US EPA

295 

Journal Article 

Asbestos and other fibre levels in buildings 

Altree-Williams, S; Preston, JS 

1985 

Yes 

Annals of Occupational Hygiene
ISSN: 0003-4878
EISSN: 1475-3162 

29 

3 

357-363 

English 

4073703 

10.1093/annhyg/29.3.357 

WOS:A1985AUR2500002 

A Nuclepore filter/SEM method was used to determine the airborne concentration of asbestos and other fibres in office and plant buildings. The monitoring/SEM/XRMA conditions were chosen to match the collection efficiency, fibre detectability and convenience of the membrane filter/optical microscope method. Additionally, the SEM/XRMA technique provides identification of counted fibres and a detection limit of 1 fibre 1. −1 under the routine conditions of occupational hygiene sampling.

Application of the method to the collection of 193 air samples in the occupied areas of 22 asbestos-containing office and plant buildings gave the following asbestos counts: 22 fibre 1. −1 (1 sample); 3 fibre 1. −1 (3 samples); 2 fibre 1. −1 (5 samples); 1 fibre 1. −1 (22 samples); 0 fibre 1. −1 (162 samples).

Organic fibre levels ranged from 63–0 fibre 1. −1 (median=4 fibre 1. −1 ).

Mineral (non-asbestos) fibre levels ranged from 13 to 0 fibre 1. −1 (median=1 fibre 1. −1 ). 

Air Pollutants, Occupational; Asbestos; 1332-21-4; Index Medicus; Asbestos -- analysis; Air Pollutants, Occupational -- analysis