SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 20 December 2021
STP163220200042

Asbestos Exposure Resulting from Cleaning and Maintenance Activities in Apartments with Asbestos-Containing Sprayed Ceiling Applications

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The third wave of asbestos disease is expected to result from exposures due to in-place asbestos-containing materials. Custodial and maintenance personnel are the likely population at greatest risk. This study was designed to measure exposures during the routine cleaning of three apartments with asbestos-containing sprayed ceiling application, and the replacement of a 2 ft. by 2 ft. (2′ × 2′) section of the ceiling in three different apartments. These exposures were compared with the concentration measured in the six apartments before any cleaning or maintenance activity. Two breathing zone samples were collected on the people performing the work. One of these samples was analyzed for fibers by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Method 7400 and for asbestos fibers by transmission electron microscopy using the counting rules of NIOSH Method 7402. Area air samples collected inside the apartments before and during the activities were analyzed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) method. Air sampling conducted in the apartments without any activity (n = 12) did not exceed 0.002 asbestos structures per cubic centimeter (str/cc). Personal sampling conducted during the cleaning activities in three apartments found a range of 0.3–0.7 asbestos fibers (greater than 5 micrometers in length) per cubic centimeter (af/cc). Personal sampling conducted during the replacement of the ceiling sections in three apartments found a range of 0.8–1.8 af/cc during this work. Using the area sampling for comparison, the cleaning resulted in exposures 1,100 times higher than in the samples collected before work (2.2 str/cc vs. 0.002 str/cc); and, similarly, the maintenance activity resulted in exposures 6,800 times higher (13.6 str/cc vs. 0.002 str/cc).

Author Information

Ewing, William, M.
Compass Environmental, Inc., Kennesaw, GA, US
DePasquale, Christopher
Compass Environmental, Inc., Kennesaw, GA, US
Millette, James, R.
Millette Technical Consulting, Lilburn, GA, US
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Pages: 116–126
DOI: 10.1520/STP163220200042
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-7711-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-7710-9