Asbestos
3/9/2020
When working on a remediation project, there is a good chance that we may run into asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). Asbestos was popular as an insulator of pipes, floor and ceiling tiles, roof shingles as well as many other building materials. Due to the severe health effects from exposure to airborne asbestos fibers – such as asbestosis, increased risk to lung cancer as well as mesothelioma (a unique form of cancer that is associated with the lung lining or pleura), asbestos has been outlawed since the early 1980s. Thus, remediating buildings built prior to this time, it is a highly likely that we will run into ACMs.
ACMs are categorized as friable or non-friable. These terms indicate how readily the material releases fibers when they are disturbed; thus, becoming an airborne inhalation hazard. Friable materials can be easily crumbled. Depending on the condition of the material (i.e. consistency, loss of moisture, brittleness, etc.), any ACM can become friable.
In non-friable asbestos products, the asbestos fibers are bound into the product and are not so easily released. These products present a risk only when they’re disturbed through such activities as sanding or cutting. Vinyl asbestos floor tiles and acoustic ceiling tiles that are in good shape are examples of non-friable asbestos products. However, if they begin to deteriorate, they could become friable.
What should be done if we run into materials that look like they may be asbestos? Suspect materials are termed as presumed asbestos-containing materials, or PACMs. Once identified, stop your work activity and inform your supervisor. Any more work in this location could disturb the PACM and cause a release of airborne material. The next step is to get a certified asbestos inspector. Each state has its own specific certification requirements and your inspector should be able to provide his/her certification. At this point, the inspector will collect samples of all the different types of PACM identified. The number of samples per material type is specified in 40 CFR 763 (this is the federal regulation; however various states may have their own sampling criterion).
Analysis to determine if a material contains asbestos is a rather inexpensive test, referred to as polarized light microscopy or PLM (costs vary but are generally between $10 – $25 per sample).
If the material has been identified as not containing asbestos, then planned remediation tasks can continue (you now have documentation). If the materials come back positive, the analysis will show a break-down – in percentages – of the asbestos types. The three most common types of asbestos are: chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite. While chrysotile is the most common, the other two are considered to be associated with the more severe forms of asbestos-related diseases (i.e. mesothelioma – we all see those commercials on television for attorneys looking for class-action lawsuits); however, any type of asbestos can cause serious respiratory ailments. Should your material be identified as ACM, you will need the services of a certified abatement contractor (once again. Certification is based on each individual states’ criterion).
Once the ACM has been removed, certain disposal practices and waste transportation requirements are required (once again, per state regulation).
Chrysotile (white asbestos) is the most commonly used form of asbestos. It can be found today in the roofs, ceilings, walls and floors of homes and businesses. Manufacturers also used chrysotile asbestos in automobile brake linings, gaskets and boiler seals, and insulation for pipes, ducts and appliances.
Amosite (brown asbestos) was used most frequently in cement sheets and pipe insulation. It can also be found in insulating board, ceiling tiles and thermal insulation products.
Crocidolite (blue asbestos) was commonly used to insulate steam engines. It was also used in some spray-on coatings, pipe insulation, plastics and cement products.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps
Confucius