of workers exposed to asbestos in each sector. Occupational turnover. Levels of exposure. Proportion of the population in the workforce. Relative risk for each considered disease for 1 or more levels of exposure. Data on the proportion of workers exposed to asbestos in each sector are not available for Latin American countries; therefore, data from the European CAREX database (carcinogen exposure database) were used. Using mortality data of the World Health Organization Health Statistics database for the year 2009 and applying the estimated values for population attributable fractions, the number of estimated deaths in 5 years for mesothelioma and for lung, larynx, and ovary cancers attributable to occupational asbestos exposures, were respectively 735, 233, 29, and 14 for Argentina; 340, 611, 68, and 43 for Brazil; 255, 97, 14, and 9 for Colombia, and 1075, 219, 18, and 22 for Mexico. The limitations in compiling the estimates highlight the need for improvement in the quality of asbestos-related environmental and health data. Nevertheless, the figures are already usable to promote a ban on asbestos use. Copyright © 2014 Icahn

What Are Asbestos-Related Lung Diseases?

MedlinePlus

... Back To Health Topics / Asbestos-Related Lung Diseases Asbestos-Related Lung Diseases Also known as What Is ... as the peritoneum (PER-ih-to-NE-um). Asbestos-Related Lung Diseases Figure A shows the location ...

Mechanical Demolition of Buildings with Concrete Asbestos Board Siding: Methodology, Precautions, and Results at the Hanford Central Plateau - 12417

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kehler, Kurt

Since the start of its contract in 2008, the CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M HILL) has demolished 25 buildings with concrete asbestos board (CAB) siding using mechanical means. While the asbestos contained in CAB siding is not friable in its manufactured form, concerns persist that mechanical methods of demolition have the potential to render the asbestos friable and airborne, therefore posing a health risk to demolition workers and the public. CH2M HILL's experience demonstrates that when carefully managed, mechanical demolition of CAB siding can be undertaken safely, successfully, and in compliance with regulatory requirements for the disposal of Classmore » II Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM). While the number of buildings demolished at Hanford and the number of samples collected does not make a conclusive argument that CAB cannot be made friable with normal demolition techniques, it certainly provides a significant body of evidence for the success of the approach. Of course, there are many factors that affect how to demolish a structure and dispose of the waste. These factors will impact the success depending on each site. The most obvious factors which contribute to this success at Hanford are: 1. The availability of onsite waste disposal where the handling and cost of asbestos-containing waste is not much different than other potentially contaminated waste. Therefore, segregation of demolition debris from the potential asbestos contamination is not necessary from a debris handling or asbestos disposal aspect. 2. The space between structures is typically significant enough to allow for large exclusion zones. There are not many restrictions due to cohabitation issues or potential contamination of adjacent facilities. 3. The willingness of the regulators and client to understand the industrial safety issues associated with manual CAB removal. (authors)« less

Asbestos in Schools: A Dilemma.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

Asbestos, a mineral known to cause cancer in humans, is present in an unknown number of schools where it may be hazardous to the health of students and employees. Although the Federal Government has programs designed to address the asbestos situation, it has not determined in what specific circumstances asbestos is a hazard. Therefore, State and…

Association Between Laryngeal Cancer and Asbestos Exposure: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Ferster, Ashley P O'Connell; Schubart, Jane; Kim, Yesul; Goldenberg, David

2017-04-01

It has been debated whether a link exists between laryngeal cancer and asbestos exposure. Prior systematic reviews have been conducted on this topic, but no updates have been performed on the most recent literature since 2000. To provide an updated systematic review of the association between laryngeal cancer and asbestos exposure. A search of electronic databases, including PubMed and the Cochrane Library, was performed for articles published between January 1, 2000, and April 30, 2016. Search terms, including laryngeal cancer and asbestos, were used to identify publications reviewing the risk of laryngeal cancer in association with asbestos exposure. Studies analyzing this association that were published in any language and translated reliably were included. Two independent reviewers assessed articles based on predetermined eligibility criteria. Each study was reviewed for quality using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine 2011 Levels of Evidence and assessed for their findings of support for or against a correlation between asbestos exposure and laryngeal cancer. A total of 160 studies were retrieved from all databases, and 2 additional articles were identified by cross-references. Of the 162 articles screened, 15 articles comprising 438 376 study participants were included in this review. Of these 15 studies, 10 showed no correlation between asbestos exposure and laryngeal cancer. The remaining 5 studies claimed a correlation between asbestos exposure and incidence of laryngeal cancer, although only 1 accounted for smoking or alcohol exposure while 3 others did not, and 1 study included only 2 patients. Although asbestos is considered hazardous and carcinogenic, current evidence is lacking to support a correlation between asbestos exposure and laryngeal cancer. Few studies have been able to definitively conclude a causal association between asbestos exposure and laryngeal cancer, and those that found an association often did not account for the

The Case for a Global Ban on Asbestos

PubMed Central

LaDou, Joseph; Castleman, Barry; Frank, Arthur; Gochfeld, Michael; Greenberg, Morris; Huff, James; Joshi, Tushar Kant; Landrigan, Philip J.; Lemen, Richard; Myers, Jonny; Soffritti, Morando; Soskolne, Colin L.; Takahashi, Ken; Teitelbaum, Daniel; Terracini, Benedetto; Watterson, Andrew

2010-01-01

Background All forms of asbestos are now banned in 52 countries. Safer products have replaced many materials that once were made with it. Nonetheless, many countries still use, import, and export asbestos and asbestos-containing products, and in those that have banned other forms of asbestos, the so-called “controlled use” of chrysotile asbestos is often exempted from the ban. In fact, chrysotile has accounted for > 95% of all the asbestos used globally. Objective We examined and evaluated the literature used to support the exemption of chrysotile asbestos from the ban and how its exemption reflects the political and economic influence of the asbestos mining and manufacturing industry. Discussion All forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, are proven human carcinogens. All forms cause malignant mesothelioma and lung and laryngeal cancers, and may cause ovarian, gastrointestinal, and other cancers. No exposure to asbestos is without risk. Illnesses and deaths from asbestos exposure are entirely preventable. Conclusions All countries of the world have an obligation to their citizens to join in the international endeavor to ban the mining, manufacture, and use of all forms of asbestos. An international ban is urgently needed. There is no medical or scientific basis to exempt chrysotile from the worldwide ban of asbestos. PMID:20601329

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOEpatents

Block, Jacob

1998-05-19

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed, wherein the composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of a boron tetrafluoride salt, free of or having only small amounts of an inorganic acid, an inorganic acid salt or a mixture thereof. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, J.

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of a boron tetrafluoride salt, free of or having only small amounts of an inorganic acid, an inorganic acid salt or a mixture thereof. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOEpatents

Block, J.

1998-05-19

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of a hexafluorosilicate salt, and free of or having only small amounts of an inorganic acid, an inorganic acid salt or a mixture thereof. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, J.

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of a hexafluorosilicate salt, and free of or having only small amounts of an inorganic acid, an inorganic acid salt or a mixture thereof. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, Jacob

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed, wherein the composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of a hexafluorosilicate salt, and free of or having only small amounts of an inorganic acid, an inorganic acid salt or a mixture thereof. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOEpatents

Block, J.

1998-05-19

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of a boron tetrafluoride salt, free of or having only small amounts of an inorganic acid, an inorganic acid salt or a mixture thereof. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Asbestos-related diseases in automobile mechanics.

PubMed

Ameille, Jacques; Rosenberg, Nicole; Matrat, Mireille; Descatha, Alexis; Mompoint, Dominique; Hamzi, Lounis; Atassi, Catherine; Vasile, Manuela; Garnier, Robert; Pairon, Jean-Claude

2012-01-01

Automobile mechanics have been exposed to asbestos in the past, mainly due to the presence of chrysotile asbestos in brakes and clutches. Despite the large number of automobile mechanics, little is known about the non-malignant respiratory diseases observed in this population. The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to analyse the frequency of pleural and parenchymal abnormalities on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in a population of automobile mechanics. The study population consisted of 103 automobile mechanics with no other source of occupational exposure to asbestos, referred to three occupational health departments in the Paris area for systematic screening of asbestos-related diseases. All subjects were examined by HRCT and all images were reviewed separately by two independent readers; who in the case of disagreement discussed until they reached agreement. Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to investigate factors associated with pleural plaques. Pleural plaques were observed in five cases (4.9%) and interstitial abnormalities consistent with asbestosis were observed in one case. After adjustment for age, smoking status, and a history of non-asbestos-related respiratory diseases, multiple logistic regression models showed a significant association between the duration of exposure to asbestos and pleural plaques. The asbestos exposure experienced by automobile mechanics may lead to pleural plaques. The low prevalence of non-malignant asbestos-related diseases, using a very sensitive diagnostic tool, is in favor of a low cumulative exposure to asbestos in this population of workers.

Risk assessment due to environmental exposures to fibrous particulates associated with taconite ore.

PubMed

Wilson, Richard; McConnell, Ernest E; Ross, M; Axten, Charles W; Nolan, Robert P

2008-10-01

In the early 1970s, it became a concern that exposure to the mineral fibers associated taconite ore processed in Silver Bay, Minnesota would cause asbestos-related disease including gastrointestinal cancer. At that time data gaps existed which have now been significantly reduced by further research. To further our understanding of the types of airborne fibers in Silver Bay we undertook a geological survey of their source the Peter Mitchell Pit, and found that there are no primary asbestos minerals at a detectable level. However we identified two non-asbestos types of fibrous minerals in very limited geological locales. Air sampling useful for risk assessment was done to determine the type, concentrations and size distribution of the population of airborne fibers around Silver Bay. Approximately 80% of the airborne fibers have elemental compositions consistent with cummingtonite-grunerite and the remaining 20% have elemental compositions in the tremolite-actinolite series. The mean airborne concentration of both fiber types is less than 0.00014 fibers per milliliter that is within the background level reported by the World Health Organization. We calculate the risk of asbestos-related mesothelioma and lung cancer using a variety of different pessimistic assumptions. (i) that all the non-asbestos fibers are as potent as asbestos fibers used in the EPA-IRIS listing for asbestos; with a calculated risk of asbestos-related cancer for environmental exposure at Silver Bay of 1 excess cancer in 28,500 lifetimes (or 35 excess cancers per 1,000,000 lifetimes) and secondly that taconite associated fibers are as potent as chrysotile the least potent form of asbestos. The calculated risk is less than 0.77 excess cancer case in 1,000,000 lifetimes. Finally, we briefly review the epidemiology studies of grunerite asbestos (amosite) focusing on the exposure conditions associated with increased risk of human mesothelioma.

Asbestos in Plaster and Wall Systems

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This collection of letters and clarification on final rules provides guidance on Asbestos National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for asbestos-containing join compounds, and asbestos-containing materials found in plaster and wall systems.

Low levels of exposure to libby amphibole asbestos and localized pleural thickening.

PubMed

Christensen, Krista Yorita; Bateson, Thomas F; Kopylev, Leonid

2013-11-01

To explore the relationship between low levels of exposure to Libby amphibole asbestos (LAA) and pleural abnormalities, specifically localized pleural thickening (LPT). Three studies presenting the risks associated with quantitative LAA exposure estimates were reviewed, paying particular attention to lower exposure ranges. Studies reviewed were conducted among workers exposed to LAA at mining and milling operations in Libby, Montana, at a vermiculite processing facility in Marysville, Ohio, and community residents exposed to LAA from a vermiculite processing facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Pleural abnormalities were evaluated using radiographs. Despite differences in study populations and design, each study found that cumulative inhalation LAA exposure was associated with increased risk of LPT even at low levels of exposure. Inhalation exposure to LAA is associated with increased risk of LPT even at the lowest levels of exposure in each study.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, Jacob

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed, wherein the composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an inorganic acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a tetrafluoroborate of ammonia, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOEpatents

Block, J.

1998-05-19

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an inorganic acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a tetrafluoroborate of ammonia, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, Jacob

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed, wherein the composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an inorganic acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a hexafluorosilicate of ammonia, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, J.

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an inorganic acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a hexafluorosilicate of ammonia, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOEpatents

Block, J.

1998-05-19

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an inorganic acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a hexafluorosilicate of ammonia, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Composition and method to remove asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Block, J.

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an inorganic acid, and from about 0.1 to about 4% by weight of a tetrafluoroborate of ammonia, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. A method of transforming the asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material using the present composition also is disclosed.

Asbestos' Impact on Indoor Air Quality

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been used commonly in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. EPA and CPSC have banned several asbestos products. Manufacturers have also voluntarily limited uses of asbesto

Asbestos-related diffuse pleural thickening.

PubMed

Fujimoto, Nobukazu; Kato, Katsuya; Usami, Ikuji; Sakai, Fumikazu; Tokuyama, Takeshi; Hayashi, Seiji; Miyamoto, Kenji; Kishimoto, Takumi

2014-01-01

The clinical features of asbestos-related diffuse pleural thickening (DPT) remain unclear. To clarify the association between radiological findings of DPT and respiratory function. Medical data from patients with asbestos-related DPT were collected, including their history of occupational or neighborhood asbestos exposure, initial symptoms, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea grade, smoking history, radiological findings, and respiratory function test results. There were 106 DPT patients between 2005 and 2010 [i.e. 103 men (97.2%) and 3 women (2.8%)]. The median age at diagnosis was 69 years (range 46-88). Patient occupations related to asbestos exposure included: asbestos product manufacturing (n = 17); the shipbuilding industry (n = 14); the construction industry (n = 13); heat insulation work (n = 12); plumbing, asbestos spraying, and electrical work (n = 7 each), and transportation and demolition work (n = 4 each). The median duration of asbestos exposure was 25 years (range 2-54), and the median latency period before the onset of DPT was 46 years (range 25-66). Involvement of the costophrenic angle (CPA) was also negatively correlated with the percent vital capacity (%VC; r = -0.448, p < 0.01). Pleural thickness and the craniocaudal and horizontal extension of pleural thickening, as determined by chest computed tomography (CT), were also negatively correlated with %VC (r = -0.226, p < 0.05; r = -0.409, p < 0.01, and r = -0.408, p < 0.01, respectively). DPT develops after a long latency period following occupational asbestos exposure and causes marked respiratory dysfunction. The extension of DPT should be evaluated by chest CT, and chest X-ray would be important for the evaluation of the involvement of the CPA.

Asbestos body formation and iron accumulation in mouse peritoneal granulomas after the introduction of crocidolite asbestos fibers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koerten, H.K.; Hazekamp, J.; Kroon, M.

This report describes the cell biology of the development of asbestos bodies after a single intraperitoneal injection of a suspension of crocidolite asbestos fibers into the mouse peritoneal cavity. The majority of the infected fibers were found in aggregates of peritoneal macrophages, exudate cells, and fibrous tissue. These aggregates developed into granulomas containing not only numerous asbestos fibers, but also cells of various types, including macrophages, multinucleated giant cells, fibroblasts, plasma cells, granulocytes, and mast cells. Cytoplasmic ferritin was abundantly present in macrophages and giant cells. In addition, iron-rich inclusion bodies were detected. The results of this study show thatmore » asbestos body formation can occur outside the pleural cavity. Asbestos body formation occurred in the granulomas after periods of 1 month and longer. On the basis of morphologic criteria, various types of asbestos body were distinguished. X-ray microanalysis showed that variations in the density of the coat could attributed to the presence of chemical elements in various concentrations. Evidence is presented that asbestos body formation is an extracellular phenomenon.« less

Some Facts About Asbestos

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, R.L.

2001-01-01

For information on historic asbestos mines, historic prospects and natural asbestos occurrences in the U.S., see: Eastern U.S. ---> Open-File Report 2005-1189 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/); Central U.S. ---> Open-File Report 2006-1211 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1211/); Rocky Mountain States ---> Open-File Report 2007-1182 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1182/); Southwest U.S. ---> Open-File Report 2008-1095 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1095/). For commodity statistics and information see: http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/asbestos/

Asbestos-related lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma of the pleura: selected current issues.

PubMed

Markowitz, Steven

2015-06-01

Asbestos-related diseases persist, because millions of workers have had prior exposure and many industrializing countries continue to use asbestos. Globally, an estimated 107,000 people die annually from lung cancer, malignant mesothelioma, and asbestosis due to occupational asbestos exposure. Malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer are caused by all major types of asbestos. Asbestos causes more lung cancer deaths than malignant mesothelioma of the pleura; most cases of the latter are due to asbestos exposure. The cancer risk increases with cumulative asbestos exposure, with increased risk even at low levels of exposure to asbestos. Based on empirical studies, an estimated cumulative occupational exposure to asbestos of 1 fiber/mL-year substantially raises malignant mesothelioma risk. No safe threshold for asbestos exposure has been established for lung cancer and mesothelioma. The validity of fiber-type risk assessments depends critically on the quality of exposure assessments, which vary considerably, leading to a high degree of uncertainty. Asbestos exposure without asbestosis and smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. The joint effect of asbestos and smoking is supra-additive, which may depend in part on the presence of asbestosis. Asbestos workers who cease smoking experience a dramatic drop in lung cancer risk, which approaches that of nonsmokers after 30 years. Studies to date show that longer, thinner fibers have a stronger association with lung cancer than shorter, less thin fibers, but the latter nonetheless also show an association with lung cancer and mesothelioma. Low-dose chest computed tomographic scanning offers an unprecedented opportunity to detect early-stage lung cancers in asbestos-exposed workers. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

History of asbestos related disease

PubMed Central

Bartrip, P

2004-01-01

The first medical article on the hazards of asbestos dust appeared in the British Medical Journal in 1924. Following inquiries by Edward Merewether and Charles Price, the British government introduced regulations to control dangerous dust emissions in UK asbestos factories. Until the 1960s these appeared to have addressed the problem effectively. Only then, with the discoveries that mesothelioma was an asbestos related disease and that workers other than those employed in the dustiest parts of asbestos factories were at risk, were the nature and scale of the hazard reassessed. In Britain, America, and elsewhere new and increasingly strict regulations were enacted. PMID:14970292

Asbestos Imperative: What You Must Do.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AGB Reports, 1986

1986-01-01

Under federal regulation, all friable asbestos must be removed from buildings before undertaking major renovation or demolition. The American Council on Education is filing a national voluntary class action suit to recover from asbestos manufacturers the costs of removing asbestos-containing materials. (MLW)

Alternative Asbestos Control Method (AACM), Washington

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes the status to date of the Alternative Asbestos Control Method research, which is intended as a possible alternative technology for use in the demolition of buildings that contain asbestos and are covered under the regulatory requirements of the Asbesto...

Alternative Asbestos Control Method (AACM) Research

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes the status to date of the Alternative Asbestos Control Method research, which is intended as a possible alternative technology for use in the demolition of buildings that contain asbestos and are covered under the regulatory requirements of the Asbesto...

Reported Historic Asbestos Mines, Historic Asbestos Prospects, and Natural Asbestos Occurrences in the Rocky Mountain States of the United States (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2007-01-01

This map and its accompanying dataset provide information for 48 natural asbestos occurrences in the Rocky Mountain States of the United States (U.S.), using descriptions found in the geologic literature. Data on location, mineralogy, geology, and relevant literature for each asbestos site are provided. Using the map and digital data in this report, the user can examine the distribution of previously reported asbestos occurrences and their geological characteristics in the Rocky Mountain States. This report is part of an ongoing study by the U.S. Geological Survey to identify and map reported natural asbestos occurrences in the U.S., which thus far includes similar maps and datasets of natural asbestos occurrences within the Eastern U.S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1189/) and the Central U.S. (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2006/1211/). These reports are intended to provide State and local government agencies and other stakeholders with geologic information on natural occurrences of asbestos in the U.S.

Asbestos-induced endothelial cell activation and injury. Demonstration of fiber phagocytosis and oxidant-dependent toxicity.

PubMed

Garcia, J G; Gray, L D; Dodson, R F; Callahan, K S

1988-10-01

Vascular endothelial cell injury is important in the development of a variety of chronic interstitial lung disorders. However, the involvement of such injury in the inflammatory response associated with the inhalation of asbestos fibers is unclear and the mechanism of asbestos fiber cytotoxicity remains unknown. In the present study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells were challenged with amosite asbestos and several parameters of cellular function were examined. Electron microscopic examination revealed that endothelial cell exposure to asbestos resulted in active phagocytosis of these particulates. Biochemical evidence of dose-dependent asbestos-mediated endothelial cell activation was indicated by increased metabolism of arachidonic acid. For example, amosite asbestos (500 micrograms/ml) produced a ninefold increase in prostacyclin (PGI2) levels over those levels in non-exposed cells. Incubation of human endothelial cells with asbestos fibers induced specific 51Cr release in both a dose- and time-dependent fashion indicative of cellular injury. Injury induced by amosite asbestos was not significantly attenuated by treatment of the endothelial cell monolayer with either the iron chelator deferoxamine, which prevents hydroxyl radical (.OH) formation, or by the superoxide anion (O2-) scavenger, superoxide dismutase. However, significant dose-dependent protection was observed with the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenger, catalase. Chelation of elemental iron present within amosite asbestos fibers by deferoxamine produced a 33% reduction in asbestos cytotoxicity, suggesting a potential role for hydroxyl radical-mediated injury via the iron-catalyzed Haber-Weiss reaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Asbestos in toys: an exemplary case.

PubMed

Silvestri, Stefano; Di Benedetto, Francesco; Raffaell, Corrado; Veraldi, Angela

2016-01-01

DAS was an artificial clay which, once molded, hardened at room temperature. It was largely used as a toy between 1963 and 1975 in Italy, Netherlands, Germany, UK and Norway. This case report describes and reports the presence of asbestos in DAS. We investigated the presence of asbestos in DAS using light and electron microscopy on samples of the original material. We searched administrative documents at the State Archive of Turin and conducted interviews with past employees on annual production, suppliers, and purchasers. The analytical tests confirmed the presence of asbestos fibers in DAS: about 30% of its composition. The documents found at the State Archive confirmed the annual purchase of hundreds tons of raw asbestos from the Amiantifera di Balangero, the Italian asbestos mine. DAS was found to be used also within craftsmanship. Asbestos fibers in DAS may have caused exposure to production workers and a variety of users, including artists, teachers, and children. Over 13 years, about 55 million packs of DAS were produced and sold. The number of users is difficult to estimate but may have been in the order of millions. In Italy, a specific question on the use of DAS has been included in a routinely used mesothelioma questionnaire. As DAS was exported to other countries, our findings suggest that mesothelioma patients should be asked about their past use of DAS, in particular individuals not reporting a clear past asbestos exposure. Additionally, this discovery shows the incompleteness of records on asbestos uses and suggests to test items, including toys, imported from countries where asbestos is not forbidden.

Mineralogy and geochemistry of asbestos observed in soils developed within San Severino Lucano village (Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloise, Andrea; Punturo, Rosalda; Ricchiuti, Claudia; Apollaro, Carmine

2017-04-01

Concerns of potential health effects from disturbed natural occurrences of asbestos (NOA) have resulted in environmental investigations worldwide, including Basilicata region (Southern Italy). Indeed, in this region, an increased number of lung disease were related to the environmental exposure to asbestos tremolite soils sources. On the basis of the effects of asbestos on biological systems, several authors ascribe the asbestos-fibres toxicity to the synergetic effect of fibre size, crystal habit, surface reactivity, ability to generate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), biopersistence and chemical composition. The human health risks are based on the potential fibres inhalation, when they become airborne through rocks (e.g. serpentinite) weathering or human activities producing dust. In this frame, this paper reports the results of a detailed study on soils that developed on serpentinite bedrocks cropping out within the San Severino Lucano village (Basilicata region, Italy) in order to assess the presence of NOA potentially hazardous to human health (Bloise et al., 2016a). Twelve soil samples have been collected within the village and characterized by using different analytical techniques such as X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry, analytical electron microscopy (SEM/EDS and TEM/AEM) and thermal analysis (TG, DTG, DSC, DDSC). Results pointed out as the collected soil samples contain asbestos minerals, clay minerals, diopside, quartz, and Fe-Cr oxides in various amounts. High amounts of chrysotile and asbestos tremolite were found in soils, suggesting that human activities can disturb and provoke the release of inhalable asbestos in the atmosphere, triggering thus mechanisms of hazardous exposition for population. Results also showed a high content of Fe and Cr in chrysotile in some samples, while high amount of Ni was predominantly found in asbestos

Multiple pathway asbestos exposure assessment for a Superfund community.

PubMed

Noonan, Curtis W; Conway, Kathrene; Landguth, Erin L; McNew, Tracy; Linker, Laura; Pfau, Jean; Black, Brad; Szeinuk, Jaime; Flores, Raja

2015-01-01

Libby, MT, USA, was the home to workers at a historical vermiculite mining facility and served as the processing and distribution center for this industrial product that was contaminated with amphibole asbestos. Several pathways of environmental asbestos exposure to the general population have been identified. The local clinic and health screening program collects data from participants on past occupational and environmental exposures to vermiculite and asbestos. Health studies among this population have demonstrated associations between amphibole exposure and health outcomes, but critical questions regarding the nature and level of exposure associated with specific outcomes remain unanswered. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive exposure assessment approach that integrates information on individuals' contact frequency with multiple exposure pathways. For 3031 participants, we describe cumulative exposure metrics for environmental exposures, occupational exposures, and residents' contact with carry-home asbestos from household workers. As expected, cumulative exposures for all three occupational categories were higher among men compared with women, and cumulative exposures for household contact and environmental pathways were higher among women. The comprehensive exposure assessment strategies will advance health studies and risk assessment approaches in this population with a complex history of both occupational and environmental asbestos exposure.

Asbestos in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Susan

1984-01-01

Thousands of schools contain dangerous asbestos which threatens the safety of students and teachers. The Environmental Protection Agency can be contacted to inspect and advise on this problem. Suggestions are offered for school personnel who suspect their school may contain asbestos. (DF)

Tabulation of asbestos-related terminology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowers, Heather; Meeker, Greg

2002-01-01

The term asbestos has been defined in numerous publications including many State and Federal regulations. The definition of asbestos often varies depending on the source or publication in which it is used. Differences in definitions also exist for the asbestos-related terms acicular, asbestiform, cleavage, cleavage fragment, fiber, fibril, fibrous, and parting. An inexperienced reader of the asbestos literature would have difficulty understanding these differences and grasping many of the subtleties that exist in the literature and regulatory language. Disagreement among workers from the industrial, medical, mineralogical, and regulatory communities regarding these definitions has fueled debate as to their applicability to various morphological structures and chemical compositions that exist in the amphibole and serpentine groups of minerals. This debate has significant public health, economic and legal implications. This report summarizes asbestos-related definitions taken from a variety of academic, industrial, and regulatory sources. This summary is by no means complete but includes the majority of significant definitions currently applied in the discipline.

Banning Asbestos in New Zealand, 1936–2016, an 80-Year Long Saga

PubMed Central

Glass, William Ivan; Armstrong, Rob; Chen, Grace

2017-01-01

The banning by the New Zealand Government of the import and export of asbestos-containing products resulted from the interplay of a number of factors. At a personal level, there were the actions of the asbestos sufferers, their families and support groups. At the political level, there were the activities of progressive trade union groups representing the hazardous trades, such as labourers, construction workers and demolition workers, and at a Government level, there was a positive response to these public health pressures. The Prohibition Order 2016 concerning Imports and Exports (asbestos-containing products) was the outcome of this 80-year long saga. PMID:29186845

Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 detection in the serum of persons exposed to asbestos: A patient-based study

PubMed Central

Xu, Jiegou; Alexander, David B; Iigo, Masaaki; Hamano, Hirokazu; Takahashi, Satoru; Yokoyama, Takako; Kato, Munehiro; Usami, Ikuji; Tokuyama, Takeshi; Tsutsumi, Masahiro; Tamura, Mouka; Oguri, Tetsuya; Niimi, Akio; Hayashi, Yoshimitsu; Yokoyama, Yoshifumi; Tonegawa, Ken; Fukamachi, Katsumi; Futakuchi, Mitsuru; Sakai, Yuto; Suzui, Masumi; Kamijima, Michihiro; Hisanaga, Naomi; Omori, Toyonori; Nakae, Dai; Hirose, Akihiko; Kanno, Jun; Tsuda, Hiroyuki

2015-01-01

Exposure to asbestos results in serious risk of developing lung and mesothelial diseases. Currently, there are no biomarkers that can be used to diagnose asbestos exposure. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the levels or detection rate of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 (CCL3) in the serum are elevated in persons exposed to asbestos. The primary study group consisted of 76 healthy subjects not exposed to asbestos and 172 healthy subjects possibly exposed to asbestos. The secondary study group consisted of 535 subjects possibly exposed to asbestos and diagnosed with pleural plaque (412), benign hydrothorax (10), asbestosis (86), lung cancer (17), and malignant mesothelioma (10). All study subjects who were possibly exposed to asbestos had a certificate of asbestos exposure issued by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. For the primary study group, levels of serum CCL3 did not differ between the two groups. However, the detection rate of CCL3 in the serum of healthy subjects possibly exposed to asbestos (30.2%) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than for the control group (6.6%). The pleural plaque, benign hydrothorax, asbestosis, and lung cancer groups had serum CCL3 levels and detection rates similar to that of healthy subjects possibly exposed to asbestos. The CCL3 chemokine was detected in the serum of 9 of the 10 patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. Three of the patients with malignant mesothelioma had exceptionally high CCL3 levels. Malignant mesothelioma cells from four biopsy cases and an autopsy case were positive for CCL3, possibly identifying the source of the CCL3 in the three malignant mesothelioma patients with exceptionally high serum CCL3 levels. In conclusion, a significantly higher percentage of healthy persons possibly exposed to asbestos had detectable levels of serum CCL3 compared to healthy unexposed control subjects. PMID:25940505

Parenchymal and airway diseases caused by asbestos.

PubMed

Antonescu-Turcu, Andreea L; Schapira, Ralph M

2010-03-01

The extensive industrial use of asbestos for many decades has been linked to development of benign and malignant pleuropulmonary disease. This review summarizes newer evidence and ongoing controversies that exist in the literature regarding asbestos-related parenchymal and airway diseases. Asbestosis represents a significant respiratory problem despite the improvement in the workplace hygiene and a decrease in use of asbestos. The management of asbestosis remains challenging as currently there is no specific treatment. The role of asbestos exposure alone as a cause of chronic airway obstruction remains uncertain. The relationship between lung cancer and asbestos exposure alone and in combination with smoking has also been investigated. The benefit of screening for asbestos-related pleuropulmonary disease remains uncertain as does the use of computed tomography scanning for the purpose of screening. Future studies will help clarify the clinical issues and shape screening strategies for asbestos-exposed individuals.

How Canada's Asbestos Industry Was Defeated in Quebec.

PubMed

Ruff, Kathleen

2017-02-01

Less than a decade ago, the Quebec asbestos industry enjoyed support from all the political parties in the Canadian House of Commons and the Quebec National Assembly, as well as from business and union organizations. Two lobby organizations (Chrysotile Institute and International Chrysotile Association) had significant global impact in promoting asbestos use and defeating asbestos ban efforts in developing countries. Quebec's two asbestos mines planned to expand operations and make Quebec the second biggest global asbestos exporter. With the aid of lobbyists, public relations consultants, and government financing, the asbestos industry came close to succeeding. The article examines how a campaign of international solidarity, involving scientific experts, asbestos victims, and health activists in Quebec, Canada, and overseas, succeeded in closing the two mines and defeating the political and social power that the Quebec asbestos industry had wielded for a century. This victory ended Canada's destructive role as global propagandist for the asbestos industry.

Environmental exposure to asbestos: from geology to mesothelioma.

PubMed

Bayram, Mehmet; Bakan, Nur Dilek

2014-05-01

This article aims to review the geological background of environmental asbestos exposure and the distribution of asbestos-related disease (ARD) in association with naturally occurring asbestos (NOA), and discusses the potential health risks associated with exposure to non-occupational asbestos. With the motion of continental and oceanic plates, in some parts of the world serpentinites in the lower layer of the oceanic plate move into the continental plate and form the so-called ophiolites. Ophiolites consist of soil and rocks containing serpentine-type asbestos. There is an increase in ARDs in regions close to ophiolites. Indoor exposure and outdoor exposure to NOA, outdoor exposure to industrial asbestos and mines, urbanization and construction works in NOA regions are the known sources and types of environmental asbestos exposure. Although there is an expectance of decline in ARDs caused by industrial exposure to asbestos, the environmental exposure to asbestos is still a challenge waiting to be overcome.

Asbestos Training Curriculum Project. [Draft Copy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharman, Ron

This package contains two types of asbestos training materials: (1) an instructor's guide for "Asbestos in the Home: A Homeowner's Course"; and (2) "Asbestos Abatement Certification: Small-Scale Worker Student Manual," a 16-hour course, with instructor's guide. The instructor's guide for the 6-hour homeowner's course contains…

Osteopontin, asbestos exposure and pleural plaques: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Osteopontin (OPN) is a plasma protein/cytokine produced in excess in several malignancies. In a recent study OPN was reported as being related to the duration of asbestos exposure and presence of benign asbestos-related diseases; however, it was unclear whether this protein was an indicator of exposure or effect. Methods In 193 workers, 50 with pleural plaques (PP), in whom different indicators of past asbestos exposure were estimated, OPN plasma levels were assessed using commercial quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassays according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results Osteopontin increased with increasing age and several aspects of asbestos exposure, without differences related to the presence of pleural plaques. At multivariable regression analysis, the explanatory variables with a significant independent influence on OPN were length of exposure (positive correlation) and time elapsed since last exposure (positive correlation). Conclusions Since asbestos in lung tissue tends to wane over time, OPN should decrease (rather than increase) with time since last exposure. Therefore, OPN cannot be a reliable biomarker of exposure nor effect (presence of pleural plaques). PMID:21477289

The health impact of nonoccupational exposure to asbestos: what do we know?

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Marcel; Luce, Danièle

2009-01-01

Objective We examine the epidemiologic data that confirm the risks of pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer and other respiratory damage associated with non-occupational exposure to asbestos, in circumstances where exposure levels are usually lower than those found in the workplace: domestic and para-occupational exposure to asbestos-containing material (ACM) among people living with asbestos workers or near asbestos mines and manufacturing plants, environmental exposure from naturally occurring asbestos in soil, and non-occupational exposure to ACM in buildings. Data synthesis Studies concerning natural asbestos in the environment show that exposure that begins at birth does not seem to affect the duration of the latency period, but do not allow to know whether early exposure increases susceptibility; they do not suggest that susceptibility differs according to sex. Solid evidence demonstrates an increased risk of mesothelioma among people whose exposure comes from a para-occupational or domestic source. The risk of mesothelioma associated with exposure due to living near an industrial asbestos source (mines, mills, asbestos processing plants) is clearly confirmed. No solid epidemiologic data currently justify any judgment about the health effects associated with passive exposure in buildings containing asbestos. Most of the studies on non-occupational sources reported mainly amphibole exposure, but it cannot be ruled out that environmental exposure to chrysotile may also cause cancer. Conclusion Non-occupational exposure to asbestos may explain about 20% of the mesotheliomas in industrialized countries, but it is does not seem possible to estimate the number of lung cancers caused by these circumstances of exposure. PMID:19617842

Asbestos-related diseases in automobile mechanics

PubMed Central

Ameille, Jacques; Rosenberg, Nicole; Matrat, Mireille; Descatha, Alexis; Mompoint, Dominique; Hamzi, Lounis; Atassi, Catherine; Vasile, Manuela; Garnier, Robert; Pairon, Jean-Claude

2012-01-01

Purpose Automobile mechanics have been exposed to asbestos in the past, mainly due to the presence of chrysotile asbestos in brakes and clutches. Despite the large number of automobile mechanics, little is known about the non-malignant respiratory diseases observed in this population. The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to analyze the frequency of pleural and parenchymal abnormalities on HRCT in a population of automobile mechanics. Methods The study population consisted of 103 automobile mechanics with no other source of occupational exposure to asbestos, referred to three occupational health departments in the Paris area for systematic screening of asbestos–related diseases. All subjects were examined by HRCT and all images were reviewed separately by two independent readers, with further consensus in the case of disagreement. Multiple logistic regression models were constructed to investigate factors associated with pleural plaques. Results Pleural plaques were observed in 5 cases (4.9%) and interstitial abnormalities consistent with asbestosis were observed in 1 case. After adjustment for age, smoking status, and a history of non-asbestos-related respiratory diseases, multiple logistic regression models showed a significant association between the duration of exposure to asbestos and pleural plaques. Conclusions The asbestos exposure experienced by automobile mechanics may lead to pleural plaques. The low prevalence of non-malignant asbestos-related diseases, using a very sensitive diagnostic tool, is in favor of a low cumulative exposure to asbestos in this population of workers. PMID:21965465

The impact of asbestos in Illinois public schools

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marucco, T.E.

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) was signed into law providing a framework for addressing asbestos problems in secondary and elementary schools. This study examines the perceived attitudes of Illinois School personnel relative to the impact of asbestos in their buildings. Conclusions are: (1) All districts regardless of size, type, and enrollment have the largest concentration of non-friable asbestos in floor tile. (2) All school districts are surveying their asbestos and report that they are managing it properly following AHERA and state guidelines; removal is the most accepted method of abatement. (3) Administrators, schools boards, teachers, and maintenance staffmore » in general showed a high concern about asbestos abatement. (4) Governmental agencies have exerted the greatest pressure on school districts to manage existing asbestos properly. (5) External pressure does not appear to influence school districts regarding asbestos abatement. (6) Current attitudes and activities would change little if AHERA were repealed. (7) Asbestos abatement activities have taken place when schools are vacated. (8) Most administrators regard radon, leaded water, toxic chemicals, indoor air quality, and air pollution equal to or more threatening than asbestos.« less

Monitoring Natural Occurring Asbestos in ophiolite sequences and derived soils: implication with human activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punturo, Rosalda; Bloise, Andrea; Cirrincione, Rosolino

2016-04-01

The present contribution focuses on soils that developed on serpentinite-metabasite bedrocks, which could potentially be rich in asbestos minerals and, as a consequence, have a negative impact on agricultural activity and on environmental quality. In order to investigate the natural occurrences of asbestos (NOA) on the surface of the soil formed from serpentinites and metabasite, we selected a study area located in Sila Piccola (Calabrian Peloritani Orogen, southern Italy), where previous studies highlighted the presence of asbestiform minerals within the large ophiolitic sequences that crop out (Punturo et al., 2015; Bloise et al., 2015). Agricultural soil samples have been collected mainly close to urban centres and characterized by using different analytical techniques such as X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), transmission electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (TEM-EDS), thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) Results pointed out as all the collected soil samples contain serpentine minerals (e.g., chrysotile), asbestos amphiboles, clays, chlorite, muscovite, plagioclase and iron oxides in various amounts. Electron microscope images of the soils show that their contain a variety of aggregating agents such as organic matter and clay in which individual fibres of chrysotile and tremolite-actinolite are trapped. The investigation showed that both serpentinite and metabasite rocks act as a perennial source of contamination for the agriculture lands because of the high amount of tremolite-actinolite found in the studied soil samples developed on such lithotypes. Even if asbestiform minerals usually occur in aggregates which cannot be suspended in the air, agricultural activities such as plowing can destroy these soil aggregates with the creation of dust containing inhalable asbestos fibres that evolve into airborne increasing the exposure of population to them. Since the dispersion of fibres could be associated with

What You Should Know about Asbestos Health Hazards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

PTA Today, 1986

1986-01-01

The presence of asbestos health hazards in the schools is particulary serious since children exposed to asbestos are more likely to develop cancer than adults similarly exposed. Health risks of asbestos, scope of the problem, and asbestos testing are discussed. (DF)

Double standards: the multinational asbestos industry and asbestos-related disease in South Africa.

PubMed

McCulloch, Jock; Tweedale, Geoffrey

2004-01-01

This study documents and contrasts the development of knowledge about asbestos-related disease (ARD) in South Africa and the United Kingdom. It also contributes to the globalization debate by exploring corporate decision-making in a multinational industry. Between the 1930s and 1960s, the leading U.K. asbestos companies developed a sophisticated knowledge of ARD, though in South Africa, where the leading companies such as Turner & Newall and Cape Asbestos owned mines, there was little attempt to apply this knowledge. Asbestos mines (and their environments) in South Africa were uniquely dusty and ARD was rife. Social and political factors in South Africa, especially apartheid, allowed these companies to apply double standards, even after 1960 when the much more serious hazard of mesothelioma was identified. This shows the need for greater regulation of multinationals. Because of the lack of such regulation in the early 1960s, an opportunity was lost to prevent the current high morbidity and mortality of ARD both in South Africa and worldwide.

Asbestos: Rationale Behind a Proposed Air Quality Standard

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruckman, Leonard; Rubino, Robert A.

1975-01-01

This article proposes an asbestos air quality standard for Connecticut lower than proposed Federal regulation. Data are given relating mesothelioma incidence to occupational and non-occupational asbestos exposure. New standards lower asbestos emissions from manufacturing operations thus reducing possible asbestos-related fatalities. Rebuttals and…

Asbestos Abatement--Practical Considerations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sedrel, Roy A.

Illinois Senate Bill 1644, the recently passed "Asbestos Abatement Act," requires all schools in the state, public and private alike, to remove friable asbestos by whichever comes first: July 1, 1989, or 3 years following the establishment of a system for state funding for corrective action. This document addresses practical…

Treatments of asbestos containing wastes.

PubMed

Spasiano, D; Pirozzi, F

2017-12-15

Since the second half of the twentieth century, many studies have indicated inhalation of asbestos fibers as the main cause of deadly diseases including fibrosis and cancer. Consequently, since the beginning of the 80s, many countries started banning production and use of asbestos containing products (ACP), although still present in private and public buildings. Due to some extraordinary catastrophic events and/or the aging of these products, people's health and environmental risk associated with the inhalation of asbestos fibers keeps being high even in those countries where it was banned. For these reasons, many communities are developing plans for an environmental and sanitary safe asbestos removal and management. Asbestos containing wastes (ACW) are usually disposed in controlled landfills, but this practice does not definitively eliminate the problems related with asbestos fiber release and conflicts with the ideas of sustainable land use, recycling, and closing material cycles. Consequently, many scientific papers and patents proposed physical, chemical, and biological treatments aimed to the detoxification of ACW (or the reduction of their health effects) and looking for the adoption of technologies, which allow the reuse of the end-products. By including recent relevant bibliography, this report summarizes the status of the most important and innovative treatments of ACW, providing main operating parameters, advantages, and disadvantages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting the mortality from asbestos-related diseases based on the amount of asbestos used and the effects of slate buildings in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Su-Young; Kim, Young-Chan; Kim, Yongku; Hong, Won-Hwa

2016-01-15

Asbestos has been used since ancient times, owing to its heat-resistant, rot-proof, and insulating qualities, and its usage rapidly increased after the industrial revolution. In Korea, all slates were previously manufactured in a mixture of about 90% cement and 10% chrysotile (white asbestos). This study used a Generalized Poisson regression (GPR) model after creating databases of the mortality from asbestos-related diseases and of the amount of asbestos used in Korea as a means to predict the future mortality of asbestos-related diseases and mesothelioma in Korea. Moreover, to predict the future mortality according to the effects of slate buildings, a comparative analysis based on the result of the GPR model was conducted after creating databases of the amount of asbestos used in Korea and of the amount of asbestos used in making slates. We predicted the mortality from asbestos-related diseases by year, from 2014 to 2036, according to the amount of asbestos used. As a result, it was predicted that a total of 1942 people (maximum, 3476) will die by 2036. Moreover, based on the comparative analysis according to the influence index, it was predicted that a maximum of 555 people will die from asbestos-related diseases by 2031 as a result of the effects of asbestos-containing slate buildings, and the mortality was predicted to peak in 2021, with 53 cases. Although mesothelioma and pulmonary asbestosis were considered as asbestos-related diseases, these are not the only two diseases caused by asbestos. However the results of this study are highly important and relevant, as, for the first time in Korea, the future mortality from asbestos-related diseases was predicted. These findings are expected to contribute greatly to the Korean government's policies related to the compensation for asbestos victims. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

US Navy incurs ongoing asbestos removal costs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barber, J.

1983-07-04

Asbestos insulation removal from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and a Coast Guard facility at Fort Totten, Queens could cost the Navy over $400 million by the time all asbestos hazards are identified and removed. Much of the cost is due to equipment shutdown during the process and the handling and disposal of asbestos material. Concern over health hazards from exposure to asbestos and recent lawsuits claiming damage prompted the removal. (DCK)

Asbestos exposure induces alveolar epithelial cell plasticity through MAPK/Erk signaling.

PubMed

Tamminen, Jenni A; Myllärniemi, Marjukka; Hyytiäinen, Marko; Keski-Oja, Jorma; Koli, Katri

2012-07-01

The inhalation of asbestos fibers is considered to be highly harmful, and lead to fibrotic and/or malignant disease. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a common pathogenic mechanism in asbestos associated fibrotic (asbestosis) and malignant lung diseases. The characterization of molecular pathways contributing to EMT may provide new possibilities for prognostic and therapeutic applications. The role of asbestos as an inducer of EMT has not been previously characterized. We exposed cultured human lung epithelial cells to crocidolite asbestos and analyzed alterations in the expression of epithelial and mesenchymal marker proteins and cell morphology. Asbestos was found to induce downregulation of E-cadherin protein levels in A549 lung carcinoma cells in 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D cultures. Similar findings were made in primary small airway epithelial cells cultured in 3D conditions where the cells retained alveolar type II cell phenotype. A549 cells also exhibited loss of cell-cell contacts, actin reorganization and expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in 2D cultures. These phenotypic changes were not associated with increased transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling activity. MAPK/Erk signaling pathway was found to mediate asbestos-induced downregulation of E-cadherin and alterations in cell morphology. Our results suggest that asbestos can induce epithelial plasticity, which can be interfered by blocking the MAPK/Erk kinase activity. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development of a Job-Exposure Matrix (AsbJEM) to Estimate Occupational Exposure to Asbestos in Australia.

PubMed

van Oyen, Svein C; Peters, Susan; Alfonso, Helman; Fritschi, Lin; de Klerk, Nicholas H; Reid, Alison; Franklin, Peter; Gordon, Len; Benke, Geza; Musk, Arthur W

2015-07-01

Occupational exposure data on asbestos are limited and poorly integrated in Australia so that estimates of disease risk and attribution of disease causation are usually calculated from data that are not specific for local conditions. To develop a job-exposure matrix (AsbJEM) to estimate occupational asbestos exposure levels in Australia, making optimal use of the available exposure data. A dossier of all available exposure data in Australia and information on industry practices and controls was provided to an expert panel consisting of three local industrial hygienists with thorough knowledge of local and international work practices. The expert panel estimated asbestos exposures for combinations of occupation, industry, and time period. Intensity and frequency grades were estimated to enable the calculation of annual exposure levels for each occupation-industry combination for each time period. Two indicators of asbestos exposure intensity (mode and peak) were used to account for different patterns of exposure between occupations. Additionally, the probable type of asbestos fibre was determined for each situation. Asbestos exposures were estimated for 537 combinations of 224 occupations and 60 industries for four time periods (1943-1966; 1967-1986; 1987-2003; ≥2004). Workers in the asbestos manufacturing, shipyard, and insulation industries were estimated to have had the highest average exposures. Up until 1986, 46 occupation-industry combinations were estimated to have had exposures exceeding the current Australian exposure standard of 0.1 f ml(-1). Over 90% of exposed occupations were considered to have had exposure to a mixture of asbestos varieties including crocidolite. The AsbJEM provides empirically based quantified estimates of asbestos exposure levels for Australian jobs since 1943. This exposure assessment application will contribute to improved understanding and prediction of asbestos-related diseases and attribution of disease causation. © The

Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk

MedlinePlus

... strengthening cement and plastics as well as for insulation, roofing, fireproofing, and sound absorption. The shipbuilding industry ... manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products, insulation work in the construction and building trades, and ...

40 CFR 61.142 - Standard for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standard for asbestos mills. 61.142... (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS National Emission Standard for Asbestos § 61.142 Standard for asbestos mills. (a) Each owner or operator of an asbestos mill shall either...

40 CFR 61.142 - Standard for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Standard for asbestos mills. 61.142... (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS National Emission Standard for Asbestos § 61.142 Standard for asbestos mills. (a) Each owner or operator of an asbestos mill shall either...

40 CFR 61.142 - Standard for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Standard for asbestos mills. 61.142... (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS National Emission Standard for Asbestos § 61.142 Standard for asbestos mills. (a) Each owner or operator of an asbestos mill shall either...

40 CFR 61.142 - Standard for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Standard for asbestos mills. 61.142... (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS National Emission Standard for Asbestos § 61.142 Standard for asbestos mills. (a) Each owner or operator of an asbestos mill shall either...

40 CFR 61.142 - Standard for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Standard for asbestos mills. 61.142... (CONTINUED) NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS National Emission Standard for Asbestos § 61.142 Standard for asbestos mills. (a) Each owner or operator of an asbestos mill shall either...

Evaluation of take-home exposure and risk associated with the handling of clothing contaminated with chrysotile asbestos.

PubMed

Sahmel, J; Barlow, C A; Simmons, B; Gaffney, S H; Avens, H J; Madl, A K; Henshaw, J; Lee, R J; Van Orden, D; Sanchez, M; Zock, M; Paustenbach, D J

2014-08-01

The potential for para-occupational (or take-home) exposures from contaminated clothing has been recognized for the past 60 years. To better characterize the take-home asbestos exposure pathway, a study was performed to measure the relationship between airborne chrysotile concentrations in the workplace, the contamination of work clothing, and take-home exposures and risks. The study included air sampling during two activities: (1) contamination of work clothing by airborne chrysotile (i.e., loading the clothing), and (2) handling and shaking out of the clothes. The clothes were contaminated at three different target airborne chrysotile concentrations (0-0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter [f/cc], 1-2 f/cc, and 2-4 f/cc; two events each for 31-43 minutes; six events total). Arithmetic mean concentrations for the three target loading levels were 0.01 f/cc, 1.65 f/cc, and 2.84 f/cc (National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety [NIOSH] 7402). Following the loading events, six matched 30-minute clothes-handling and shake-out events were conducted, each including 15 minutes of active handling (15-minute means; 0.014-0.097 f/cc) and 15 additional minutes of no handling (30-minute means; 0.006-0.063 f/cc). Percentages of personal clothes-handling TWAs relative to clothes-loading TWAs were calculated for event pairs to characterize exposure potential during daily versus weekly clothes-handling activity. Airborne concentrations for the clothes handler were 0.2-1.4% (eight-hour TWA or daily ratio) and 0.03-0.27% (40-hour TWA or weekly ratio) of loading TWAs. Cumulative chrysotile doses for clothes handling at airborne concentrations tested were estimated to be consistent with lifetime cumulative chrysotile doses associated with ambient air exposure (range for take-home or ambient doses: 0.00044-0.105 f/cc year). © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Chlor-alkali producers evaluate safer alternatives to asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stadig, W.

Until recently, 75% of all US capacity for producing chlor-alkali - more than 40% of the world's capacity - has used asbestos diaphragm-cell technology. Although the Environmental Protection Agency continues to exempt asbestos use in diaphragms from restrictions, producers are considering alternatives. In Germany, stringent regulations will ban asbestos in chlor-alkali production after 1994. Heavy fines were levied recently against some chlor-alkali producers in the United States when EPA inspectors found asbestos fibers in cell renewal areas. Restrictions on the mining of asbestos raise the cost of obtaining adequate amounts of high-quality asbestos and gradually raise the cost of transportingmore » and discarding spent diaphragms. Two alternatives are to use newly developed, non-asbestos diaphragms or to convert to existing ion-exchange membrane-cell technology. Only the former seems economical in the United States. The non-asbestos diaphragm is based on an inorganic polymer composite developed in 1988 as an asbestos substitute. The composite received Du Pont's Plunkett Award for Innovation with Teflon[trademark], landed on the National Development Association's 1991 Honor Roll and became a 1991 R D 100 Award winner. 6 figs.« less

OVERVIEW ON ALTERNATIVE ASBESTOS CONTROL METHOD RESEARCH

EPA Science Inventory

The alternative asbestos control method (AACM) is an experimental approach to building demolition. Unlike the NESHAP method, the AACM allows some regulated asbestos-containing material to remain in the building and a surfactant-water solution is used to suppress asbestos fibers ...

Releasable Asbestos Field Sampler (RAFS) Operation Manual

EPA Science Inventory

The Releasable Asbestos Field Sampler (RAFS) is a field instrument that provides an in-situ measurement of asbestos releasability from consistent and reproducible mechanical agitation of the source material such as soil. The RAFS was designed to measure concentration (asbestos st...

FFTF Asbestos Location Tracking Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reynolds, J.A.

1994-09-15

An Asbestos Location Tracking Program was prepared to list, locate, and determine Asbestos content and to provide baseline {open_quotes}good faith{close_quotes} for yearly condition inspections for the FFTF Plant and buildings and grounds.

Environmental asbestos exposure sources in Korea.

PubMed

Kang, Dong-Mug; Kim, Jong-Eun; Kim, Ju-Young; Lee, Hyun-Hee; Hwang, Young-Sik; Kim, Young-Ki; Lee, Yong-Jin

2016-10-01

Because of the long asbestos-related disease latencies (10-50 years), detection, diagnosis, and epidemiologic studies require asbestos exposure history. However, environmental asbestos exposure source (EAES) data are lacking. To survey the available data for past EAES and supplement these data with interviews. We constructed an EAES database using a literature review and interviews of experts, former traders, and workers. Exposure sources by time period and type were visualized using a geographic information system (ArcGIS), web-based mapping (Google Maps), and OpenWeatherMap. The data were mounted in the GIS to show the exposure source location and trend. The majority of asbestos mines, factories, and consumption was located in Chungnam; Gyeonggi, Busan, and Gyeongnam; and Gyeonggi, Daejeon, and Busan, respectively. Shipbuilding and repair companies were mostly located in Busan and Gyeongnam. These tools might help evaluate past exposure from EAES and estimate the future asbestos burden in Korea.

Medical monitoring of asbestos-exposed workers: experience from Poland

PubMed Central

Szeszenia-Dąbrowska, Neonila; Wilczyńska, Urszula

2016-01-01

Abstract In Poland, the use of asbestos was banned in 1997 and asbestos plants have been closed since then. Despite their closure, cases of asbestos-related occupational diseases among former asbestos workers are still being recorded in the Central Register of Occupational Diseases. Between 2001 and 2014, there were 2726 asbestos-related illnesses, classified and reported as diseases associated with occupational exposure to asbestos. In 2000, Poland introduced a programme called Amiantus, targeted at former asbestos-processing plant workers. The programme provided periodic medical examinations to workers and free access to medications for treatment of asbestos-related illnesses. Introduction of the programme provided additional data to generate a reliable estimation of the number of asbestos-related occupational diseases, including cancer. The average latency period for asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma is about 40 years so there may still be some health impact to former workers necessitating follow-up. We present the Polish experience of implementing a medical examination programme for asbestos-exposed workers and provide a list of activities to consider when planning for such a programme. PMID:27516637

Medical monitoring of asbestos-exposed workers: experience from Poland.

PubMed

Świątkowska, Beata; Szeszenia-Dąbrowska, Neonila; Wilczyńska, Urszula

2016-08-01

In Poland, the use of asbestos was banned in 1997 and asbestos plants have been closed since then. Despite their closure, cases of asbestos-related occupational diseases among former asbestos workers are still being recorded in the Central Register of Occupational Diseases. Between 2001 and 2014, there were 2726 asbestos-related illnesses, classified and reported as diseases associated with occupational exposure to asbestos. In 2000, Poland introduced a programme called Amiantus, targeted at former asbestos-processing plant workers. The programme provided periodic medical examinations to workers and free access to medications for treatment of asbestos-related illnesses. Introduction of the programme provided additional data to generate a reliable estimation of the number of asbestos-related occupational diseases, including cancer. The average latency period for asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma is about 40 years so there may still be some health impact to former workers necessitating follow-up. We present the Polish experience of implementing a medical examination programme for asbestos-exposed workers and provide a list of activities to consider when planning for such a programme.

Relation of indoor and outdoor airborne fungal spore levels in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

PubMed

Jara, David; Portnoy, Jay; Dhar, Minati; Barnes, Charles

2017-03-01

Environmental control is an important component of asthma management for persons with asthma. A damp indoor environment and elevated airborne spore levels are factors in housing environmental control. We investigated if indoor airborne fungal spore levels correlated with outdoor ground-level airborne fungal spores or outdoor centrally collected spore levels as to types and abundance. Air collections were taken from home interiors, outdoor areas adjacent to the homes, and at a central location in the metropolitan area at the approximate same time. All air collections were examined and enumerated microscopically, and airborne spore estimates per cubic meter of air were reported for total fungal spores and for 11 identifiable spore groups. The 244 homes in the study were typical of the North American Midwest. The overall mean total spore counts in spores per cubic meter of air was indoors (4076 spores/m3), outdoors at ground level (8899 spores/m3), and outdoor metropolitan area (8342 spores/m3). All of the major indoor taxa were strongly correlated with the mean total spores present in the home. Total outdoor ground spore levels were highly correlated with levels of major outdoor taxa, such as ascospores and Cladosporium. Correlations of indoor spore levels with outdoor spore levels are strong for most major outdoor taxa. Indoor Aspergillus-Penicillium and Chaetomium are significantly correlated between indoor and local ground-level outdoor air. Although conditions may exist where indoor or outdoor spore levels were not well aligned, in most circumstances, the outdoor airborne spore community was reflected in the indoor airborne spore community.

Risk factors associated with asbestos-related diseases: a community-based case-control study.

PubMed

Rosell-Murphy, Magdalena-Isabel; Abós-Herràndiz, Rafael; Olivella, Josep Tarrés; Alberti-Casas, Constança; Allas, Isabel García; Artés, Xavier Martinez; Günther, Ilona Krier; Malet, Isidre Grimau; Martínez, Ramon Orriols; Canela-Soler, Jaume

2013-08-06

Asbestos is a first level carcinogen. However, few epidemiological studies analyse the risk and protective factors associated with asbestos-related diseases and follow up these conditions in the general population. Pleural mesothelioma, caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres at work, at home or in the environment, is the most representative asbestos-related disease.The objectives of this study are to analyse the risk and protective factors associated with asbestos-related diseases and to investigate the incidence of new clinical manifestations in patients already diagnosed with some form of ARD. We have designed a matched case-control study with follow up of both cohorts from a population of a health district of the Barcelona province that has been exposed to asbestos for a period of 90 years. A better understanding of asbestos-related diseases should improve i) the clinical and epidemiological follow up of patients with this condition; ii) the design of new treatment strategies; iii) and the development of preventive activities. At the end of the study, the two cohorts created in this study (affected cases and healthy controls) will constitute the basis for future research.

Risk factors associated with asbestos-related diseases: a community-based case–control study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Asbestos is a first level carcinogen. However, few epidemiological studies analyse the risk and protective factors associated with asbestos-related diseases and follow up these conditions in the general population. Pleural mesothelioma, caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres at work, at home or in the environment, is the most representative asbestos-related disease. The objectives of this study are to analyse the risk and protective factors associated with asbestos-related diseases and to investigate the incidence of new clinical manifestations in patients already diagnosed with some form of ARD. Methods/Design We have designed a matched case–control study with follow up of both cohorts from a population of a health district of the Barcelona province that has been exposed to asbestos for a period of 90 years. Discussion A better understanding of asbestos-related diseases should improve i) the clinical and epidemiological follow up of patients with this condition; ii) the design of new treatment strategies; iii) and the development of preventive activities. At the end of the study, the two cohorts created in this study (affected cases and healthy controls) will constitute the basis for future research. PMID:23915043

Uncle Sam Flunks Asbestos Control in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gough, Michael

1988-01-01

Discusses the problem of using asbestos to insulate heating and air-conditioning systems in schools and mixing asbestos into ceiling plaster for fireproofing and noise control. Suggests that the Environmental Protection Agency's plan for asbestos removal may be causing problems where none exist. (TW)

Asbestos: use, bans and disease burden in Europe

PubMed Central

Kameda, Takashi; Kim, Rokho; Jiang, Ying; Movahed, Mehrnoosh; Park, Eun-Kee; Rantanen, Jorma

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective To analyse national data on asbestos use and related diseases in the European Region of the World Health Organization (WHO). Methods For each of the 53 countries, per capita asbestos use (kg/capita/year) and age-adjusted mortality rates (deaths/million persons/year) due to mesothelioma and asbestosis were calculated using the databases of the United States Geological Survey and WHO, respectively. Countries were further categorized by ban status: early-ban (ban adopted by 2000, n = 17), late-ban (ban adopted 2001–2013, n = 17), and no-ban (n = 19). Findings Between 1920–2012, the highest per capita asbestos use was found in the no-ban group. After 2000, early-ban and late-ban groups reduced their asbestos use levels to less than or equal to 0.1 kg/capita/year, respectively, while the no-ban group maintained a very high use at 2.2 kg/capita/year. Between 1994 and 2010, the European Region registered 106 180 deaths from mesothelioma and asbestosis, accounting for 60% of such deaths worldwide. In the early-ban and late-ban groups, 16/17 and 15/17 countries, respectively, reported mesothelioma data to WHO, while only 6/19 countries in the no-ban group reported such data. The age-adjusted mortality rates for mesothelioma for the early-ban, late-ban and no-ban groups were 9.4, 3.7 and 3.2 deaths/million persons/year, respectively. Asbestosis rates for the groups were 0.8, 0.9 and 1.5 deaths/million persons/year, respectively. Conclusion Within the European Region, the early-ban countries reported most of the current asbestos-related deaths. However, this might shift to the no-ban countries, since the disease burden will likely increase in these countries due the heavy use of asbestos. PMID:25378740

Exposure level and distribution characteristics of airborne bacteria and fungi in Seoul metropolitan subway stations.

PubMed

Kim, Ki Youn; Kim, Yoon Shin; Kim, Daekeun; Kim, Hyeon Tae

2011-01-01

The exposure level and distribution characteristics of airborne bacteria and fungi were assessed in the workers' activity areas (station office, bedroom, ticket office and driver's seat) and passengers' activity areas (station precinct, inside the passenger carriage, and platform) of the Seoul metropolitan subway. Among investigated areas, the levels of airborne bacteria and fungi in the workers' bedroom and station precincts were relatively high. No significant difference was found in the concentration of airborne bacteria and fungi between the underground and above ground activity areas of the subway. The genera identified in all subway activity areas with a 5% or greater detection rate were Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Bacillus and Corynebacterium for airborne bacteria and Penicillium, Cladosporium, Chrysosporium, Aspergillus for airborne fungi. Staphylococcus and Micrococcus comprised over 50% of the total airborne bacteria and Penicillium and Cladosporium comprised over 60% of the total airborne fungi, thus these four genera are the predominant genera in the subway station.

Development of a testing method for asbestos fibers in treated materials of asbestos containing wastes by transmission electron microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yamamoto, Takashi, E-mail: tyama@nies.go.jp; Kida, Akiko; Noma, Yukio

Highlights: • A high sensitive and selective testing method for asbestos in treated materials of asbestos containing wastes was developed. • Asbestos can be determined at a limits are a few million fibers per gram and a few μg g{sup −1}. • High temperature melting treatment samples were determined by this method. Asbestos fiber concentration were below the quantitation limit in all samples, and total fiber concentrations were determined as 47–170 × 10{sup 6} g{sup −1}. - Abstract: Appropriate treatment of asbestos-containing wastes is a significant problem. In Japan, the inertization of asbestos-containing wastes based on new treatment processes approvedmore » by the Minister of the Environment is promoted. A highly sensitive method for testing asbestos fibers in inertized materials is required so that these processes can be approved. We developed a method in which fibers from milled treated materials are extracted in water by shaking, and are counted and identified by transmission electron microscopy. Evaluation of this method by using asbestos standards and simulated slag samples confirmed that the quantitation limits are a few million fibers per gram and a few μg/g in a sample of 50 mg per filter. We used this method to assay asbestos fibers in slag samples produced by high-temperature melting of asbestos-containing wastes. Fiber concentrations were below the quantitation limit in all samples, and total fiber concentrations were determined as 47–170 × 10{sup −6} f/g. Because the evaluation of treated materials by TEM is difficult owing to the limited amount of sample observable, this testing method should be used in conjunction with bulk analytical methods for sure evaluation of treated materials.« less

Asbestos removal in the construction industry. Master's thesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Banks, A.J.

The purpose of this report is to examine the impact of asbestos abatement on the construction industry. It is estimated that the cleanup effort may cost $100 billion over the next twenty five years. More than 733,000 structures, or twenty percent of U. S. commercial and public properties are believed to contain asbestos. Some of the material is in a friable state. This asbestos is crumbling into microscopic fibers that can float in through the air. The use of asbestos was restricted after high doses of its fibers were found to scar lungs, causing cancer and other diseases. Construction businessesmore » use 50 percent of the U. S. supply of asbestos in asbestos cement pipes, sheets, siding shingles, floor tiles, coatings, and sealants. Some 29,000 workers install asbestos insulation during building construction. Other estimates of exposed workers include 20,400 in demolition, 67,800 in abatement, 82,500 in general building renovation, 135,700 doing routine maintenance in buildings, and 183,200 in routine maintenance in general industry. The demand for asbestos removal services exceeds the ability of the industry to supply it safely. Asbestos management and removal are major issues for the construction industry world wide.« less

Flaxseed lignans enriched in secoisolariciresinol diglucoside prevent acute asbestos-induced peritoneal inflammation in mice

PubMed Central

Pietrofesa, Ralph A.; Velalopoulou, Anastasia; Arguiri, Evguenia; Menges, Craig W.; Testa, Joseph R.; Hwang, Wei-Ting; Albelda, Steven M.

2016-01-01

Malignant mesothelioma (MM), linked to asbestos exposure, is a highly lethal form of thoracic cancer with a long latency period, high mortality and poor treatment options. Chronic inflammation and oxidative tissue damage caused by asbestos fibers are linked to MM development. Flaxseed lignans, enriched in secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cancer chemopreventive properties. As a prelude to chronic chemoprevention studies for MM development, we tested the ability of flaxseed lignan component (FLC) to prevent acute asbestos-induced inflammation in MM-prone Nf2+/mu mice. Mice (n = 16–17 per group) were placed on control (CTL) or FLC-supplemented diets initiated 7 days prior to a single intraperitoneal bolus of 400 µg of crocidolite asbestos. Three days post asbestos exposure, mice were evaluated for abdominal inflammation, proinflammatory/profibrogenic cytokine release, WBC gene expression changes and oxidative and nitrosative stress in peritoneal lavage fluid (PLF). Asbestos-exposed mice fed CTL diet developed acute inflammation, with significant (P < 0.0001) elevations in WBCs and proinflammatory/profibrogenic cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNFα, HMGB1 and active TGFß1) relative to baseline (BL) levels. Alternatively, asbestos-exposed FLC-fed mice had a significant (P < 0.0001) decrease in PLF WBCs and proinflammatory/profibrogenic cytokine levels relative to CTL-fed mice. Importantly, PLF WBC gene expression of cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNFα, HMGB1 and TGFß1) and cytokine receptors (TNFαR1 and TGFßR1) were also downregulated by FLC. FLC also significantly (P < 0.0001) blunted asbestos-induced nitrosative and oxidative stress. FLC reduces acute asbestos-induced peritoneal inflammation, nitrosative and oxidative stress and may thus prove to be a promising agent in the chemoprevention of MM. PMID:26678224

Report on cancer risks associated with the ingestion of asbestos

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lemen, R.; Meinhardt, T.; Becking, G.

Cancer risks associated with ingestion of asbestos are discussed. Asbestos contamination of drinking water is considered. At least 66.5% of the United States water systems are capable of eroding asbestos cement pipes. The ability of water to leach asbestos from asbestos cement pipes can be modified by coatings applied to the inside pipe surface. Asbestos contamination in foods or pharmaceuticals is discussed. Asbestos fibers at concentrations of 1.1 to 172.7 million fibers per liter have been found in beverages. To date, studies supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have provided no evidence that ingesting asbestos results in anmore » increased cancer risk. The FDA has determined that no prohibition on using asbestos filters in processing food, beverages, and non-parenteral drugs is needed. Toxicological studies on asbestos ingestion and carcinogenicity are reviewed. Epidemiological evaluations of the association between drinking-water supplies containing asbestos and cancer mortality are discussed. It is concluded that the available information is insufficient for assessing the risk of cancer associated with ingesting asbestos.« less

Asbestos Testing: Is the EPA Misleading You?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levins, Hoag

1983-01-01

Experts warn that only electron microscopes can see the smaller fibers of asbestos that are known to cause the most cancers, though the Environmental Protection Agency still endorses optical microscopes for asbestos removal verification. Asbestos testing methods are explained and sources of information are provided. (MLF)

Environmental asbestos exposure sources in Korea

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Because of the long asbestos-related disease latencies (10–50 years), detection, diagnosis, and epidemiologic studies require asbestos exposure history. However, environmental asbestos exposure source (EAES) data are lacking. Objectives To survey the available data for past EAES and supplement these data with interviews. Methods We constructed an EAES database using a literature review and interviews of experts, former traders, and workers. Exposure sources by time period and type were visualized using a geographic information system (ArcGIS), web-based mapping (Google Maps), and OpenWeatherMap. The data were mounted in the GIS to show the exposure source location and trend. Results The majority of asbestos mines, factories, and consumption was located in Chungnam; Gyeonggi, Busan, and Gyeongnam; and Gyeonggi, Daejeon, and Busan, respectively. Shipbuilding and repair companies were mostly located in Busan and Gyeongnam. Conclusions These tools might help evaluate past exposure from EAES and estimate the future asbestos burden in Korea. PMID:27726756

Exposure pathway evaluations for sites that processed asbestos-contaminated vermiculite.

PubMed

Anderson, Barbara A; Dearwent, Steve M; Durant, James T; Dyken, Jill J; Freed, Jennifer A; Moore, Susan McAfee; Wheeler, John S

2005-01-01

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is currently evaluating the potential public health impacts associated with the processing of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite at various facilities around the country. Vermiculite ore contaminated with significant levels of asbestos was mined and milled in Libby, Montana, from the early 1920s until 1990. The majority of the Libby ore was then shipped to processing facilities for exfoliation. ATSDR initiated the National Asbestos Exposure Review (NAER) to identify and evaluate exposure pathways associated with these processing facilities. This manuscript details ATSDR's phased approach in addressing exposure potential around these sites. As this is an ongoing project, only the results from a selected set of completed site analyses are presented. Historical occupational exposures are the most significant exposure pathway for the site evaluations completed to date. Former workers also probably brought asbestos fibers home on their clothing, shoes, and hair, and their household contacts may have been exposed. Currently, most site-related worker and community exposure pathways have been eliminated. One community exposure pathway of indeterminate significance is the current exposure of individuals through direct contact with waste rock brought home for personal use as fill material, driveway surfacing, or soil amendment. Trace levels of asbestos are present in soil at many of the sites and buried waste rock has been discovered at a few sites; therefore, future worker and community exposure associated with disturbing on-site soil during construction or redevelopment at these sites is also a potential exposure pathway.

Decreasing airborne contamination levels in high-risk hospital areas using a novel mobile air-treatment unit.

PubMed

Bergeron, V; Reboux, G; Poirot, J L; Laudinet, N

2007-10-01

To evaluate the performance of a new mobile air-treatment unit that uses nonthermal-plasma reactors for lowering the airborne bioburden in critical hospital environments and reducing the risk of nosocomial infection due to opportunistic airborne pathogens, such as Aspergillus fumigatus. Tests were conducted in 2 different high-risk hospital areas: an operating room under simulated conditions and rooms hosting patients in a pediatric hematology ward. Operating room testing provided performance evaluations of removal rates for airborne contamination (ie, particles larger than 0.5 microm) and overall lowering of the airborne bioburden (ie, colony-forming units of total mesophilic flora and fungal flora per cubic meter of air). In the hematology service, opportunistic and nonpathogenic airborne fungal levels in a patient's room equipped with an air-treatment unit were compared to those in a control room. In an operating room with a volume of 118 m(3), the time required to lower the concentration of airborne particles larger than 0.5 microm by 90% was decreased from 12 minutes with the existing high-efficiency particulate air filtration system to less than 2 minutes with the units tested, with a 2-log decrease in the steady-state levels of such particles (P<.01). Concurrently, total airborne mesophilic flora concentrations dropped by a factor of 2, and the concentrations of fungal species were reduced to undetectable levels (P<.01). The 12-day test period in the hematology ward revealed a significant reduction in airborne fungus levels (P<.01), with average reductions of 75% for opportunistic species and 82% for nonpathogenic species. Our data indicate that the mobile, nonthermal-plasma air treatment unit tested in this study can rapidly reduce the levels of airborne particles and significantly lower the airborne bioburden in high-risk hospital environments.

Current and future risks of asbestos exposure in the Australian community.

PubMed

Gray, Corie; Carey, Renee N; Reid, Alison

2016-10-01

Australia mined asbestos for more than 100 years and manufactured and imported asbestos products. There is a legacy of in situ asbestos throughout the built environment. The aim of this study was to identify the possible sources of current and future asbestos exposure from the built environment. Telephone interviews with environmental health officers, asbestos removalists, and asbestos assessors in Australia sought information about common asbestos scenarios encountered. There is a considerable amount of asbestos remaining in situ in the Australian built environment. Potential current and future sources of asbestos exposure to the public are from asbestos-containing roofs and fences, unsafe asbestos removal practices, do-it-yourself home renovations and illegal dumping. This research has highlighted a need for consistent approaches in the regulation and enforcement of safe practices for the management and removal of asbestos to ensure that in situ asbestos in the built environment is managed appropriately.

Assessment of asbestos exposure during a simulated agricultural activity in the proximity of the former asbestos mine of Balangero, Italy.

PubMed

Turci, Francesco; Favero-Longo, Sergio Enrico; Gazzano, Claudia; Tomatis, Maura; Gentile-Garofalo, Laura; Bergamini, Massimo

2016-05-05

The natural occurrence of asbestos (NOA) in rural areas is a serious concern for human health and the dispersion route of asbestos in the proximity of natural asbestos-rich settings has been marginally evaluated so far. NOA may affect air, but also water and soil quality. In rural areas population may be exposed to asbestos with a largely unknown impact on human health. This work investigates the potential exposure of a farmer cultivating a field nearby the largest former asbestos mine of Western Europe (Balangero, Italy). The concentration of waterborne asbestos in the stream used to water the field was measured (ca. 2×10(5) fibers per liter, ff/L) and the cultivated ultramafic topsoil characterized, evidencing a remarkable occurrence of chrysotile. The worker's personal exposure and the environmental fiber dispersion during a simulated agricultural activity (tillage) were quantified in two independent trials. During the trials, the worker was exposed to average concentrations of 16 and 26 ff/L, with a peak of 40 ff/L. These data inform about the possible exposure of an agricultural worker to asbestos concentration higher than the accepted threshold of 2 ff/L. The release of asbestos fibers into the environment was negligible (0-2 ff/L). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A risk assessment for exposure to grunerite asbestos (amosite) in an iron ore mine

PubMed Central

Nolan, R. P.; Langer, A. M.; Wilson, Richard

1999-01-01

The potential for health risks to humans exposed to the asbestos minerals continues to be a public health concern. Although the production and use of the commercial amphibole asbestos minerals—grunerite (amosite) and riebeckite (crocidolite)—have been almost completely eliminated from world commerce, special opportunities for potentially significant exposures remain. Commercially viable deposits of grunerite asbestos are very rare, but it can occur as a gangue mineral in a limited part of a mine otherwise thought asbestos-free. This report describes such a situation, in which a very localized seam of grunerite asbestos was identified in an iron ore mine. The geological occurrence of the seam in the ore body is described, as well as the mineralogical character of the grunerite asbestos. The most relevant epidemiological studies of workers exposed to grunerite asbestos are used to gauge the hazards associated with the inhalation of this fibrous mineral. Both analytical transmission electron microscopy and phase-contrast optical microscopy were used to quantify the fibers present in the air during mining in the area with outcroppings of grunerite asbestos. Analytical transmission electron microscopy and continuous-scan x-ray diffraction were used to determine the type of asbestos fiber present. Knowing the level of the miner’s exposures, we carried out a risk assessment by using a model developed for the Environmental Protection Agency. PMID:10097051

Mineralogical conversion of asbestos containing materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pulsford, S.K.; Foltz, A.D.; Ek, R.B.

The principal objective of the Technical Task Plan (TTP) is to demonstrate a thermal-chemical mineralogical asbestos conversion unit at the Hanford Site, which converts non-radiological asbestos containing materials (ACMs) into an asbestos-free material. The permanent thermal-chemical mineralogical conversion of ACMs to a non-toxic, non-hazardous, potentially marketable end product should not only significantly reduce the waste stream volumes but terminate the {open_quotes}cradle to grave{close_quotes} ownership liabilities.

Global asbestos justice: South African asbestos victims win right to sue Cape PLC in U.K. courts.

PubMed

Kazan-Allen, L

2001-01-01

A ruling by Britain's House of Lords in July 2000 opened the doors of the English courts to foreign plaintiffs injured by the overseas operation of British companies and their subsidiaries. The ruling authorized 3,000 South African asbestos victims to continue their case in the U.K. courts against the multinational British company Cape PLC, which produced both raw asbestos and asbestos products in South Africa. The Lords sided with the asbestos victims in refusing to transfer the case to South Africa, as requested by Cape. This decision was a reversal of fortune for Cape and has implications for other British multinationals that may be called upon to defend their overseas actions domestically.

Current and future risks of asbestos exposure in the Australian community

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Australia mined asbestos for more than 100 years and manufactured and imported asbestos products. There is a legacy of in situ asbestos throughout the built environment. Methods The aim of this study was to identify the possible sources of current and future asbestos exposure from the built environment. Telephone interviews with environmental health officers, asbestos removalists, and asbestos assessors in Australia sought information about common asbestos scenarios encountered. Results There is a considerable amount of asbestos remaining in situ in the Australian built environment. Potential current and future sources of asbestos exposure to the public are from asbestos-containing roofs and fences, unsafe asbestos removal practices, do-it-yourself home renovations and illegal dumping. Conclusion This research has highlighted a need for consistent approaches in the regulation and enforcement of safe practices for the management and removal of asbestos to ensure that in situ asbestos in the built environment is managed appropriately. PMID:27611196

Conference on asbestos control and replacement for electric utilities: Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

An EPRI conference on Asbestos Control and Replacement for Electric Utilities was held April 9, 1992 in conjunction with the National Asbestos Council`s Environmental Management 192 Conference and Exposition. The high cost and potential liabilities of asbestos removal projects, compounded by concerns over the health effects of asbestos replacement materials, was the main motivation for the conference. The objective of the conference was to assemble guidance and information that will help utilities manage asbestos and to effectively prioritize EPRI research in this area. Ten papers covered such topics as computer-aided asbestos management, utility experience with asbestos management, asbestos monitoring andmore » disposal, and asbestos replacement materials. Utility feedback received at the conference indicates that present and planned EPRI research activities in this area will effectively meet industry needs.« less

Conference on asbestos control and replacement for electric utilities: Proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

An EPRI conference on Asbestos Control and Replacement for Electric Utilities was held April 9, 1992 in conjunction with the National Asbestos Council's Environmental Management 192 Conference and Exposition. The high cost and potential liabilities of asbestos removal projects, compounded by concerns over the health effects of asbestos replacement materials, was the main motivation for the conference. The objective of the conference was to assemble guidance and information that will help utilities manage asbestos and to effectively prioritize EPRI research in this area. Ten papers covered such topics as computer-aided asbestos management, utility experience with asbestos management, asbestos monitoring andmore » disposal, and asbestos replacement materials. Utility feedback received at the conference indicates that present and planned EPRI research activities in this area will effectively meet industry needs.« less

Grand rounds: asbestos-related pericarditis in a boiler operator.

PubMed

Abejie, Belayneh A; Chung, Eugene H; Nesto, Richard W; Kales, Stefanos N

2008-01-01

Occupational and environmental exposures to asbestos remain a public health problem even in developed countries. Because of the long latency in asbestos-related pathology, past asbestos exposure continues to contribute to incident disease. Asbestos most commonly produces pulmonary pathology, with asbestos-related pleural disease as the most common manifestation. Although the pleurae and pericardium share certain histologic characteristics, asbestos-related pericarditis is rarely reported. We present a 59-year-old man who worked around boilers for almost 30 years and was eventually determined to have calcific, constrictive pericarditis. He initially presented with an infectious exacerbation of chronic bronchitis. Chest radiographs demonstrated pleural and pericardial calcifications. Further evaluation with cardiac catheterization showed a hemodynamic picture consistent with constrictive pericarditis. A high-resolution computerized tomography scan of the chest demonstrated dense calcification in the pericardium, right pleural thickening and nodularity, right pleural plaque without calcification, and density in the right middle lobe. Pulmonary function testing showed mild obstruction and borderline low diffusing capacity. Based on the patient's occupational history, the presence of pleural pathology consistent with asbestos, previous evidence that asbestos can affect the pericardium, and absence of other likely explanations, we concluded that his pericarditis was asbestos-related. Similar to pleural thickening and plaque formation, asbestos may cause progressive fibrosis of the pericardium.

Danger in the Classroom: The Continuing Problem of Asbestos in the Public Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Robert D.

Asbestos in school buildings continues to threaten the future health of children. Because of prolonged exposure while their metabolism and activity levels are relatively high and their cellular development is relatively rapid, children and adolescents have a lifetime risk of developing asbestos-related diseases--such as asbestosis, mesothelioma,…

Asbestos

Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)

Asbestos ; CASRN 1332 - 21 - 4 Human health assessment information on a chemical substance is included in the IRIS database only after a comprehensive review of toxicity data , as outlined in the IRIS assessment development process . Sections I ( Health Hazard Assessments for Noncarcinogenic Effects

49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

49 CFR 173.216 - Asbestos, blue, brown or white.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Asbestos, blue, brown or white. 173.216 Section... Class 7 § 173.216 Asbestos, blue, brown or white. (a) Asbestos, blue, brown or white, includes each of the following hydrated mineral silicates: chrysolite, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite asbestos...

Toward an Asbestos Ban in the United States.

PubMed

Lemen, Richard A; Landrigan, Philip J

2017-10-26

Many developed countries have banned the use of asbestos, but not the United States. There have, however, been multiple efforts in the US to establish strict exposure standards, to limit asbestos use, and to seek compensation through the courts for asbestos-injured workers' In consequence of these efforts, asbestos use has declined dramatically, despite the absence of a legally mandated ban. This manuscript presents a historical review of these efforts.

Asbestos in Schools--A Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Business Affairs, 1988

1988-01-01

A magazine insert contains six short articles that deal with school district compliance with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). Display advertisements by asbestos-related firms accompany the insert. (MLF)

Earth mineral resource of the month: asbestos

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, Robert L.

2010-01-01

The article discusses the characteristics and feature of asbestos. According to the author, asbestos is a generic name for six needle-shaped minerals that possess high tensile strengths, flexibility, and resistance to chemical and thermal degradation. These minerals are actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, chrysolite, crocilodite and tremolite. Asbestos is used for strengthening concrete pipe, plastic components, and gypsum plasters.

The extent and influence of Asbestos Safety Awareness training among managers who had previously commissioned an asbestos survey in their workplace buildings

PubMed Central

HICKEY, Jane; SAUNDERS, Jean; DAVERN, Peter

2015-01-01

A telephone survey was conducted among a sample of managers (n=30) in Ireland who had previously commissioned an asbestos survey in their workplace buildings. The aims of the telephone survey were to examine the extent to which managers had completed Asbestos Safety Awareness (ASA) training, and to assess how such training might influence (i) their instinctive thoughts on asbestos, and (ii) their approach to aspects of asbestos management within their buildings. Managers’ motivations for commissioning the asbestos survey were also identified. The study found that ASA-trained managers (n=11) were not significantly more likely to work in larger organisations or in organisations which operated an accredited management system. Though ASA-trained managers’ instinctive thoughts on asbestos were of a slightly poorer technical quality compared with those of non-ASA-trained managers, they were still significantly more cognisant of their responsibilities towards those of their employees at specific risk of asbestos exposure. Most managers (n=28) commissioned the asbestos survey to satisfy a pre-requisite of external contractors for commencing refurbishment/demolition work in their buildings. Given its potential to positively influence the occupational management of asbestos, the authors recommend the general promotion of suitably tailored ASA-training programmes among building managers and external contractors alike. PMID:25914070

The extent and influence of Asbestos Safety Awareness training among managers who had previously commissioned an asbestos survey in their workplace buildings.

PubMed

Hickey, Jane; Saunders, Jean; Davern, Peter

2015-01-01

A telephone survey was conducted among a sample of managers (n=30) in Ireland who had previously commissioned an asbestos survey in their workplace buildings. The aims of the telephone survey were to examine the extent to which managers had completed Asbestos Safety Awareness (ASA) training, and to assess how such training might influence (i) their instinctive thoughts on asbestos, and (ii) their approach to aspects of asbestos management within their buildings. Managers' motivations for commissioning the asbestos survey were also identified. The study found that ASA-trained managers (n=11) were not significantly more likely to work in larger organisations or in organisations which operated an accredited management system. Though ASA-trained managers' instinctive thoughts on asbestos were of a slightly poorer technical quality compared with those of non-ASA-trained managers, they were still significantly more cognisant of their responsibilities towards those of their employees at specific risk of asbestos exposure. Most managers (n=28) commissioned the asbestos survey to satisfy a pre-requisite of external contractors for commencing refurbishment/demolition work in their buildings. Given its potential to positively influence the occupational management of asbestos, the authors recommend the general promotion of suitably tailored ASA-training programmes among building managers and external contractors alike.

Asbestos Abatement in Oklahoma Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Education, Oklahoma City.

The intent of this paper is to provide the information necessary to develop and implement an acceptable asbestos removal plan. The information is taken from current (September 1980) federal and state regulations and recommendations. The information describing asbestos removal operations is organized chronologically to simplify using this document…

Asbestos Abatement: Start to Finish.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makruski, Edward D.

1984-01-01

An EPA survey of the largest school districts in the nation revealed that over 50 percent have not inspected for asbestos and two-thirds have failed to notify parents adequately. Seven steps are therefore provided for successful asbestos abatement, in anticipation of tougher regulations now under consideration. (TE)

[Croatian and international regulations on the protection and rights of workers exposed to asbestos at work].

PubMed

Zavalić, Marija; Macan, Jelena

2009-11-01

exposed to asbestos, and criteria for the confirmation of occupational asbestos-related diseases which are harmonised with the Helsinki criteria acknowledged by ILO and EU, particularly concerning the level and length of exposure. Croatian law on compensation of workers occupationally exposed to asbestos from 2007 regulates compensation claims for workers with occupational asbestos-related disease, authorities competent to process these claims, and funds and coefficients for compensation payments. Accordingly, Croatia is responsible for compensation claims payment for workers with occupational asbestos-related disease. The 2007 law on conditions for entitlement to full pension for workers exposed to asbestos at work defines the conditions for fulfilling criteria for retirement pension for workers exposed to asbestos at work.

Asbestos exposure and laryngeal cancer mortality.

PubMed

Peng, Wen-Jia; Mi, Jing; Jiang, Yu-Hong

2016-05-01

Occupational exposure to asbestos occurs in many workplaces and is well known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. However, the link between asbestos exposure and other malignancies was not confirmed. The aim of the current meta-analysis was to provide a summary measure of risk for laryngeal cancer associated with occupational asbestos exposure. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Electronic databases were searched for studies characterizing the association between asbestos and laryngeal cancer. Standardized mortality rate (SMR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) of each study was combined using a fixed or random effect model. Significantly increased SMR for laryngeal cancer was observed when subjects were exposed to asbestos (SMR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.45-1.97, P < .001), with little evidence of heterogeneity among studies (Q = 15.39, P = .803, I(2) = 0.0%). Effect estimates were larger for cohorts controlling for male subjects, Europe and Oceania, mining and textile industries, exposure to crocidolite, long study follow-up (>25 years), and SMR for lung cancer > 2.0. Publication bias was not detect by Begg test (P = .910) and Egger test (P = .340). Our study supports the association of exposure to asbestos with an increased risk of laryngeal cancer mortality among male workers. NA Laryngoscope, 126:1169-1174, 2016. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Predictors of lung cancer among former asbestos-exposed workers.

PubMed

Świątkowska, Beata; Szubert, Zuzanna; Sobala, Wojciech; Szeszenia-Dąbrowska, Neonila

2015-09-01

Despite extensive literature concerning the risk of lung cancer incidence among asbestos workers there is still lack of data specifying the association between the level of exposure and the frequency of cancer occurrence. The aim of the analysis was to assess the influence of smoking and selected factors related to occupational exposure on the risk of the incidence of lung cancer among the workers who were exposed to asbestos dust in the past. The assessment was performed based on the case-control studies carried out within a cohort including 7,374 former workers of asbestos processing plants, examined over the years 2000-2013. Analysis of the material was based on the calculation of the odds ratio (OR) using conditional logistic regression modeling, adjusted for cigarette smoking, cumulative exposure, branch and time since last exposure. During the survey period there were 165 cases of lung cancer. Among the individuals who smoked, the relative risk of lung cancer incidence was twice as high in the persons smoking more than 20 pack-years (OR=2.23; 95% CI: 1.45-3.46) than it was in the case of the non-smokers. Analysis revealed that the risk of lung cancer in the group with the highest exposure was two times higher in comparison with the low cumulative asbestos exposure (OR=1.99; 95% CI: 1.22-3.25). The risk continued to increase until 30 years after cessation of asbestos exposure and started to decline many years after the last exposure. Influence of the mentioned above characteristics is particularly visible for tumors located in the lower parts of the lungs. Our findings confirm the strong evidence that the lung cancer risk is associated with asbestos exposure and it increases along with the increasing exposure. A strategy of smoking cessation among the individuals exposed to asbestos dust would potentially have health promoting effects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward an Asbestos Ban in the United States

PubMed Central

Lemen, Richard A.; Landrigan, Philip J.

2017-01-01

Many developed countries have banned the use of asbestos, but not the United States. There have, however, been multiple efforts in the US to establish strict exposure standards, to limit asbestos use, and to seek compensation through the courts for asbestos-injured workers’. In consequence of these efforts, asbestos use has declined dramatically, despite the absence of a legally mandated ban. This manuscript presents a historical review of these efforts. PMID:29072598

Proceedings: Conference on asbestos control and replacement for electric utilities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

An EPRI conference on Asbestos Control and Replacement for Electric Utilities was held April 6--7, 1993 in conjunction with the Environmental Information Association`s (formerly National Asbestos Council) Environmental Management `93 Conference and Exposition. The high cost and potential liabilities of asbestos removal projects, compounded by concerns over the health effects of asbestos replacement materials, was the main motivation for the conference. The objective of the conference was to assemble guidance and information that will help utilities manage asbestos and to effectively prioritize EPRI research in this area. Eleven papers covered such topics as changes in the Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA)more » ban on asbestos, utility experience with asbestos management and abatement, asbestos monitoring and disposal, and asbestos replacement materials. Utility feedback received at the conference indicates that present and planned EPRI research activities in this area will effectively meet industry needs.« less

Comments on the 2014 Helsinki Consensus Report on Asbestos.

PubMed

Landrigan, Philip J

2016-01-01

The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) convened an Expert Committee in 2014 to update the 1997 and 2000 Helsinki criteria on asbestos, asbestosis, and cancer. The Collegium Ramazzini reviewed the criteria for pathological diagnosis of the diseases caused by asbestos presented in the 2014 Helsinki Consensus Report and compared them with the widely used diagnostic criteria developed in 1982 by the College of American Pathologists and the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (CAP-NIOSH). The sections of the Helsinki Consensus Report dealing with pathological diagnosis are based on a biased and selective reading of the scientific literature. They are heavily influenced by the outdated and incorrect concept that analysis of lung tissue for asbestos bodies and asbestos fibers can provide accurate information on past exposure to asbestos. Five specific problems are : Accurate diagnosis of the diseases caused by asbestos must be based on a carefully obtained history of occupational exposure. An accurate exposure history is a far more sensitive and specific indicator of asbestos exposure than asbestos body counting or lung fiber burden analysis. The sections of the 2014 Helsinki Consensus Report on asbestos, asbestosis, and cancer dealing with pathologic diagnosis of the diseases caused by asbestos appear to have been influenced by members of the Expert Committee with undisclosed financial conflicts of interest. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temporal trend, geographic distribution, and publication quality in asbestos research.

PubMed

Ugolini, Donatella; Bonassi, Stefano; Cristaudo, Alfonso; Leoncini, Giacomo; Ratto, Giovanni Battista; Neri, Monica

2015-05-01

Asbestos is a well-known cause of cancer and respiratory diseases. The aim of the current study was to investigate the scientific production in asbestos research evaluating temporal trend, geographic distribution, impact factor (IF) of published literature, and taking into account socioeconomic variables. The PubMed database was searched starting from 1970. Publication numbers and IF were evaluated as absolute values and after standardization by population and gross domestic product (GDP). Six thousand nine hundred seven articles related to asbestos were retrieved. Publications grew steeply in the 1970s, leveled off in the 1980s, decreased in the 1990s, and then increased again. Mesothelioma, lung neoplasms, and occupational diseases are the most commonly used keywords. In the period of 1988-2011, 4220 citations were retrieved, 3187 of whom had an impact factor. The US, Italy, and the UK were the most productive countries. European countries published about 20 % more asbestos-related articles than the US, although the latter reached a higher mean IF, ranking second after Australia. When the national scientific production (sum of IF) was compared taking into account socioeconomic variables, Australia and Scandinavian countries performed very well, opposite to all main asbestos producers like Russia, China, and Brazil (except for Canada). The American Journal of Industrial Medicine and the Italian La Medicina del Lavoro published the highest numbers of articles. This study provides the first bibliometric analysis of scientific production in asbestos research. Interest appears to be higher in selected countries, with strong national features, and is growing again in the new millennium.

Asbestos Workshop: Sampling, Analysis, and Risk Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

coatings Vinyl/asbestos floor tile Automatic transmission components Clutch facings Disc brake pads Drum brake linings Brake blocks Commercial and...A naturally-occurring pliant and fibrous mineral with heat-resistant properties • Serpentine Class: joint compound,‘popcorn’ceilings, brake pads...fabrics, and is used in fire-resistant and insulating materials such as brake linings. The asbestos minerals include chrysotile (white asbestos) and

Rapid Measurement Of Asbestos Content Of Building Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiss, James R.; Grove, Cindy I.; Hoover, Gordon L.; Stephens, James B.

1994-01-01

Portable instrument measures asbestos content of construction materials in place. Helps building renovators determine, quickly and accurately, whether asbestos is present. Concept readily adapted to special-purpose, battery-powered instrument. Contractor using such instrument could obtain reliable information on asbestos content in minutes.

Alternative Asbestos Control Method (AACM) Research - Feb 2008

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes the status to date of the Alternative Asbestos Control Method research, which is intended as a possible alternative technology for use in the demolition of buildings that contain asbestos and are covered under the regulatory requirements of the Asbesto...

ALTERNATIVE ASBESTOS CONTROL METHOD (AACM) RESEARCH - BALTIMORE, MD

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes the status to date of the Alternative Asbestos Control Method research, which is intended as a possible alternative technology for use in the demolition of buildings that contain asbestos and are covered under the regulatory requirements of the Asbesto...

Laboratory testing of airborne brake wear particle emissions using a dynamometer system under urban city driving cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagino, Hiroyuki; Oyama, Motoaki; Sasaki, Sousuke

2016-04-01

To measure driving-distance-based mass emission factors for airborne brake wear particulate matter (PM; i.e., brake wear particles) related to the non-asbestos organic friction of brake assembly materials (pads and lining), and to characterize the components of brake wear particles, a brake wear dynamometer with a constant-volume sampling system was developed. Only a limited number of studies have investigated brake emissions under urban city driving cycles that correspond to the tailpipe emission test (i.e., JC08 or JE05 mode of Japanese tailpipe emission test cycles). The tests were performed using two passenger cars and one middle-class truck. The observed airborne brake wear particle emissions ranged from 0.04 to 1.4 mg/km/vehicle for PM10 (particles up to 10 μm (in size), and from 0.04 to 1.2 mg/km/vehicle for PM2.5. The proportion of brake wear debris emitted as airborne brake wear particles was 2-21% of the mass of wear. Oxygenated carbonaceous components were included in the airborne PM but not in the original friction material, which indicates that changes in carbon composition occurred during the abrasion process. Furthermore, this study identified the key tracers of brake wear particles (e.g., Fe, Cu, Ba, and Sb) at emission levels comparable to traffic-related atmospheric environments.

Progress and New Problems Mark Your Battle Against School Asbestos.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormick, Kathleen

1985-01-01

Reviews a survey of asbestos in the schools and the status of asbestos regulations enforcement policy. Reviews the status of asbestos litigation and recovery of abatement costs. Provides suggestions for choosing asbestos abatement contractors. (MD)

Fluidized Bed Asbestos Sampler Design and Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karen E. Wright; Barry H. O'Brien

A large number of samples are required to characterize a site contaminated with asbestos from previous mine or other industrial operations. Current methods, such as EPA Region 10’s glovebox method, or the Berman Elutriator method are time consuming and costly primarily because the equipment is difficult to decontaminate between samples. EPA desires a shorter and less costly method for characterizing soil samples for asbestos. The objective of this was to design and test a qualitative asbestos sampler that operates as a fluidized bed. The proposed sampler employs a conical spouted bed to vigorously mix the soil and separate fine particulatemore » including asbestos fibers on filters. The filters are then analyzed using transmission electron microscopy for presence of asbestos. During initial testing of a glass prototype using ASTM 20/30 sand and clay fines as asbestos surrogates, fine particulate adhered to the sides of the glass vessel and the tubing to the collection filter – presumably due to static charge on the fine particulate. This limited the fines recovery to ~5% of the amount added to the sand surrogate. A second prototype was constructed of stainless steel, which improved fines recovery to about 10%. Fines recovery was increased to 15% by either humidifying the inlet air or introducing a voltage probe in the air space above the sample. Since this was not a substantial improvement, testing using the steel prototype proceeded without using these techniques. Final testing of the second prototype using asbestos suggests that the fluidized bed is considerably more sensitive than the Berman elutriator method. Using a sand/tremolite mixture with 0.005% tremolite, the Berman elutriator did not segregate any asbestos structures while the fluidized bed segregated an average of 11.7. The fluidized bed was also able to segregate structures in samples containing asbestos at a 0.0001% concentration, while the Berman elutriator method did not detect any fibers at

An Australian stocks and flows model for asbestos.

PubMed

Donovan, Sally; Pickin, Joe

2016-10-01

All available data on asbestos consumption in Australia were collated in order to determine the most common asbestos-containing materials remaining in the built environment. The proportion of asbestos contained within each material and the types of products these materials are most commonly found in was also determined. The lifetime of these asbestos containing products was estimated in order to develop a model that projects stocks and flows of asbestos products in Australia through to the year 2100. The model is based on a Weibull distribution and was built in an excel spreadsheet to make it user-friendly and accessible. The nature of the products under consideration means both their asbestos content and lifetime parameters are highly variable, and so for each of these a high and low estimate is presented along with the estimate used in the model. The user is able to vary the parameters in the model as better data become available. © The Author(s) 2016.

History of Asbestos Ban in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Wong, Chun-Kwan; Wan, Sabrina Hei-Man; Yu, Ignatius Tak-Sun

2017-10-31

As millions of immigrants moved to Hong Kong (HK) from China in the recent decades, large amount of residential housings were built in the early years and a substantial proportion of those buildings used asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). Since the number of new cases of ARDs diagnosed has increased year by year since 1990's, the remarkable increase of incidences had drawn the attention of the public and most importantly the HK government. It became one of the trigger points leading to asbestos ban in HK history. Comparatively, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), labor unions and patients' self-help organizations demonstrated a more aggressive and proactive attitude than the HK government and have played a key role in the development of asbestos banning policy in HK. After numerous petitions and meetings with the government representatives by those parties in the past decade, the HK government eventually changed its attitude and started to consider terminating the endless threat from asbestos by amending the policy, and the new clause of legislation for banning of all forms of asbestos was enacted on 4 April 2014. Other than the restriction of asbestos use, the compensation system about ARDs has also made some great moves by the effort of those parties as well. Based on the experience we learnt through the years, efforts from different stakeholders including patients' self-help organizations, NGOs, legislative councilors, and media power are absolutely essential to the success of progression and development in today's asbestos banning in HK.

Matrix Metalloproteinases Promote Inflammation and Fibrosis in Asbestos-Induced Lung Injury in Mice

PubMed Central

Tan, Roderick J.; Fattman, Cheryl L.; Niehouse, Laura M.; Tobolewski, Jacob M.; Hanford, Lana E.; Li, Qinglang; Monzon, Federico A.; Parks, William C.; Oury, Tim D.

2006-01-01

Inhalation of asbestos fibers causes pulmonary inflammation and eventual pulmonary fibrosis (asbestosis). Although the underlying molecular events are poorly understood, protease/antiprotease and oxidant/antioxidant imbalances are believed to contribute to the disease. Implicated in other forms of pulmonary fibrosis, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have not been examined in asbestosis. We therefore hypothesized that MMPs play a pathogenic role in asbestosis development. Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were intratracheally instilled with 0.1 mg crocidolite asbestos, causing an inflammatory response at 1 d and a developing fibrotic response at 7, 14, and 28 d. Gelatin zymography demonstrated an increase in MMP-9 (gelatinase B) during the inflammatory phase, while MMP-2 (gelatinase A) was profoundly increased in the fibrotic phase. Immunohistochemistry revealed MMP-9 in and around bronchiolar and airspace neutrophils that were often associated with visible asbestos fibers. MMP-2 was found in fibrotic regions at 7, 14, and 28 d. No increases in RNA levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, or MMP-8 were found, but levels of MMP-7, MMP-12, and MMP-13 RNA did increase at 14 d. The MMP inhibitors, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2, were also increased at 7–28 d after asbestos exposure. To confirm the importance of MMP activity in disease progression, mice exposed to asbestos were given daily injections of the MMP inhibitor, GM6001. MMP inhibition reduced inflammation and fibrosis in asbestos-treated mice. Collectively, these data suggest that MMPs contribute to the pathogenesis of asbestosis through effects on inflammation and fibrosis development. PMID:16574944

Worldwide Asbestos Supply and Consumption Trends from 1900 through 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, Robert L.

2006-01-01

This Circular updates and supersedes U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report 03–083, "Worldwide Asbestos Supply and Consumption Trends from 1900 to 2000," with the addition of supply and consumption estimates and analysis from 2001 through 2003 and revisions to the consumption estimates for 1998 through 2000. The text from Open-File Report 03–083 also has been updated in this Circular to include revisions to and expansion of the time-series coverage. The use of asbestos is one of the most controversial issues surrounding the industrial minerals industry. Its carcinogenic nature, an overall lack of knowledge of minimum safe exposure levels, its widespread use for more than 100 years, and the long latency for the development of lung cancer and mesothelioma are the main contributing factors to these controversies. Another factor is that, despite decades of research, the mechanisms responsible for its carcinogenic properties are still largely unknown. The United States produced about 3.29 million metric tons (Mt) of asbestos and used approximately 31.5 Mt between 1900 and 2003. About half of this amount was used after 1960. In 2002, the last asbestos mine in the United States closed, marking the end of more than 110 years of U.S. asbestos production. Cumulative world production from 1900 through 2003 was about 181 Mt. If one assumes that unusually large stocks were not maintained and that world consumption roughly equaled production, then about half of the world production and consumption occurred between the end of 1976 and the end of 2003. The United States and Western European nations were the largest consumers of asbestos during the first two-thirds of the 20th century. They were surpassed by the collective production and consumption of Kazakhstan and Russia by the 1970s. After the onset of the health issues concerning asbestos in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the decline in world production and consumption began to be evident in the late 1970s and

Significance of serum mesothelin in an asbestos-exposed population in the Czech Republic.

PubMed

Jakubec, Petr; Pelclova, Daniela; Smolkova, Petra; Kolek, Vitezslav; Nakladalova, Marie

2015-09-01

Pleural mesothelioma is a highly aggressive and difficult-to-treat form of cancer induced by asbestos in 80-90% of cases. The population group most at risk of the condition are asbestos-exposed workers. Mesothelin or soluble mesothelin-related protein (SMRP) is studied as a potential marker of mesothelioma in the at-risk population. The study comprised 239 subjects with a mean duration of occupational exposure to asbestos of 19.9 years. In all of them, a complete medical history was taken, focused on exposure duration and a physical examination, a chest X-ray or other imaging investigations and a lung function test were performed. Their serum SMRP levels were measured and biopsy samples were taken to diagnose pleural disease. Based on the above examinations, the subjects were classified into subgroups and serum SMRP concentrations were statistically analyzed with respect to individual parameters. In asbestos-exposed individuals, mesothelin levels were significantly higher in those with pathological X-ray findings than in those with normal X-ray results (0.78 ± 0.63 vs. 0.50 ± 0.35, P<0.0001). The group of patients with benign disease had statistically significantly higher mesothelin levels than those with normal X-ray findings (0.755 ± 0.543 vs. 0.50 ± 0.35, P<0.001). In the group with present malignant processes, mesothelin levels were higher than in individuals with benign disease (1.19 ± 0.89 vs. 0.76 ± 0.54, P=0.015). Only a weak correlation was found between mesothelin levels and asbestos exposure duration. There were relatively high sensitivity and high specificity (75% and 90.6%, respectively) of serum mesothelin for pleural mesothelioma. However, given the small number of mesothelioma cases in the group, the results cannot be considered as statistically significant. In persons followed up for asbestos exposure, increased mesothelin levels signalize pathological processes in the chest and correlate with severity of the disease. The study suggests that

Method for converting asbestos to non-carcinogenic compounds

DOEpatents

Selby, Thomas W.

1996-01-01

Hazardous and carcinogenic asbestos waste characterized by a crystalline fibrous structure is transformed into non-carcinogenic, relatively nonhazardous, and non-crystalline solid compounds and gaseous compounds which have commercial utilization. The asbestos waste is so transformed by the complete fluorination of the crystalline fibrous silicate mineral defining the asbestos.

Asbestos lung burden and asbestosis after occupational and environmental exposure in an asbestos cement manufacturing area: a necropsy study

PubMed Central

Magnani, C.; Mollo, F.; Paoletti, L.; Bellis, D.; Bernardi, P.; Betta, P.; Botta, M.; Falchi, M.; Ivaldi, C.; Pavesi, M.

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The largest Italian asbestos cement factory had been active in Casale Monferrato until 1986: in previous studies a substantial increase in the incidence of pleural mesothelioma was found among residents without occupational exposure to asbestos. To estimate exposure to asbestos in the population, this study evaluated the presence of histological asbestosis and the lung burden of asbestos fibres (AFs) and asbestos bodies (ABs). METHODS: The study comprises the consecutive series of necropsies performed at the Hospital of Casale Monferrato between 1985 and 1988. A sample of lung parenchima was collected and stored for 48 out of 55 necropsies. The AF concentration was measured with a TEM electron microscope with x ray mineralogical analysis. The ABs were counted and fibrosis evaluated by optical microscopy. The nearest relative of each subject was interviewed on occupational and residential history. Mineralogical and histological analyses and interviews were conducted in 1993-4. RESULTS: Statistical analyses included 41 subjects with AF, AB count, and interview. Subjects without occupational exposure who ever lived in Casale Monferrato had an average concentration of 1500 AB/g dried weight (gdw); Seven of 18 presented with asbestosis or small airway lung disease (SAL). G2 asbestosis was diagnosed in two women with no occupational asbestos exposure. One of them had been teaching at a school close to the factory for 12 years. Ten subjects had experienced occupational asbestos exposure, seven in asbestos cement production: mean concentrations were 1.032 x 10(6) AF/gdw and 96,280 AB/gdw. Eight of the 10 had asbestosis or SAL. CONCLUSION: The high concentration of ABs and the new finding of environmental asbestosis confirm that high asbestos concentration was common in the proximity of the factory. Subjects not occupationally exposed and ever living in Casale Monferrato tended to have higher AB concentration than subjects never living in the town (difference not

Asbestos occurrence in the Eagle C-4 quadrangle, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foster, Helen Laura

1969-01-01

An asbestos occurrence was discovered in a remote part of the Eagle quadrangle, Alaska, in the summer of 1968 during geologic reconnaissance in connection with the U.S. Geological Survey's Heavy Metals program. The exposed part of the deposit consists of large joint blocks of serpentine which are cut by closely spaced subparallel veins. Most of the veins are about ? inch thick, and they consist of cross-fiber chrysotile asbestos. The asbestos appears to be of commercial quality, but the total quantity is unknown. The asbestos occurs in a serpentinized ultramafic mass which appears to intrude metamorphic rocks. Many other serpentinized ultramafic masses are known in the Eagle quadrangle, but this is the first one in which considerable asbestos has been found. The deposit is of importance because it shows that geologic conditions are locally favorable for the formation of asbestos in the Yukon-Tanana Upland, and hope of finding commercial asbestos deposits thus seems possible.

Corrosion inhibiting composition for treating asbestos containing materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hartman, J.R.

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an acid component, optionally a source of fluoride ions, and a corrosion inhibiting amount of thiourea, a lower alkylthiourea, a C{sub 8}{single_bond}C{sub 15} alkylpyridinium halide or mixtures. A method of transforming an asbestos-containing building material, while part of a building structure, into a non-asbestos material by using the present composition also is disclosed.

Corrosion inhibiting composition for treating asbestos containing materials

DOEpatents

Hartman, Judithann Ruth

1998-04-21

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed, wherein the composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an acid component, optionally a source of fluoride ions, and a corrosion inhibiting amount of thiourea, a lower alkylthiourea, a C.sub.8 -C.sub.15 alkylpyridinium halide or mixtures thereof. A method of transforming an asbestos-containing building material, while part of a building structure, into a non-asbestos material by using the present composition also is disclosed.

Corrosion inhibiting composition for treating asbestos containing materials

DOEpatents

Hartman, J.R.

1998-04-21

A composition for transforming a chrysotile asbestos-containing material into a non-asbestos material is disclosed. The composition comprises water, at least about 30% by weight of an acid component, optionally a source of fluoride ions, and a corrosion inhibiting amount of thiourea, a lower alkylthiourea, a C{sub 8}{single_bond}C{sub 15} alkylpyridinium halide or mixtures. A method of transforming an asbestos-containing building material, while part of a building structure, into a non-asbestos material by using the present composition also is disclosed.

Cancer of the esophagus and asbestos exposure.

PubMed

Clin, Bénédicte; Thaon, Isabelle; Boulanger, Mathilde; Brochard, Patrick; Chamming's, Soizick; Gislard, Antoine; Lacourt, Aude; Luc, Amandine; Ogier, Guy; Paris, Christophe; Pairon, Jean-Claude

2017-11-01

Our study aimed at analyzing incidence and mortality from esophageal cancer within a cohort of workers with previous occupational asbestos exposure (ARDCo Program). A 10-year follow-up study was conducted in the 14 515 male subjects included in this program between October 2003 and December 2005. Follow-up began when exposure stopped. Asbestos exposure was analyzed by industrial hygienists using data from a standardized questionnaire. The Cox model was used, with age as the time axis variable adjusted for smoking, time since first exposure (TSFE) and cumulative exposure index (CEI) of exposure to asbestos. We reported a significant dose-response relationship between CEI of exposure to asbestos and esophageal cancer, in both incidence (hazard ratio [HR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-1.58), and mortality (HR 1.40, [95%CI 1.12-1.75]). This large-scale study suggests the existence of a relationship between asbestos exposure and cancer of the esophagus. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Asbestos in the Schools: Health Hazard for the Eighties.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russo, Charles J.

1988-01-01

Reviews asbestos removal legislation and four appropriate abatement methods. Advises school districts to assist principals to develop constructive asbestos management plans and conduct workshops relevant to the health hazards of asbestos. (MLF)

Method for converting asbestos to non-carcinogenic compounds

DOEpatents

Selby, T.W.

1996-08-06

Hazardous and carcinogenic asbestos waste characterized by a crystalline fibrous structure is transformed into non-carcinogenic, relatively nonhazardous, and non-crystalline solid compounds and gaseous compounds which have commercial utilization. The asbestos waste is so transformed by the complete fluorination of the crystalline fibrous silicate mineral defining the asbestos. 7 figs.

Get ready for the new asbestos standard

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Onderick, W.A.

On October 1, OSHA`s revised asbestos rules became law, and with them are many changes from the previous 1986 standard. The presumed asbestos-containing material (PACM) rule is one of the bigger changes in the revised standard. OSHA has declared that owners must presume that there are certain high-risk asbestos-containing materials (ACM) in facilities built prior to 1981, unless bulk sample results prove them to be nonasbestos. The impact of this provision forces companies to think carefully before presuming where asbestos is or where it is not. Companies must also heed the EPA Asbestos National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutantsmore » (NESHAP), which require inspections and bulk sampling to identify materials prior to renovation or demolition. Short and long term needs should be examined when analyzing how to comply with the PACM provision. There are four options available. Option 1: Ignore the standard and face potential enforcement fines. Option 2: Presume all materials in pre-1981 buildings contain asbestos and simply post additional warning signs. Option 3: Survey or resurvey the facilities to be in compliance with the PACM ruling. Option 4: Conduct more comprehensive surveys. Option 3 is discussed in some detail.« less

Transnational Dynamics Amid Poor Regulations: Taiwan's Asbestos Ban Actions and Experiences.

PubMed

Wu, Harry Yi-Jui; Lin, Ro-Ting; Wang, Jung-Der; Cheng, Yawen

2017-10-17

This article describes the history of the asbestos use regulation process in Taiwan and the associated factors leading to its total ban in 2018. Despite the long history of asbestos mining and manufacturing since the Japanese colonial period, attempts to understand the impact of asbestos on the health of the population and to control its use did not emerge until the early 1980s. We attempted to investigate the driving forces and obstructions involved in asbestos regulations by reviewing available public sources and scientific journal articles and conducting interviews with key propagators of the asbestos regulation and ban. Correlation between asbestos exposure and asbestos-related diseases has already been established; however, authorities have been unable to effectively regulate the extensive application of asbestos in various light industries that support economic growth since the 1960s. More stringent regulations on asbestos use in industries and an eventual ban were caused indirectly by appeals made by visionary scholars and healthcare professionals but also due to the subsidence of asbestos-related industries. With the elucidation of factors that affect asbestos regulation and ban, a thorough long-term healthcare plan for the neglected victims of asbestos-related diseases and upstream measures for policy change must be developed.

Latency attention deficit: Asbestos abatement workers need us to investigate.

PubMed

Roelofs, Cora

2015-12-01

Little is known of the impact of asbestos on the health of the workers in the United States who have removed or abated asbestos from buildings following recognition of its adverse effects on health. The United States does not have a national occupational health surveillance network to monitor asbestos-related disease and, while the United States Occupational Health and Safety Administration has a strong and detailed asbestos standard, its enforcement resources are limited. A significant proportion of asbestos abatement workers are foreign-born, and may face numerous challenges in achieving safe workplaces, including lack of union representation, economic vulnerability, and inadequate training. Public health surveillance and increased and coordinated enforcement is needed to monitor the health and exposure experiences of asbestos-exposed workers. Alarming disease trends in asbestos removal workers in Great Britain suggest that, in the United States, increased public attention will be necessary to end the epidemic of asbestos-related disease. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Application of Microwave Energy at Treatment of Asbestos Cement (Eternit)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Znamenáčková, Ingrid; Dolinská, Silvia; Lovás, Michal; Hredzák, Slavomír; Matik, Marek; Tomčová, Jana; Čablík, Vladimír

2016-10-01

Asbestos is the common name applied to a group of natural, fibrous silicate minerals, which were once one of the most popular raw materials to be used in building materials. Asbestos was mainly used for the production of assortment asbestos cement products. Today it is generally known that asbestos belongs to the group of hazardous materials and shows carcinogenic activity. It is therefore advisable to attempt to dispose of asbestos minerals in asbestos-containing materials and to convert them into a harmless material. One of methods may be microwave thermal decomposition of asbestos minerals. The research was used for old etemit roof ceiling. X-ray analysis indicated the presence of undesirable chrysotile. Its thermal destruction was carried out in a microwave oven in the power of 2500 W. In case the heating time was 15 min, X-ray analysis was confirmed chrysotile change into harmless minerals. Thermal analysis was used for characterization and the thermal behaviour of the asbestos cement sample.

Estimating the asbestos-related lung cancer burden from mesothelioma mortality

PubMed Central

McCormack, V; Peto, J; Byrnes, G; Straif, K; Boffetta, P

2012-01-01

Background: Quantifying the asbestos-related lung cancer burden is difficult in the presence of this disease's multiple causes. We explore two methods to estimate this burden using mesothelioma deaths as a proxy for asbestos exposure. Methods: From the follow-up of 55 asbestos cohorts, we estimated ratios of (i) absolute number of asbestos-related lung cancers to mesothelioma deaths; (ii) excess lung cancer relative risk (%) to mesothelioma mortality per 1000 non-asbestos-related deaths. Results: Ratios varied by asbestos type; there were a mean 0.7 (95% confidence interval 0.5, 1.0) asbestos-related lung cancers per mesothelioma death in crocidolite cohorts (n=6 estimates), 6.1 (3.6, 10.5) in chrysotile (n=16), 4.0 (2.8, 5.9) in amosite (n=4) and 1.9 (1.4, 2.6) in mixed asbestos fibre cohorts (n=31). In a population with 2 mesothelioma deaths per 1000 deaths at ages 40–84 years (e.g., US men), the estimated lung cancer population attributable fraction due to mixed asbestos was estimated to be 4.0%. Conclusion: All types of asbestos fibres kill at least twice as many people through lung cancer than through mesothelioma, except for crocidolite. For chrysotile, widely consumed today, asbestos-related lung cancers cannot be robustly estimated from few mesothelioma deaths and the latter cannot be used to infer no excess risk of lung or other cancers. PMID:22233924

Asbestos exposure increases the incidence of histologically confirmed usual interstitial pneumonia.

PubMed

Kawabata, Yoshinori; Shimizu, Yoshihiko; Hoshi, Eishin; Murai, Kazumi; Kanauchi, Tetsu; Kurashima, Kazuyoshi; Sugita, Yutaka

2016-02-01

We hypothesized that asbestos exposure increases the incidence of macroscopically visible and histologically confirmed usual interstitial pneumonia (histological UIP). We retrospectively examined 1718 cases (1202 males; mean age 66.7 years) who underwent lobectomy for resection of pleuropulmonary tumours. Objective markers for asbestos exposure included: the presence of malignant pleural mesothelioma, the presence of pleural plaques (PPs) and asbestos bodies in the histological specimen. Risk factors for histological UIP were examined. Two separate groups were studied: 183 with asbestos exposure, and 239 with histological UIP. The 183 cases with asbestos exposure had higher rates of positive occupational history and histological UIP (31%) than the remaining 1535. Among the asbestos-exposed group, small numbers of asbestos bodies were found in histological specimens of 21 cases of histological UIP. PPs and asbestos bodies were more frequent in the 239 patients with histological UIP than in the remaining 1479 UIP-negative patients. Multivariate analysis showed that asbestos exposure, especially positivity for asbestos bodies, that does not meet the current criteria for asbestosis increases the risk of histological UIP (P < 0.0001). Asbestos exposure causes asbestosis and increases the incidence of histological UIP. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of an automated asbestos counting software based on fluorescence microscopy.

PubMed

Alexandrov, Maxym; Ichida, Etsuko; Nishimura, Tomoki; Aoki, Kousuke; Ishida, Takenori; Hirota, Ryuichi; Ikeda, Takeshi; Kawasaki, Tetsuo; Kuroda, Akio

2015-01-01

An emerging alternative to the commonly used analytical methods for asbestos analysis is fluorescence microscopy (FM), which relies on highly specific asbestos-binding probes to distinguish asbestos from interfering non-asbestos fibers. However, all types of microscopic asbestos analysis require laborious examination of large number of fields of view and are prone to subjective errors and large variability between asbestos counts by different analysts and laboratories. A possible solution to these problems is automated counting of asbestos fibers by image analysis software, which would lower the cost and increase the reliability of asbestos testing. This study seeks to develop a fiber recognition and counting software for FM-based asbestos analysis. We discuss the main features of the developed software and the results of its testing. Software testing showed good correlation between automated and manual counts for the samples with medium and high fiber concentrations. At low fiber concentrations, the automated counts were less accurate, leading us to implement correction mode for automated counts. While the full automation of asbestos analysis would require further improvements in accuracy of fiber identification, the developed software could already assist professional asbestos analysts and record detailed fiber dimensions for the use in epidemiological research.

The utility of electron microscopy in detecting asbestos fibers and particles in BALF in diffuse lung diseases.

PubMed

Kido, Takashi; Morimoto, Yasuo; Yatera, Kazuhiro; Ishimoto, Hiroshi; Ogoshi, Takaaki; Oda, Keishi; Yamasaki, Kei; Kawanami, Toshinori; Shimajiri, Shohei; Mukae, Hiroshi

2017-04-21

In patients with diffuse lung diseases, differentiating occupational lung diseases from other diseases is clinically important. However, the value of assessing asbestos and particles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in diffuse lung diseases by electron microscopy (EM) remains unclear. We evaluated the utility of EM in detecting asbestos fibers and particles in patients with diffuse lung diseases. The BALF specimens of 107 patients with diffuse lung diseases were evaluated. First, detection of asbestos by EM and light microscopy (LM) were compared. Second, the detection of asbestos using surgically obtained lung tissues of 8 of 107 patients were compared with the results of EM and LM in BALF. Third, we compared the results of mineralogical components of particles in patients with (n = 48) and without (n = 59) a history of occupational exposure to inorganic dust. BALF asbestos were detected in 11 of 48 patients with a history of occupational exposure by EM; whereas asbestos as asbestos bodies (ABs) were detected in BALF in 4 of these 11 patients by LM. Eight of 107 patients in whom lung tissue samples were surgically obtained, EM detected BALF asbestos at a level of >1,000 fibers/ml in all three patients who had ABs in lung tissue samples by LM at a level of >1,000 fibers/g. The BALF asbestos concentration by EM and in lung tissue by LM were positively correlated. The particle fractions of iron and phosphorus were increased in patients with a history of occupational exposure and both correlated with a history of occupational exposure by a multiple regression analysis. EM using BALF seemed to be superior to LM using BALF and displayed a similar sensitivity to LM using surgically-obtained lung tissue samples in the detection of asbestos. Our results also suggest that detection of elements, such as iron and phosphorus in particles, is useful for evaluating occupational exposure. We conclude that the detection of asbestos and iron and phosphorus in

Reinforcement of polymeric structures with asbestos fibrils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rader, C. A.; Schwartz, A. M.

1970-01-01

Investigation determines structural potential of asbestos fibrils. Methods are developed for dispersing macrofibers of the asbestos into colloidal-sized ultimate fibrils and incorporating these fibrils in matrices without causing reagglomeration.

Exposure to asbestos: past, present and future

PubMed Central

Donato, Francesca; Maida, Luisa; Discalzi, Gianluigi

2018-01-01

This paper summarises the past, present and future of asbestos exposure. The future scenarios as to the mesothelioma incidence in countries, where asbestos has been banned, are discussed. PMID:29507791

Lung cancer from asbestos textured ceilings: a case study.

PubMed

Dahlgren, James G; Talbott, Patrick J

2016-04-01

Asbestos was used in spray applied textured ceilings from 1945 to at least 1980. Exposure to asbestos and the probability of developing lung disease is high in individuals who lived with these types of ceilings in their home. Asbestos exposure and frequency of disease is even higher in an apartment suffering from flooding, maintenance, and/or multiple structural impacts. Our goal is to examine a case of lung cancer in a non-smoking individual exposed to asbestos from the damaged acoustic ceilings in her apartment. The subject's medical and occupational records were obtained and reviewed and a physical examination was performed. Exposure ratings were obtained from previous literature for discussion purposes. Asbestos-textured ceilings are a possible source of asbestos exposure and there may be a risk of developing cancer in individuals exposed to ceiling deterioration.

Quantification of short and long asbestos fibers to assess asbestos exposure: a review of fiber size toxicity

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

The fibrogenicity and carcinogenicity of asbestos fibers are dependent on several fiber parameters including fiber dimensions. Based on the WHO (World Health Organization) definition, the current regulations focalise on long asbestos fibers (LAF) (Length: L ≥ 5 μm, Diameter: D < 3 μm and L/D ratio > 3). However air samples contain short asbestos fibers (SAF) (L < 5 μm). In a recent study we found that several air samples collected in buildings with asbestos containing materials (ACM) were composed only of SAF, sometimes in a concentration of ≥10 fibers.L−1. This exhaustive review focuses on available information from peer-review publications on the size-dependent pathogenetic effects of asbestos fibers reported in experimental in vivo and in vitro studies. In the literature, the findings that SAF are less pathogenic than LAF are based on experiments where a cut-off of 5 μm was generally made to differentiate short from long asbestos fibers. Nevertheless, the value of 5 μm as the limit for length is not based on scientific evidence, but is a limit for comparative analyses. From this review, it is clear that the pathogenicity of SAF cannot be completely ruled out, especially in high exposure situations. Therefore, the presence of SAF in air samples appears as an indicator of the degradation of ACM and inclusion of their systematic search should be considered in the regulation. Measurement of these fibers in air samples will then make it possible to identify pollution and anticipate health risk. PMID:25043725

Asbestos: A Lingering Danger. AIO Red Paper #20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malcolm, Stuart

Its unique qualities makes asbestos extremely useful in industry, yet it is termed one of the most dangerous and insidious substances in the work place. Composed of mostly fibers, asbestos is readily freed into the atmosphere during handling, constituting a real health risk. There are two ways asbestos can enter the human body: by inhalation or…

Occupational characteristics of respiratory cancer patients exposed to asbestos in Lithuania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everatt, R. Petrauskaitdot e.; Smolianskiedot n, G.; Tossavainen, A.; Cicdot enas, S.; Jankauskas, R.

2009-02-01

Objective: To assess characteristics of asbestos exposure in respiratory cancer patients in Lithuania. Methods. Information on occupational exposure to asbestos was collected by personal interviews and occupational characteristics were evaluated among 183 lung cancer and mesothelioma patients with cumulative asbestos exposure >=0.01 fibre years hospitalized at the Institute of Oncology, Vilnius. Additionally, some results of workplace air measurements were reviewed. Results. Cases with estimated cumulative exposure >=5 fibre years had worked mainly in the construction industry (49%), installation and maintenance (13%), foundry and metal products manufacturing (6%), heating trades and boilerhouses (6%) as fitters/maintenance technicians, construction workers, welders, electricians or foremen. Typical asbestos materials used by the patients were asbestos powder, asbestos cement sheets and pipes, asbestos cord, brake and clutch linings. Patients were exposed to asbestos when insulating boilers, furnaces, pipes in power stations, industrial facilities, ships, locomotives, buildings, while covering and repairing roofs, at the asbestos cement plant or unloading asbestos products. Most patients with estimated cumulative exposure of >=0.01-4.9 fibre years worked as lorry, bus or tractor drivers and motor vehicle mechanics. In 2002-2007 workplace air asbestos concentrations exceeded the limit value of 0.1 f/cm3 in 11 samples out of 208 measurements. Conclusion. The results of this study indicate that since the 1960s occupational exposure to chrysotile asbestos was extensive in Lithuania.

Comparison of the Alternative Asbestos Control Method and the NESHAP Method for Demolition of Asbestos-Containing Buildings

EPA Science Inventory

The Asbestos NESHAP (National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants) requires the removal of all Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material (RACM) prior to the demolition of the buildings that fall under the auspices of the NESHAP. This removal process can be a costly and ti...

40 CFR 61.156 - Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Cross-reference to other asbestos... for Asbestos § 61.156 Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations. In addition to this subpart, the regulations referenced in Table 1 also apply to asbestos and may be applicable to those sources specified in...

40 CFR 61.156 - Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 8 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Cross-reference to other asbestos... for Asbestos § 61.156 Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations. In addition to this subpart, the regulations referenced in Table 1 also apply to asbestos and may be applicable to those sources specified in...

40 CFR 61.156 - Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Cross-reference to other asbestos... for Asbestos § 61.156 Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations. In addition to this subpart, the regulations referenced in Table 1 also apply to asbestos and may be applicable to those sources specified in...

40 CFR 61.156 - Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Cross-reference to other asbestos... for Asbestos § 61.156 Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations. In addition to this subpart, the regulations referenced in Table 1 also apply to asbestos and may be applicable to those sources specified in...

40 CFR 61.156 - Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Cross-reference to other asbestos... for Asbestos § 61.156 Cross-reference to other asbestos regulations. In addition to this subpart, the regulations referenced in Table 1 also apply to asbestos and may be applicable to those sources specified in...

Overview On Alternative Asbestos Control Method Research - Nashville, TN

EPA Science Inventory

The alternative asbestos control method (AACM) is an experimental approach to building demolition. Unlike the NESHAP method, the AACM allows some regulated asbestos-containing material to remain in the building and a surfactant-water solution is used to suppress asbestos fibers ...

Current Research and Opportunities to Address Environmental Asbestos Exposures

EPA Science Inventory

Asbestos-related diseases continue to result in approximately 120,000 deaths every year in the United States and worldwide.Although extensive research has been conducted on health effects of occupational exposures to asbestos, many issues related to environmental asbestos exposur...

Overview On Alternative Asbestos Control Method Research - Wisconsin Dells

EPA Science Inventory

The alternative asbestos control method (AACM) is an experimental approach to building demolition. Unlike the NESHAP method, the AACM allows some regulated asbestos containing material to remain in the building and a surfactant-water solution is used to suppress asbestos fibers ...

Asbestos in crushed stone: an overlooked aspect with potential of broader international research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miskovsky, Karel; Prikryl, Richard

2016-04-01

Asbestos and related health effects became widely discussed issue during past decades, leading to serious decline in the use of this industrial mineral. Asbestos-like minerals are, however, quite common in several rock types that were and are still used as crushed stone. Unfortunately, there is still missing any broader concern on the detection of these fibrous minerals in aggregate source rocks, and consequently there is lack of knowledge on the potential impacts of the use of asbestos-bearing rocks on the environment and the society. This paper aims to present an introduction to this serious problem and to open a call for wider co-operation on the international level.

Synthetic Lignan Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside (LGM2605) Reduces Asbestos-Induced Cytotoxicity in an Nrf2-Dependent and -Independent Manner.

PubMed

Pietrofesa, Ralph A; Chatterjee, Shampa; Park, Kyewon; Arguiri, Evguenia; Albelda, Steven M; Christofidou-Solomidou, Melpo

2018-03-02

Asbestos exposure triggers inflammatory processes associated with oxidative stress and tissue damage linked to malignancy. LGM2605 is the synthetic lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) with free radical scavenging, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties in diverse inflammatory cell and mouse models, including exposure to asbestos fibers. Nuclear factor-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation and boosting of endogenous tissue defenses were associated with the protective action of LGM2605 from asbestos-induced cellular damage. To elucidate the role of Nrf2 induction by LGM2605 in protection from asbestos-induced cellular damage, we evaluated LGM2605 in asbestos-exposed macrophages from wild-type (WT) and Nrf2 disrupted (Nrf2 - / - ) mice. Cells were pretreated with LGM2605 (50 µM and 100 µM) and exposed to asbestos fibers (20 µg/cm²) and evaluated 8 h and 24 h later for inflammasome activation, secreted cytokine levels (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)), cytotoxicity and cell death, nitrosative stress, and Nrf2-regulated enzyme levels. Asbestos exposure induced robust oxidative and nitrosative stress, cell death and cytotoxicity, which were equally mitigated by LGM2605. Inflammasome activation was significantly attenuated in Nrf2 -/- macrophages compared to WT, and the protective action of LGM2605 was seen only in WT cells. In conclusion, in a cell model of asbestos-induced toxicity, LGM2605 acts via protective mechanisms that may not involve Nrf2 activation.

[Screening of diseases associated with asbestos. On-going activities, synthesis].

PubMed

Frimat, P; Paris, C; Letourneux, M; Catilina, P; Sobaszek, A

1999-12-01

Medical screening requires always assessment. On the basis of ongoing studies on occupational health asbestos programs, we suggest some recommendations for asbestos screening after occupational exposure. The proposal for asbestos workers post-exposure surveillance should take into account the medical but also the social aspects of the problem. Post-exposure screening of asbestos workers includes an evaluation of occupational exposure, compulsory basis medical check-up, the characteristics of the radiological investigations and schedule of the medical surveillance. In conclusion, we suggest some general recommendations for asbestos screening after occupational exposure, particularly the necessity to obtain a concerted approach of asbestos screening with regional and national networks, the concern of their assessment and the implementation of specific research studies.

Discovery of Asbestos After Demolition is Underway

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Asbestos National Emissions Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants Applicability Determination about additional friable asbestos material that arises during renovation or demolition being subject to the regulations from the time of creation or discovery

Alternative Asbestos Control Method (AACM) Research, 5/06/2008

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes the status to date of the Alternative Asbestos Control Method research, which is intended as a possible alternative technology for use in the demolition of buildings that contain asbestos and are covered under the regulatory requirements of the Asbesto...

Esophagus cancer and occupational exposure to asbestos: results from a meta-analysis of epidemiology studies.

PubMed

Li, B; Tang, S P; Wang, K Z

2016-07-01

The relationship between occupational asbestos exposure and esophagus cancer (EC) is not fully understood. We performed a meta-analysis to quantitatively assess the association. We systematically searched databases of PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for studies with quantitative estimates of asbestos exposure and EC mortality. Pooled standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Twenty cohort studies on EC and asbestos exposure were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, occupational exposure to asbestos was associated with an excess risk of EC (SMR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.13-1.38, P < 0.001), with little evidence of heterogeneity among studies (I(2) = 0.0%, P = 0.682). Being male, exposure to chrysotile or mixed asbestos, working at textile industry, long study follow-up (≥20 years), Asia, Europe and America cohorts with larger cohort size (>500), and high-exposure group all contribute to significantly higher SMR. Publication bias was not detected (Egger's test P-value = 0.374). This meta-analysis suggested that occupational asbestos exposure might be associated with an increased risk of EC in male. High-exposure level of asbestos could contribute to significantly higher risk of EC mortality. © 2015 International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

40 CFR 427.60 - Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... asbestos roofing subcategory. 427.60 Section 427.60 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Roofing Subcategory § 427.60 Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing...

40 CFR 427.60 - Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... asbestos roofing subcategory. 427.60 Section 427.60 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Roofing Subcategory § 427.60 Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing...

40 CFR 427.50 - Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... asbestos millboard subcategory. 427.50 Section 427.50 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Millboard Subcategory § 427.50 Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard subcategory...

40 CFR 427.50 - Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... asbestos millboard subcategory. 427.50 Section 427.50 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Millboard Subcategory § 427.50 Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard...

40 CFR 427.50 - Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... asbestos millboard subcategory. 427.50 Section 427.50 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Millboard Subcategory § 427.50 Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard...

40 CFR 427.60 - Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... asbestos roofing subcategory. 427.60 Section 427.60 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Roofing Subcategory § 427.60 Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing...

40 CFR 427.50 - Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... asbestos millboard subcategory. 427.50 Section 427.50 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Millboard Subcategory § 427.50 Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard...

40 CFR 427.50 - Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... asbestos millboard subcategory. 427.50 Section 427.50 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Millboard Subcategory § 427.50 Applicability; description of the asbestos millboard subcategory...

Worldwide asbestos supply and consumption trends from 1900 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Virta, Robert L.

2003-01-01

The use of asbestos is one of the most controversial issues surrounding the industrial minerals industry. Its carcinogenic nature, an overall lack of knowledge of minimum safe exposure levels, its widespread use for more than 100 years, and the long latency for the development of lung cancer and mesothelioma are the main contributing factors to these controversies. Another factor is that, despite decades of research, the mechanisms responsible for its carcinogenic properties are still largely unknown. The United States has produced about 3.28 million metric tons of asbestos fiber and used approximately 31.5 million tons between 1900 and 2000. About half of this amount was used since 1960. Cumulative world production during that same time period was about 173 million tons. Assuming that unusually large stocks are not maintained and that world consumption roughly equals production, about half of the world production and consumption occurred since 1976. The United States and western European nations were the largest consumers of asbestos during the first two-thirds of the 20th century. They were surpassed by the collective production and consumption of States within the former Soviet Union by the 1970s. With the onset of the health issues concerning asbestos in the late 1960s and early 1970s, world production and consumption began to decline during the 1980s. In 2000, world consumption, estimated to be 1.48 million tons, was only 31% that of 1980. Countries in Asia, South America, and the former Soviet Union remain the largest users of asbestos. More specifically, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia, and Thailand are the only countries that consumed more than 60,000 tons of asbestos in 2000. These six countries accounted for more than 80% of world?s apparent consumption in 2000.

40 CFR 427.60 - Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... asbestos roofing subcategory. 427.60 Section 427.60 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Roofing Subcategory § 427.60 Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing subcategory. The...

40 CFR 427.60 - Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... asbestos roofing subcategory. 427.60 Section 427.60 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Roofing Subcategory § 427.60 Applicability; description of the asbestos roofing subcategory. The...

Asbestos: Socio-legal and Scientific Controversies and Unsound Science in the Context of the Worldwide Asbestos Tragedy - Lessons to be Learned.

PubMed

Baur, X

2016-06-01

Eight to fifteen per cent of lung cancer cases and nearly all mesothelioma cases are caused by asbestos. Problems in compensation issues ensue from strict legal requirements for eligibility and regulations of the statutory accident insurance institution pertaining to eligibility for occupational disease benefits. The latter include the unscientific requirement for set numbers of asbestos bodies or fibers to be found in lung tissue in order to "prove" disease causation if lung specimen are available. Although the validity of such evidence has been discredited by independent scientists, it is still used as evidence by an influential US pathology department. Frequently, epidemiological evidence regarding causal relationships and exposure histories is also often being ignored by insurance-affiliated medical experts.Similar misleading arguments are currently being used in newly industrialized countries where white asbestos - which is carcinogenic and fibrogenic like other asbestos types - is efficiently promoted as being less harmful. As a result, asbestos use is increasing in some of these countries. Behind the worldwide asbestos tragedy, a well-designed strategy orchestrated by certain transnational or multinational industrial interest groups can be perceived.Beyond the asbestos tragedy their covert plan is motivated by economic interests and discounts the ensuing damage to health and the impact of the diseases they create on public health systems. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

VISUAL INSPECTION AND AHERA CLEARANCE AT ASBESTOS ABATEMENT SITES

EPA Science Inventory

Asbestos abatement carried out in schools is subject to regulations under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) of 1986. The AHERA rule (40 CFR Part 763) specifies a bifactorial process for determining when an asbestos abatement site is clean enough for the primary ...

Evaluation of New Biomarkers in the Prediction of Malignant Mesothelioma in Subjects with Environmental Asbestos Exposure.

PubMed

Demir, Melike; Kaya, Halide; Taylan, Mahsuk; Ekinci, Aysun; Yılmaz, Sureyya; Teke, Fatma; Sezgi, Cengizhan; Tanrikulu, Abdullah Cetin; Meteroglu, Fatih; Senyigit, Abdurrahman

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential value of certain biomarkers in predicting the presence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in individuals environmentally exposed to asbestos. This prospective study investigated three groups; a control group composed of 41 healthy subjects, an asbestos exposure group consisting of 48 individuals, and a MPM group consisting of 42 patients. Serum levels of soluble mesothelin-related peptide (SMRP), thioredoxin-1 (TRX), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), fibulin-3, syndecan-1 (SDC-1), and mesothelin were determined. Benign pleural plaques were present in 27 (58.3 %) of the individuals in the asbestos exposure group. The asbestos exposure group had significantly higher mean TRX, SMRP, and mesothelin levels compared to the control group (p = 0.023, p = 0.011, and p < 0.001, respectively). Compared to the asbestos exposure group, the MPM group had significantly higher mean EGFR, TRX, SMRP, and fibulin-3 levels (p = 0.041, p = 0.023, p = 0.002, and p = 0.001, respectively), and significantly lower mean SDC-1 levels (p = 0.002). Unlike the other biomarkers, SMRP and TRX levels increased in a graded fashion among the control, asbestos exposure, and MPM groups, respectively. Area under the curve values for SMRP and TRX were 0.86 and 0.72, respectively (95 % CI 0.79-0.92 and p < 0.001 for SMRP, and 95 % CI 0.62-0.81 and p < 0.001 for TRX). The cut-off value for SMRP was 0.62 nmol/l (sensitivity: 97.6 %, specificity: 68.9 %, positive predictive value (PPV): 56.2 %, and negative predictive value (NPV): 98.3 %) and for TRX was 156.67 ng/ml (sensitivity: 92.9 %, specificity: 77.6 %, PPV: 41.4 %, and NPV: 92.1 %). The combination of the biomarkers reached a sensitivity of 100 %, but had lower specificity (as high as 27.7 %). Serum biomarkers may be helpful for early diagnosis of MPM in asbestos-exposed cases. SMRP and TRX increased in a graded fashion from the controls to

Guidance for Catastrophic Emergency Situations Involving Asbestos

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document addresses the types of asbestos issues that may arise during catastrophic events and how EPA has addressed such issues. It replaces the Guidelines for Catastrophic Emergency Situations Involving Asbestos which was issued in 1992.

Asbestos and health in the Third World: the case of Brazil.

PubMed

Berman, D M

1986-01-01

Almost all of the asbestos used in Brazil is mined by an enterprise wholly owned by two European multinational companies, which also produce and market over two-thirds (by weight of asbestos) of the products made from asbestos. About 80 percent of the asbestos used in Brazil is finally consumed in the form of asbestos cement: for roof tiles and roofing panels, wall-board, and domestic and industrial water tanks. A survey of consumer literature and advertising printed by Eternit, S.A., and Brasilit, S.A., disclosed no mention of a potential danger from exposure to asbestos dust, and no recommendations for cutting down exposure to that dust. The situation at smaller, Brazilian-owned firms is reputed to be disastrous from the standpoint of workers' exposure to asbestos dust at the point of production. At a large asbestos-cement manufacturing plant owned by Eternit, however, exposure to asbestos dust (according to company records) seemed to be kept under 2.0 fibers per cc., the present standard for the United States.

Asbestos worker protection. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Final rule.

PubMed

2000-11-15

In this Final Rule, EPA is amending both the Asbestos Worker Protection Rule (WPR) and the Asbestos-in-Schools Rule. The WPR amendment protects State and local government employees from the health risks of exposure to asbestos to the same extent as private sector workers by adopting for these employees the Asbestos Standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The WPR's coverage is extended to State and local government employees who are performing construction work, custodial work, and automotive brake and clutch repair work. This final rule cross-references the OSHA Asbestos Standards for Construction and for General Industry, so that future amendments to these OSHA standards are directly and equally effective for employees covered by the WPR. EPA also amends the Asbestos-in-Schools Rule to provide coverage under the WPR for employees of public local education agencies who perform operations, maintenance, and repair activities. EPA is issuing this final rule under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

Managing Asbestos in Place: A Building Owner's Guide to Operations and Maintenance Programs for Asbestos-Containing Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

Instructions for building owners on the selection and application of appropriate asbestos control and abatement actions are presented in this guidebook. Chapter 1 offers background information on the asbestos problem. Chapter 2 describes the purpose and scope of an operations and maintenance (O&M) program. The third chapter discusses planning…

Asbestos in Schools. An AS&U Roundtable.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American School and University, 1985

1985-01-01

A discussion among six professionals about the status and outlook for asbestos removal in schools. The experts call for state or federal standards for asbestos in buildings and cite lack of funding as a major problem. (MLF)

Oxalate deposition on asbestos bodies.

PubMed

Ghio, Andrew J; Roggli, Victor L; Richards, Judy H; Crissman, Kay M; Stonehuerner, Jacqueline D; Piantadosi, Claude A

2003-08-01

We report on a deposition of oxalate crystals on ferruginous bodies after occupational exposure to asbestos demonstrated in 3 patients. We investigated the mechanism and possible significance of this deposition by testing the hypothesis that oxalate generated through nonenzymatic oxidation of ascorbate by asbestos-associated iron accounts for the deposition of the crystal on a ferruginous body. Crocidolite asbestos (1000 microg/mL) was incubated with 500 micromol H(2)O(2) and 500 micromol ascorbate for 24 hours at 22 degrees C. The dependence of oxalate generation on iron-catalyzed oxidant production was tested with the both the metal chelator deferoxamine and the radical scavenger dimethylthiourea. Incubation of crocidolite, H(2)O(2), and ascorbate in vitro generated approximately 42 nmol of oxalate in 24 hours. Oxalate generation was diminished significantly by the inclusion of either deferoxamine or dimethylthiourea in the reaction mixture. Incubation of asbestos bodies and uncoated fibers isolated from human lung with 500 micromol H(2)O(2) and 500 micromol ascorbate for 24 hours at 22 degrees C resulted in the generation of numerous oxalate crystals. We conclude that iron-catalyzed production of oxalate from ascorbate can account for the deposition of this crystal on ferruginous bodies.

Transnational Dynamics Amid Poor Regulations: Taiwan’s Asbestos Ban Actions and Experiences

PubMed Central

Wu, Harry Yi-Jui; Wang, Jung-Der; Cheng, Yawen

2017-01-01

This article describes the history of the asbestos use regulation process in Taiwan and the associated factors leading to its total ban in 2018. Despite the long history of asbestos mining and manufacturing since the Japanese colonial period, attempts to understand the impact of asbestos on the health of the population and to control its use did not emerge until the early 1980s. We attempted to investigate the driving forces and obstructions involved in asbestos regulations by reviewing available public sources and scientific journal articles and conducting interviews with key propagators of the asbestos regulation and ban. Correlation between asbestos exposure and asbestos-related diseases has already been established; however, authorities have been unable to effectively regulate the extensive application of asbestos in various light industries that support economic growth since the 1960s. More stringent regulations on asbestos use in industries and an eventual ban were caused indirectly by appeals made by visionary scholars and healthcare professionals but also due to the subsidence of asbestos-related industries. With the elucidation of factors that affect asbestos regulation and ban, a thorough long-term healthcare plan for the neglected victims of asbestos-related diseases and upstream measures for policy change must be developed. PMID:29039774

Multicentric study on malignant pleural mesothelioma and non-occupational exposure to asbestos

PubMed Central

Magnani, C; Agudo, A; González, C A; Andrion, A; Calleja, A; Chellini, E; Dalmasso, P; Escolar, A; Hernandez, S; Ivaldi, C; Mirabelli, D; Ramirez, J; Turuguet, D; Usel, M; Terracini, B

2000-01-01

Insufficient evidence exists on the risk of pleural mesothelioma from non-occupational exposure to asbestos. A population-based case–control study was carried out in six areas from Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Information was collected for 215 new histologically confirmed cases and 448 controls. A panel of industrial hygienists assessed asbestos exposure separately for occupational, domestic and environmental sources. Classification of domestic and environmental exposure was based on a complete residential history, presence and use of asbestos at home, asbestos industrial activities in the surrounding area, and their distance from the dwelling. In 53 cases and 232 controls without evidence of occupational exposure to asbestos, moderate or high probability of domestic exposure was associated with an increased risk adjusted by age and sex: odds ratio (OR) 4.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8–13.1. This corresponds to three situations: cleaning asbestos-contaminated clothes, handling asbestos material and presence of asbestos material susceptible to damage. The estimated OR for high probability of environmental exposure (living within 2000 m of asbestos mines, asbestos cement plants, asbestos textiles, shipyards, or brakes factories) was 11.5 (95% CI 3.5–38.2). Living between 2000 and 5000 m from asbestos industries or within 500 m of industries using asbestos could also be associated with an increased risk. A dose–response pattern appeared with intensity of both sources of exposure. It is suggested that low-dose exposure to asbestos at home or in the general environment carries a measurable risk of malignant pleural mesothelioma. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign PMID:10883677

Multicentric study on malignant pleural mesothelioma and non-occupational exposure to asbestos.

PubMed

Magnani, C; Agudo, A; González, C A; Andrion, A; Calleja, A; Chellini, E; Dalmasso, P; Escolar, A; Hernandez, S; Ivaldi, C; Mirabelli, D; Ramirez, J; Turuguet, D; Usel, M; Terracini, B

2000-07-01

Insufficient evidence exists on the risk of pleural mesothelioma from non-occupational exposure to asbestos. A population-based case-control study was carried out in six areas from Italy, Spain and Switzerland. Information was collected for 215 new histologically confirmed cases and 448 controls. A panel of industrial hygienists assessed asbestos exposure separately for occupational, domestic and environmental sources. Classification of domestic and environmental exposure was based on a complete residential history, presence and use of asbestos at home, asbestos industrial activities in the surrounding area, and their distance from the dwelling. In 53 cases and 232 controls without evidence of occupational exposure to asbestos, moderate or high probability of domestic exposure was associated with an increased risk adjusted by age and sex: odds ratio (OR) 4.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.8-13.1. This corresponds to three situations: cleaning asbestos-contaminated clothes, handling asbestos material and presence of asbestos material susceptible to damage. The estimated OR for high probability of environmental exposure (living within 2000 m of asbestos mines, asbestos cement plants, asbestos textiles, shipyards, or brakes factories) was 11.5 (95% CI 3.5-38.2). Living between 2000 and 5000 m from asbestos industries or within 500 m of industries using asbestos could also be associated with an increased risk. A dose-response pattern appeared with intensity of both sources of exposure. It is suggested that low-dose exposure to asbestos at home or in the general environment carries a measurable risk of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Guidelines for Assessment and Abatement of Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pielert, James H.; Mathey, Robert G.

This report presents guidelines, based on available information, for the assessment and abatement of asbestos-containing materials in buildings. Section 1 provides background information on the history and use of asbestos-containing products in buildings, the characteristics of asbestos fibers, products and materials containing asbestos, and…

Environmental health survey in asbestos cement sheets manufacturing industry.

PubMed

Ansari, F A; Bihari, V; Rastogi, S K; Ashquin, M; Ahmad, I

2007-01-01

About 673 small-scale asbestos mining and milling facilities and 33 large - scale asbestos manufacturing plants, (17 asbestos-cement product manufacturing plants and 16 other than asbestos-cement product plants) are situated in India. The present study reveals the exposure of commercial asbestos (chrysotile) in the occupational as well as ambient air environment of the asbestos-cement (AC) sheets industry using membrane filter method of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The fibre concentrations in 15 samples collected in the occupational environment at ingredient feeding site, sheet-producing site, fibre godown were 0.079, 0.057 and 0.078 f/cc, respectively and in five samples from surrounding ambient air at factory gate resulted fibre concentration of 0.071 f/cc. All the samples have shown fibre concentration lower than the threshold limit values (TLVs) prescribed by BIS. Morphological analysis of samples, further under phase contrast and polarized microscopy indicates the presence of chrysotile asbestos, which acts as carcinogen as well as co-carcinogen. A clinical examination of exposed subjects reveals that there was no case of clubbing, crepitation, ronchi and dyspnea on exertion; however, obstruction and restriction were 10.9 per cent and 25 per cent in exposed subjects, respectively while in control there were 12 per cent and 28 per cent, respectively. The study revealed that chrysotile asbestos is emitted in the occupational as well as ambient environment that may cause adverse health impact.

Synthetic Lignan Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside (LGM2605) Reduces Asbestos-Induced Cytotoxicity in an Nrf2-Dependent and -Independent Manner

PubMed Central

Pietrofesa, Ralph A.; Chatterjee, Shampa; Park, Kyewon; Arguiri, Evguenia; Albelda, Steven M.; Christofidou-Solomidou, Melpo

2018-01-01

Asbestos exposure triggers inflammatory processes associated with oxidative stress and tissue damage linked to malignancy. LGM2605 is the synthetic lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) with free radical scavenging, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties in diverse inflammatory cell and mouse models, including exposure to asbestos fibers. Nuclear factor-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation and boosting of endogenous tissue defenses were associated with the protective action of LGM2605 from asbestos-induced cellular damage. To elucidate the role of Nrf2 induction by LGM2605 in protection from asbestos-induced cellular damage, we evaluated LGM2605 in asbestos-exposed macrophages from wild-type (WT) and Nrf2 disrupted (Nrf2−/−) mice. Cells were pretreated with LGM2605 (50 µM and 100 µM) and exposed to asbestos fibers (20 µg/cm2) and evaluated 8 h and 24 h later for inflammasome activation, secreted cytokine levels (interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-18 (IL-18), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)), cytotoxicity and cell death, nitrosative stress, and Nrf2-regulated enzyme levels. Asbestos exposure induced robust oxidative and nitrosative stress, cell death and cytotoxicity, which were equally mitigated by LGM2605. Inflammasome activation was significantly attenuated in Nrf2−/− macrophages compared to WT, and the protective action of LGM2605 was seen only in WT cells. In conclusion, in a cell model of asbestos-induced toxicity, LGM2605 acts via protective mechanisms that may not involve Nrf2 activation. PMID:29498660

40 CFR 61.149 - Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... asbestos mills. 61.149 Section 61.149 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Standard for Asbestos § 61.149 Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills. Each owner or operator of any source covered under the provisions of § 61.142 shall: (a) Deposit all asbestos-containing waste...

40 CFR 61.149 - Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... asbestos mills. 61.149 Section 61.149 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Standard for Asbestos § 61.149 Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills. Each owner or operator of any source covered under the provisions of § 61.142 shall: (a) Deposit all asbestos-containing waste...

40 CFR 61.149 - Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... asbestos mills. 61.149 Section 61.149 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Standard for Asbestos § 61.149 Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills. Each owner or operator of any source covered under the provisions of § 61.142 shall: (a) Deposit all asbestos-containing waste...

40 CFR 61.149 - Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... asbestos mills. 61.149 Section 61.149 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Standard for Asbestos § 61.149 Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills. Each owner or operator of any source covered under the provisions of § 61.142 shall: (a) Deposit all asbestos-containing waste...

40 CFR 61.149 - Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... asbestos mills. 61.149 Section 61.149 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... Standard for Asbestos § 61.149 Standard for waste disposal for asbestos mills. Each owner or operator of any source covered under the provisions of § 61.142 shall: (a) Deposit all asbestos-containing waste...

Respiratory health in Turkish asbestos cement workers: the role of environmental exposure.

PubMed

Akkurt, Ibrahim; Onal, Buhara; Demir, Ahmet Uğur; Tüzün, Dilek; Sabir, Handan; Ulusoy, Lütfi; Karadağ, Kaan O; Ersoy, Nihat; Cöplü, Lütfi

2006-08-01

Benign and malignant pleural and lung diseases due to environmental asbestos exposure constitute an important health problem in Turkey. The country has widespread natural deposits of asbestos in rural parts of central and eastern regions. Few data exists about the respiratory health effects of occupational asbestos exposure in Turkey. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate respiratory health effects of occupational asbestos exposure and the contribution of environmental asbestos exposure. Investigations included asbestos dust measurements in the workplace and application of an interviewer-administered questionnaire, a standard posteroanterior chest X-ray and spirometry. Information on birthplace of the workers was obtained in 406 workers and used to identify environmental exposure to asbestos, through a map of geographic locations with known asbestos exposure. Asbestos dust concentration in the ambient air of the work sites (fiber/ml) ranged between 0.2 and 0.76 (mean: 0.25, median: 0.22). Environmental exposure to asbestos was determined in 24.4% of the workers. After the adjustment for age, smoking, occupational asbestos exposure, and potential risk factors environmental asbestos exposure was associated with small irregular opacities grade > or = 1/0 (44.2% vs. 26.6%, P < 0.01), FVC% (97.8 vs. 104.5, P < 0.0001), and FEV1% (92.4 vs. 99.9, P < .0001). Occupational exposure to asbestos was associated with small irregular opacities grade > or = 1/0 (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.3-3.1, per 1 unit increase in the natural logarithm of fiber/ml) and FEV1/FVC% (beta: 1.1, SEM: 0.54; P < 0.05, per 1 unit increase in the natural logarithm of fiber/ml). Environmental exposure to asbestos could increase the risk of asbestosis and lung function impairment in workers occupationally exposed to asbestos, independent from occupational exposure and smoking. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Replacement of Asbestos Aboard Naval Aircraft.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-11-10

braided -sleeving hose coverings, tapes, wire insulation, furnace linings, blankets, gaskets, and seals. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS A12 03 62% Si0 2 24...Physical, Chemical, and Mineralogical Properties of Varieties of Asbestos ............................................ 7 III Inorganic (Non- Metal ...all types Gakets (for sealing nonmoving parts) Asbestos, asbetos- metallic , and asbetos-ubber Packing (except leather, rubber, and metal ) and abestos

Asbestos in play sand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Langer, A.M.; Nolan, R.P.

1987-04-02

A letter in the New England Journal of Medicine (Oct. 2 issue) stated that a carbonate sand marketed in New Jersey was contaminated with 2 to 4 percent tremolite asbestos. The authors were called on by one of the federal agencies to repeat the analysis of this sand, specifically for its asbestos content. The sand was pulverized and immersed in oils with known refractive indexes, and the predominant amphibole was characterized by polarized light microscopy. The optical characteristics were noted, and the indexes of refraction were measured and found to be consistent with tremolite. On the basis of optical characterization,more » the authors concluded that all the tremolite visualized with light microscopy consisted of large, single cleavage fragments and was not asbestiform. They used the technique of x-ray diffraction, as did the author of the original report, which showed the presence of an amphibole mineral (probably tremolite) in the carbonate sand. The technique was not used, and cannot be used, to distinguish between the tremolite habits (asbestiform or nonasbestiform). An acid-insoluble residue, recovered from the carbonate sand, was examined by analytic electron microscopy. The tremolite grains were observed to consist of single untwinned, crystalline fragments. Few defects were noted. Selected area electron diffraction nets were indicative of fragments lying near or at the common amphibole cleavage plane. These characteristics are consistent with cleavage fragments and not asbestos. Aspect ratios reflected short particles (less than 5.1). On the basis of their examination of the carbonate play sand, they conclude that it did not contain tremolite asbestos.« less

STATUS REPORT ON THE EVALUATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE ASBESTOS CONTROL METHOD – A COMPARISON TO THE NESHAP METHOD OF DEMOLITION OF ASBESTOS CONTAINING BUILDINGS

EPA Science Inventory

Status Report on the Evaluation of the Alternative Asbestos Control Method – A Comparison to the NESHAP Method of Demolition of Asbestos Containing Buildings. This abstract and presentation are based, at least in part, on preliminary data and conclusions. The Alternative Asbestos...

Comparison of soil sampling and analytical methods for asbestos at the Sumas Mountain Asbestos Site-Working towards a toolbox for better assessment.

PubMed

Wroble, Julie; Frederick, Timothy; Frame, Alicia; Vallero, Daniel

2017-01-01

Established soil sampling methods for asbestos are inadequate to support risk assessment and risk-based decision making at Superfund sites due to difficulties in detecting asbestos at low concentrations and difficulty in extrapolating soil concentrations to air concentrations. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) currently recommends the rigorous process of Activity Based Sampling (ABS) to characterize site exposures. The purpose of this study was to compare three soil analytical methods and two soil sampling methods to determine whether one method, or combination of methods, would yield more reliable soil asbestos data than other methods. Samples were collected using both traditional discrete ("grab") samples and incremental sampling methodology (ISM). Analyses were conducted using polarized light microscopy (PLM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods or a combination of these two methods. Data show that the fluidized bed asbestos segregator (FBAS) followed by TEM analysis could detect asbestos at locations that were not detected using other analytical methods; however, this method exhibited high relative standard deviations, indicating the results may be more variable than other soil asbestos methods. The comparison of samples collected using ISM versus discrete techniques for asbestos resulted in no clear conclusions regarding preferred sampling method. However, analytical results for metals clearly showed that measured concentrations in ISM samples were less variable than discrete samples.

Comparison of soil sampling and analytical methods for asbestos at the Sumas Mountain Asbestos Site—Working towards a toolbox for better assessment

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Established soil sampling methods for asbestos are inadequate to support risk assessment and risk-based decision making at Superfund sites due to difficulties in detecting asbestos at low concentrations and difficulty in extrapolating soil concentrations to air concentrations. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) currently recommends the rigorous process of Activity Based Sampling (ABS) to characterize site exposures. The purpose of this study was to compare three soil analytical methods and two soil sampling methods to determine whether one method, or combination of methods, would yield more reliable soil asbestos data than other methods. Samples were collected using both traditional discrete (“grab”) samples and incremental sampling methodology (ISM). Analyses were conducted using polarized light microscopy (PLM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) methods or a combination of these two methods. Data show that the fluidized bed asbestos segregator (FBAS) followed by TEM analysis could detect asbestos at locations that were not detected using other analytical methods; however, this method exhibited high relative standard deviations, indicating the results may be more variable than other soil asbestos methods. The comparison of samples collected using ISM versus discrete techniques for asbestos resulted in no clear conclusions regarding preferred sampling method. However, analytical results for metals clearly showed that measured concentrations in ISM samples were less variable than discrete samples. PMID:28759607

77 FR 47089 - Public Land Order No. 7795; Withdrawal of Public Lands, Clear Creek Serpentine Area of Critical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-07

... environment from hazardous emissions of airborne asbestos fibers within the Clear Creek Serpentine Area of... the environment from hazardous emissions of airborne asbestos fibers within the Clear Creek Serpentine...

Estimation of personal exposure to asbestos of brake repair workers.

PubMed

Cely-García, María Fernanda; Curriero, Frank C; Sánchez-Silva, Mauricio; Breysse, Patrick N; Giraldo, Margarita; Méndez, Lorena; Torres-Duque, Carlos; Durán, Mauricio; González-García, Mauricio; Parada, Patricia; Ramos-Bonilla, Juan Pablo

2017-07-01

Exposure assessments are key tools to conduct epidemiological studies. Since 2010, 28 riveters from 18 brake repair shops with different characteristics and workloads were sampled for asbestos exposure in Bogotá, Colombia. Short-term personal samples collected during manipulation activities of brake products, and personal samples collected during non-manipulation activities were used to calculate 103 8-h TWA PCM-equivalent personal asbestos concentrations. The aims of this study are to identify exposure determinant variables associated with the 8-h TWA personal asbestos concentrations among brake mechanics, and propose different models to estimate potential asbestos exposure of brake mechanics in an 8-h work-shift. Longitudinal-based multivariate linear regression models were used to determine the association between personal asbestos concentrations in a work-shift with different variables related to work tasks and workload of the mechanics, and some characteristics of the shops. Monte Carlo simulations were used to estimate the 8-h TWA PCM-Eq personal asbestos concentration in work-shifts that had manipulations of brake products or cleaning activities of the manipulation area, using the results of the sampling campaigns. The simulations proposed could be applied for both current and retrospective studies to determine personal asbestos exposures of brake mechanics, without the need of sampling campaigns or historical data of air asbestos concentrations.

ASBESTOS IN DRINKING WATER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Performance evaluations of laboratories testing for asbestos in drinking water according to USEPA Test Method 100.1 or 100.2 are complicated by the difficulty of providing stable sample dispersions of asbestos in water. Reference samples of a graduated series of chrysotile asbes...

ASBESTOS IN DRINKING WATER PERFORMANCE EVALUATION STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Performance evaluations of laboratories testing for asbestos in drinking water according to USEPA Test Method 100.1 or 100.2 are complicated by the difficulty of providing stable sample dispersions of asbestos in water. Reference samples of a graduated series of chrysotile asbest...

Cameron Station remedial investigation: Final asbestos survey report. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Woodward-Clyde Federal Services (WCFS) conducted a comprehensive asbestos survey of the facilities at Cameron Station as part of its contract with the US Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency (USATHAMA) to perform a remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) at the base. The purpose of the survey which was initiated August 23, 1990 in response to the Base Realignment And Closure Environmental Restoration Strategy (BRAC), was to identify friable and non-friable asbestos-containing material (ACM), provide options for abatement of asbestos, provide cost estimates for both abatement and operations and maintenance costs, and identifying actions requiring immediate action in Cameron Station`smore » 24 buildings. BRAC states that only friable asbestos which presents a threat to health and safety shall be removed; non-friable asbestos or friable asbestos which is encapsulated or in good repair shall be left in place and identified to the buyer per GSA agreement. The investigation followed protocols that met or exceeded the requirements of 40 CFR 763, the EPA regulations promulgated under the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA).« less

Genome-wide gene–environment interaction analysis for asbestos exposure in lung cancer susceptibility

PubMed Central

Wei, Qingyi Wei

2012-01-01

Asbestos exposure is a known risk factor for lung cancer. Although recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified some novel loci for lung cancer risk, few addressed genome-wide gene–environment interactions. To determine gene–asbestos interactions in lung cancer risk, we conducted genome-wide gene–environment interaction analyses at levels of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genes and pathways, using our published Texas lung cancer GWAS dataset. This dataset included 317 498 SNPs from 1154 lung cancer cases and 1137 cancer-free controls. The initial SNP-level P-values for interactions between genetic variants and self-reported asbestos exposure were estimated by unconditional logistic regression models with adjustment for age, sex, smoking status and pack-years. The P-value for the most significant SNP rs13383928 was 2.17×10–6, which did not reach the genome-wide statistical significance. Using a versatile gene-based test approach, we found that the top significant gene was C7orf54, located on 7q32.1 (P = 8.90×10–5). Interestingly, most of the other significant genes were located on 11q13. When we used an improved gene-set-enrichment analysis approach, we found that the Fas signaling pathway and the antigen processing and presentation pathway were most significant (nominal P < 0.001; false discovery rate < 0.05) among 250 pathways containing 17 572 genes. We believe that our analysis is a pilot study that first describes the gene–asbestos interaction in lung cancer risk at levels of SNPs, genes and pathways. Our findings suggest that immune function regulation-related pathways may be mechanistically involved in asbestos-associated lung cancer risk. Abbreviations:CIconfidence intervalEenvironmentFDRfalse discovery rateGgeneGSEAgene-set-enrichment analysisGWASgenome-wide association studiesi-GSEAimproved gene-set-enrichment analysis approachORodds ratioSNPsingle nucleotide polymorphism PMID:22637743

Asbestos exposure during home renovation in New South Wales.

PubMed

Park, Eun-Kee; Yates, Deborah H; Hyland, Rebecca A; Johnson, Anthony R

2013-09-16

Asbestos exposure is causally associated with the development of malignant mesothelioma (MM), which is increasingly being reported after exposure to asbestos fibro sheeting in Australia. In this study, we investigate self-reported non-occupational asbestos exposure during home renovation in New South Wales. Cross-sectional mailed questionnaire examining renovation activity, tasks undertaken during renovation and self-reported exposure to asbestos among respondents and their family members in NSW between January and June 2008. 10 000 adults aged 18-99 years, randomly selected from the NSW electoral roll. We received 3612 responses, while 365 questionnaires did not reach addressees, giving an overall response rate of 37.5%. Differences in self-reported asbestos exposure between do-it-yourself (DIY) and non-DIY renovators. 1597 participants (44.2%) had renovated their home and among these, 858 participants (53.7%) self-reported as DIY renovators. Of these, 527 (61.4%) reported asbestos exposure during home renovations, 337 (39.3%) reported that their partner had been exposed to asbestos during renovations, and 196 (22.8%) reported that their children had been exposed. More than 20% of renovators planned to further renovate their current homes within the next 5 years. Self-reported asbestos exposure during home renovation is common. This preventable exposure could place adults and children at risk of MM many years into the future. Although such exposure is self-reported and ideally should be verified, this study identifies a potentially important problem in NSW.

Airborne electromagnetic data levelling using principal component analysis based on flight line difference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiong; Peng, Cong; Lu, Yiming; Wang, Hao; Zhu, Kaiguang

2018-04-01

A novel technique is developed to level airborne geophysical data using principal component analysis based on flight line difference. In the paper, flight line difference is introduced to enhance the features of levelling error for airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data and improve the correlation between pseudo tie lines. Thus we conduct levelling to the flight line difference data instead of to the original AEM data directly. Pseudo tie lines are selected distributively cross profile direction, avoiding the anomalous regions. Since the levelling errors of selective pseudo tie lines show high correlations, principal component analysis is applied to extract the local levelling errors by low-order principal components reconstruction. Furthermore, we can obtain the levelling errors of original AEM data through inverse difference after spatial interpolation. This levelling method does not need to fly tie lines and design the levelling fitting function. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by the levelling results of survey data, comparing with the results from tie-line levelling and flight-line correlation levelling.

Overview On Alternative Asbestos Control Method Research - St. Louis, MO

EPA Science Inventory

The alternative asbestos control method (AACM) is an experimental approach to building demolition. Unlike the NESHAP method, the AACM allows some regulated asbestos-containing material to remain in the building and a surfactant-water solution is used to suppress asbestos fibers ...

Dual preventive benefits of iron elimination by desferal in asbestos-induced mesothelial carcinogenesis.

PubMed

Jiang, Li; Chew, Shan-Hwu; Nakamura, Kosuke; Ohara, Yuuki; Akatsuka, Shinya; Toyokuni, Shinya

2016-07-01

Asbestos-induced mesothelial carcinogenesis is currently a profound social issue due to its extremely long incubation period and high mortality rate. Therefore, procedures to prevent malignant mesothelioma in people already exposed to asbestos are important. In previous experiments, we established an asbestos-induced rat peritoneal mesothelioma model, which revealed that local iron overload is a major cause of pathogenesis and that the induced genetic alterations are similar to human counterparts. Furthermore, we showed that oral administration of deferasirox modified the histology from sarcomatoid to the more favorable epithelioid subtype. Here, we used i.p. administration of desferal to evaluate its effects on asbestos-induced peritoneal inflammation and iron deposition, as well as oxidative stress. Nitrilotriacetate was used to promote an iron-catalyzed Fenton reaction as a positive control. Desferal significantly decreased peritoneal fibrosis, iron deposition, and nuclear 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels in mesothelial cells, whereas nitrilotriacetate significantly increased all of them. Desferal was more effective in rat peritoneal mesothelial cells to counteract asbestos-induced cytotoxicity than in murine macrophages (RAW264.7). Furthermore, rat sarcomatoid mesothelioma cells were more dependent on iron for proliferation than rat peritoneal mesothelial cells. Because inflammogenicity of a fiber is proportionally associated with subsequent mesothelial carcinogenesis, iron elimination from the mesothelial environment can confer dual merits for preventing asbestos-induced mesothelial carcinogenesis by suppressing inflammation and mesothelial proliferation simultaneously. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.

ALTERNATIVE ASBESTOS CONTROL METHOD (AACM) AT GEBO

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes the status to date of the AACM research, which is intended as a possible alternative technology for use in the demolition of buildings that contain asbestos and are covered under the regulatory requirements of the Asbestos NESHAP. This abstract and pr...

Geologic sources of asbestos in Seattle's tolt reservoir

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reid, M.E.; Craven, G.

1996-01-01

Water from Seattle's South Fork Tolt Reservoir contains chrysotile and amphibole asbestos fibers, derived from natural sources. Using optical petrographic techniques, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy, we identified the geologic source of these asbestiform minerals within the watershed. No asbestos was found in the bedrock underlying the watershed, while both chrysotile and amphibole fibers were found in sediments transported by Puget-lobe glacial processes. These materials, widely distributed throughout the lower watershed, would be difficult to separate from the reservoir sediments. The probable source of this asbestos is in pods of ultramafic rock occurring north of the watershed. Because asbestos is contained in widespread Pugetlobe glacial materials, it may be naturally distributed in other watersheds in the Puget Sound area.

[Tuscany mesothelioma registry (1988-2000): evaluation of asbestos exposure].

PubMed

Gorini, G; Silvestri, S; Merler, E; Chellini, E; Cacciarini, V; Seniori Costantini, A Seniori

2002-01-01

The Tuscany Mesothelioma Register (ARTMM) records pleural malignant mesothelioma cases of Tuscany residents, diagnosed by histological, cytological, or clinical (radiography or computerized tomography) examinations. The ARTMM began in 1988 and estimates mesothelioma incidence in Tuscany and collects information on past asbestos exposure of mesothelioma cases. The aim of this paper was to describe the incidence of pleural mesothelioma cases in Tuscany and to analyse their possible past asbestos exposures. We considered pleural mesothelioma cases recorded in ARTMM in the period 1988-2000 and interviews collected for these cases. In order to identify past asbestos exposure in the occupational and non-occupational history of patients, interviews were carried out using a standardised questionnaire. In the period 1988-2000, 494 pleural malignant mesothelioma cases were recorded in the ARTMM; 82% were males. In the periods 1988-1993, 1994-1997, 1998-2000 the incidence rates, standardised on the Italian population (per 100,000), were respectively 1.15, 1.57, 2.58 among males; 0.29; 0.27; 0.29 among females. Information on occupational history was collected for 418 mesothelioma patients (85% of recorded cases): 173 mesothelioma cases were directly interviewed; for 245 cases relatives or work colleagues were interviewed. Occupational asbestos exposure was ranked as certain, probable or possible in 72% of the interviewed cases (80% of males; 20% of females). Environmental and non-occupational asbestos exposure was identified in 1% of males, and 3% of females. In 24% of the interviewed cases (15% of males; 74% of females) no known asbestos exposure was identified. Occupational asbestos exposure occurred in maritime activities (shipyards, dock work, merchant and regular Navy), the building industry, railway carriage construction and maintenance, rail transport, textile industries (mainly rag sorting), electricity production, asbestos cement manufacture, chemical, iron and steel

Treatment of Asbestos Wastes Using the GeoMelt Vitrification Process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finucane, K.G.; Thompson, L.E.; Abuku, T.

The disposal of waste asbestos from decommissioning activities is becoming problematic in countries which have limited disposal space. A particular challenge is the disposal of asbestos wastes from the decommissioning of nuclear sites because some of it is radioactively contaminated or activated and disposal space for such wastes is limited. GeoMelt{sup R} vitrification is being developed as a treatment method for volume and toxicity minimization and radionuclide immobilization for UK radioactive asbestos mixed waste. The common practice to date for asbestos wastes is disposal in licensed landfills. In some cases, compaction techniques are used to minimize the disposal space requirements.more » However, such practices are becoming less practical. Social pressures have resulted in changes to disposal regulations which, in turn, have resulted in the closure of some landfills and increased disposal costs. In the UK, tens of thousands of tonnes of asbestos waste will result from the decommissioning of nuclear sites over the next 20 years. In Japan, it is estimated that over 40 million tonnes of asbestos materials used in construction will require disposal. Methods for the safe and cost effective volume reduction of asbestos wastes are being evaluated for many sites. The GeoMelt{sup R} vitrification process is being demonstrated at full-scale in Japan for the Japan Ministry of Environment and plans are being developed for the GeoMelt treatment of UK nuclear site decommissioning-related asbestos wastes. The full-scale treatment operations in Japan have also included contaminated soils and debris. The GeoMelt{sup R} vitrification process result in the maximum possible volume reduction, destroys the asbestos fibers, treats problematic debris associated with asbestos wastes, and immobilizes radiological contaminants within the resulting glass matrix. Results from recent full-scale treatment operations in Japan are discussed and plans for GeoMelt treatment of UK nuclear

40 CFR 427.20 - Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement sheet subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... asbestos-cement sheet subcategory. 427.20 Section 427.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos-Cement Sheet Subcategory § 427.20 Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement sheet...

40 CFR 427.10 - Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement pipe subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... asbestos-cement pipe subcategory. 427.10 Section 427.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos-Cement Pipe Subcategory § 427.10 Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement pipe...

40 CFR 427.10 - Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement pipe subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... asbestos-cement pipe subcategory. 427.10 Section 427.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos-Cement Pipe Subcategory § 427.10 Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement pipe...

40 CFR 427.20 - Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement sheet subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... asbestos-cement sheet subcategory. 427.20 Section 427.20 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos-Cement Sheet Subcategory § 427.20 Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement sheet...

Experience of Japan in Achieving a Total Ban on Asbestos.

PubMed

Furuya, Sugio; Takahashi, Ken

2017-10-20

This paper aims to examine the process through which a total ban on asbestos was achieved in Japan. We reconstructed the process, analyzed the roles of involved parties/events, and drew lessons from the Japanese experience of achieving the ban. In Japan, a bill to phase out asbestos was proposed in 1992 but rejected without deliberation. Wide support for such a ban subsequently grew, however, largely due to the actions of trade unions and civil societies in establishing a coalition, raising awareness, organizing asbestos victims and their families, and propagating information on international developments. A governmental decision towards a ban was made in 2002 based on several national and international factors. A huge asbestos scandal in 2005 preponed the achievement of a total ban and led to the establishment of comprehensive measures to tackle asbestos issues. However, challenges remain for the elimination of asbestos-related diseases.

Experience of Japan in Achieving a Total Ban on Asbestos

PubMed Central

Furuya, Sugio; Takahashi, Ken

2017-01-01

This paper aims to examine the process through which a total ban on asbestos was achieved in Japan. We reconstructed the process, analyzed the roles of involved parties/events, and drew lessons from the Japanese experience of achieving the ban. In Japan, a bill to phase out asbestos was proposed in 1992 but rejected without deliberation. Wide support for such a ban subsequently grew, however, largely due to the actions of trade unions and civil societies in establishing a coalition, raising awareness, organizing asbestos victims and their families, and propagating information on international developments. A governmental decision towards a ban was made in 2002 based on several national and international factors. A huge asbestos scandal in 2005 preponed the achievement of a total ban and led to the establishment of comprehensive measures to tackle asbestos issues. However, challenges remain for the elimination of asbestos-related diseases. PMID:29053631

[Pulmonary disease due to asbestos in steel industry workers].

PubMed

Zurbriggen, Rita; Capone, Lilian

2013-01-01

Asbestos-related diseases are caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers in their variety chrysotile or white asbestos. Although the ban in Argentina dates from 2003, there are numerous industries where work continues with this mineral, including iron and steel industries. It is currently known the high pathogenicity of this material, so that in many countries there are programs to monitoring the exposed workers. Here we describe the general characteristics and pulmonary manifestations in 27 patients who had worked in a very huge steel factory in South America. The diagnosis of asbestos-related diseases was made by a medical-occupational record, history of asbestos exposure, additional studies of lung function and chest images. Then the sources of exposure (occupational, domestic and environmental), exposure time and latency period were analyzed, in those patients in whom a related disease was detected. Smoking history was also taken into account. Twenty-two patients had benigns pathologies (81.4%), sixteen of them with lesions localyzed in pleura, and other six pulmonary asbestosis. The malignant pathologies occurred in five patients (18.5%), in four of them mesothelioma and in other one lung cancer. The problem of asbestos exposure has contemporary relevance. Hence the need for a surveillance program in workers exposed to asbestos in the past or currently, to detect, report, record and investigate the characteristics of these pathologies.

40 CFR 427.10 - Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement pipe subcategory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... asbestos-cement pipe subcategory. 427.10 Section 427.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS (CONTINUED) ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos-Cement Pipe Subcategory § 427.10 Applicability; description of the asbestos-cement pipe...