Asbestos in public and commercial buildings: Supplementary analyses of selected data prevously considered by the literature review panel | Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)

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Citation
Tags

HERO ID

3102437

Reference Type

Technical Report

Subtype

HEI

Title

Asbestos in public and commercial buildings: Supplementary analyses of selected data prevously considered by the literature review panel

Author(s)

Health Effects Institute :: HEI

Year

1991

Publisher

Health Effects Institute-Asbestos Research

Location

Cambridge, MA

Report Number

Special Report

Number of Pages

102

Language

English

Relationship(s)

is a supplement to 000010 Asbestos in public and commercial buildings: A literature review and synthesis of current knowledge

Abstract

The Health Effects Institute-Asbestos Research assembled an expert Panel to review the literature on asbestos in public and commercial buildings, and make recommendations for future research. The Panel concluded that: (1) Asbestos-containing building material (ACBM) in good repair is unlikely to expose general building occupants to fiber concentrations above those found outside such buildings. The added life-time risk of cancer for such occupants in well-maintained buildings appears to be lower than the risks from other pollutants such as radon and environmental tobacco smoke. (2) Janitorial, custodial, maintenance, and renovation workers may disturb or damage ACBM and episodically produce relatively high fiber concentrations; therefore the added life-time cancer risk in such workers may be appreciably higher than the risk to general building occupants. (3) Asbestos removal workers are at the highest risk of potential exposure. Good work practice and respiratory protection are essential to avoid dangerous exposure of such workers. (4) Determining exposure risks and forms of prevention or remediation warranted in a building are site-specific tasks. Uncontrolled disturbance of ACBM should be avoided. In well-maintained buildings, improper removal or improper abatement action can cause persistent increases of fiber levels.

Keywords

Asbestos; Commercial buildings; Public buildings; Air pollution effects(Humans); Construction materials; Reviews; Occupational safety and health; Public health; Exposure; Risk assessment; Environmental chemical substitutes; Indoor air pollution; Malignant neoplasms; Air pollution abatement; Protective equipment; Maintenance; Air pollution sampling