FIBERS AND ASBESTOS

Fibers and Asbestos

 Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral substance that

can be pulled into a fluffy consistency.
 Asbestos fibers are soft and flexible yet resistant to heat,
electricity and chemical corrosion.
 Pure asbestos is an effective insulator, and it can also be
mixed into cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other
materials to make them stronger.
Are All Asbestos Dangerous?

 While some types of asbestos may be more hazardous than

others, all are dangerous. Leading health agencies,
including the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, the EPA and the International Agency for
Research on Cancer, classify all types of asbestos as
cancer-causing substances.
Are All Asbestos Dangerous?

 All the identified forms of asbestos can cause

asbestosis, malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian
cancer, laryngeal cancer and other serious diseases.
Are All Asbestos Dangerous?

 Some agencies, such as the Health Protection Agency in

the U.K., claim amphibole varieties of asbestos are the
most dangerous forms.
 The EPA has abandoned projects aiming to identify which
asbestos fiber types are the most toxic, because the
overall regulation of asbestos and asbestiform minerals is
a more pressing priority.
The Two Mineral Families of Asbestos
 Serpentine asbestos
 It has curly fibers made up
of sheets of crystals. The
single type of asbestos
from the serpentine
family, chrysotile, has
historically accounted for
more than 95 percent of
all asbestos used around
the world
 Amphibole asbestos
 It has needle-shaped
fibers. Studies suggest it
takes much less exposure
to amphibole asbestos to
cause cancer, compared
to serpentine asbestos. 
Types of Fibers and Asbestos
Chrysotile (white asbestos)

 It 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.
Chrysotile (white asbestos)
 Chrysotile asbestos-containing
products include:
 Adhesives
 Brake pads
 Cement
 Drywall
 Fireproofing
 Gaskets
 Insulation
 Roofing
 Vinyl tiles
Amosite (brown asbestos)

 It was used most frequently in

cement sheets and pipe
insulation. It can also be found
in insulating board, ceiling tiles
and thermal insulation
products.
Amosite (brown asbestos)

 Amosite asbestos-containing
products include:
 Cement sheets
 Fire protection
 Gaskets
 Insulation
 Roofing products
 Vinyl tiles
Crocidolite (blue asbestos)

 It was commonly used to

insulate steam engines. It was
also used in some spray-on
coatings, pipe insulation,
plastics and cement products.
Crocidolite (blue asbestos)
 Crocidolite asbestos-
containing products include:
 Acid storage battery casings
 Ceiling tiles
 Cement sheets
 Fireproofing
 Insulation
 Kent Micronite cigarette
filters
Anthophyllite 

 It was used in limited

quantities for insulation
products and construction
materials. It also occurs as a
contaminant in chrysotile
asbestos, vermiculite and talc.
It may have a grey, dull green
or white color.
Anthophyllite 

 Anthophyllite asbestos-
containing products include:
 Cement
 Insulation
 Roofing
 Rubber
Tremolite and actinolite

 These are not used

commercially, but they can be
found as contaminants in
chrysotile asbestos, vermiculite
and talc. These two chemically
similar minerals can be brown,
white, green, gray or
transparent.
Tremolite and actinolite
 Unlike with the commercial
forms of asbestos,
manufacturers rarely intended
to include tremolite or
actinolite in their products.
Instead, traces of these types
of asbestos were extracted
when other minerals were
being mined.
 However, even incidental
contamination by amphibole
forms of asbestos is still
hazardous enough to cause
asbestos-related illnesses.
Minerals That May Contain Asbestos

 Asbestiform minerals naturally occur in many types of geological

formations.
 Generally, businesses mined asbestos intentionally to make use of its
unique properties, but there have also been cases where companies
mined other types of mineral resources that naturally contained a
small percentage of asbestos.
 The most significant cases of this contamination center on talc and
vermiculite products.
Minerals That May Contain Asbestos

 Talc
 Talc is the softest known
mineral on earth and is used
in numerous products
including chalk, crayons,
paint, rubber, cosmetics,
ceramics and
pharmaceuticals.
 Most famously,
manufacturers use this
mineral for making talcum
powder (commonly
marketed as baby powder).
Minerals That May Contain Asbestos

 Vermiculite
  It is a mineral that can be
“popped” like popcorn
when heated in a process
called exfoliation. This
results in a light-weight
material useful for
insulation, packaging and
soil improvement. 

Source: https://www.asbestos.com/asbestos/types/
Synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs)

 inorganic fibrous materials made from a broad variety of inorganic substances

with an amorphous (vitreous, i.e., noncrystalline) molecular structure. SVFs
are manufactured by multiple processes involving the cooling of high-
temperature inorganic oxide streams
 SVFs have been arbitrarily divided into three general categories based on
their composition and application: fiberglass, mineral wools, and refractory
ceramic fibers (RCF);
Fiberglass

 The fiberglass category includes continuous glass fibers (textile fibers) and
glass wools.
 Fiberglass products are manufactured from powdered sand and consist of
silicon and aluminum oxides.
Mineral Wool

 The mineral wool category includes rock and slag wools. Similar to fiberglass,
mineral wools are primary aluminum and silicon oxides.
 Rock wool is manufactured from igneous rocks, while slag wool is
manufactured from slag from blast furnace steel.
Refractory Ceramic Fibers

 Refractory ceramic fibers are specialized fibers that contain a significantly

 higher amount of alumina than other fibers. Although RCFs are amorphous at
low temperatures, they partially crystallize at higher temperatures.
USES OF SVFs

 VFs have been used for thermal and acoustical insulation, liquid and
gas filtration, industrial textiles, and reinforcement of other
materials. Glass, rock, and slag wools are primarily used in insulating
materials for homes, building, and appliances.
 Filament fibers have been used in plastics, cement, papers, roofing
materials, and industrial fabrics, as well as for electrical purposes.
Special-purpose fibers include glass fibers produced by flame
attenuation for special applications such as fluid and air filtration.
USES OF SVFs

 Electrical glass (E-glass) is a specialpurpose fiberglass developed for

electrical applications that has heat and water resistance.
 RCFs are used in insulation that requires very high temperature
resistance, such as furnace insulation. The production and use of SVFs
have increased over the years, as they are commonly used to replace
asbestos.
EFFECTS OF ASBESTIOS AND MAN-
MADE SYNTHETIC FIBERS
ASBESTOS RELATED DISEASES
Environmental Concerns [1]

• According to a study presented in 2006 at the international

conference: Health, The Environment and Justice, asbestos dust can
actually travel through the air and enter the water supply. It’s also able
to settle on the surface of soil, as opposed to being absorbed by the
ground. The wind then picks up the dust and further spreads it around.
Ecological Impact [1]

• The problem with asbestos fibers is their size. They are so tiny that the
naked eye can’t detect them. In fact, some household microscopes can’t
even detect them. This means there’s no way of knowing if asbestos fibers
are nearby. This is especially dangerous for miners who may come into
contact with asbestos (which is harvested from rock formations).
• The small asbestos fibers remain intact in air, water and soil. It does not
break down or biodegrade. The fibers do not absorb into the soil and
instead sit on top of the soil, where it can easily be disturbed and
redistributed into the air.
Fibers in Home Construction

• Homes built prior to the 1980s have high chances of asbestos being
used in places like:
– roof shingles
– popcorn ceilings
– attic insulation
– electrical wires, and
– joint compounds.
• ASBESTOS DENSITY IN kg/cu. m
– Shredded: 350
– Solid: 2450
– Mineral:2100-2800
– Dimensions of fibers 8 micrometer L x 0.25 micrometer D
• Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI)
SPRI Emission Reporting Threshold
1.00 Kg/yr Pollutant Emissions to Air
0.1 Kg/yr Pollutant Emissions to Water
0.1 Kg/yr Pollutant Emissions to Waste
Water
1.00 Kg/yr Pollutant Emissions to Land
WITH THE DATA FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE
• The normal dimensions of Asbestos Fibers, from De Vuyst et al., are 8
micro-meters (Length) by 0.25 micro-meters in Diameter.
• Assuming that we take the shredded density of Asbestos (350 kg/cu. m)

• THE MASS OF 1 FIBER IS 5.4978E-10 kg

• In one year, there are at least 1,818,813,635 fibers

Deposition

• Impaction
– generally occurs in the larger airways
• Sedimentation
– generally occurs in the smaller airways
• Interception
– governed by fibre length: the longer the fibre, the more likely it is that the ends will
touch and stick to a surface that the centre of mass would have missed
• Electrostatic Precipitation
– occurs primarily by image forces, and depends on the ratio of electrical charge to
aerodynamic drag
NON-CARCINOGENIC EFFECT ON HUMANS [2]
• Asbestosis 
– is scarring in the lungs caused by breathing asbestos fibers.
– Oxygen and carbon dioxide do not pass in and out of scarred lungs easily, so breathing becomes harder.
– Asbestosis usually occurs in people who have had very high exposures over a long time, but years may
pass before any symptoms appear.
• Pleural disease 
– causes changes in the membrane surrounding the lungs and chest cavity (pleura).
– The membrane may become thicker throughout (diffuse pleural thickening) or in isolated areas (pleural
plaques), or fluid may build up around the lungs (known as a pleural effusion).
– Not everyone with pleural changes will have problems breathing, but some may have less efficient lung
function.
CARCINOGENIC EFFECT ON HUMANS [3]

• Lung cancer 
– is a malignant tumor that invades and blocks the lung’s air passages.
– Smoking tobacco combined with asbestos exposure greatly increases the chance of
developing lung cancer.
• Mesothelioma
– is a rare cancer of the membrane that covers the lungs and chest cavity (pleura), the
membrane lining the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), or membranes surrounding
other internal organs. 
– Signs of mesothelioma may not appear until 30 to 40 years after exposure to
asbestos.
• Asbestos exposure can also cause cancer of the larynx and ovary.
Current evidence also suggests asbestos exposure may cause cancer of
the pharynx, stomach, and colorectum (bowel cancer).
MAN MADE VITREOUS FIBERS RELATED
DISEASES [4]
NON-CARCINOGENIC EFFECT ON HUMANS

• Effects on the skin and superficial mucous membranes

– almost always due to coarse fibres
– uncured resins, hardeners and accelerators during the production of MMVF
may give rise to sensitization
• Effects on the eyes
– airborne fibres may accumulate at the eyes of workers handling the MMVF
– No correlation was found, however, between the number of fibres in the
mucous alone and the airborne fibre concentration.
NON-CARCINOGENIC EFFECT ON HUMANS

• Lung fibrosis (pneumoconiosis)

– one of a group of interstitial lung disease caused by breathing in certain
kinds of dust particles that damage your lungs. Because you are likely to
encounter these dusts only in the workplace, pneumoconiosis is called an
occupational lung disease
• Pleural lesions.
– In the absence of asbestos exposure, there is no evidence of a relationship
between glass-, rock- and slag wool exposure and pleural abnormalities
• Nonspecific respiratory diseases. This group of nonmalignant diseases includes
– chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
– emphysema
– chronic bronchitis and asthma.
• They are evaluated mainly by questionnaire (phlegm, cough) and lung function tests.
Several studies have been undertaken to evaluate these possible effects of MMVFs on
the respiratory system.
• These studies were all of cross-sectional character, which could lead to an
underestimation of the risk, if diseased workers are more likely to leave the workforce
than healthy workers.
CARCINOGENIC EFFECT ON HUMANS

The effects of Asbestos and MMVF are similar. However…

An excess of mortality from lung cancer has been demonstrated in the MMVF
production industry. The risk concerns mainly the workers exposed in the slag wool
industry during the early technological phase. Nevertheless, the epidemiological cohort
studies are limited by the inability to control confounding variables, such as smoking,
concomitant exposure to other carcinogens, and lack of quantitative data (e.g. fibre levels).
Since they have no experimental character, the occurrence of disease can be the result of
variations of several causal factors. The data available do not make it possible to conclude
whether the risk of lung cancer is due to the MMVFs themselves or to other carcinogens
present at the workplace (asbestos, arsenic, PAH) or not (smoking). Recently
REFERENCES

• [1] Blue & Green Tomorrow. (2016, July 11). ENVIRONMENT

Understanding the Environmental Impact of Asbestos. Retrieved from
Blue & Green Tomorrow:
https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/environment/understanding-
environmental-impact-asbestos/
• [2] Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2016, November 3).
Health Effects of Asbestos. Retrieved from Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry:
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/health_effects_asbestos.html
REFERENCES

• [3] Vuyst, P. De, P. Dumortier, G. M. H. Swaen, J. C. Pairon, and P.

Brochard. 1996. “Respiratory Health Effects of Man-Made Vitreous
( Mineral ) Fibres.” (January).
 STANDARDS
FIBERS & ASBESTOS, SYNTHETIC VITREOUS FIBERS (SVF)
 Background
◦ In 231 buildings, the mean asbestos fiber level Airborne
was 1x10^(-4) fibers per cubic centimeter
(f/cm3 ),
Concentrations of
◦ the 90th percentile value was 5.1x10^(-4) f/cm3 , Asbestos
and the maximum was 2.1x10^-3 f/cm3 . (FIBERS) in
Buildings
OSHA Standards
- General Industry
- Shipyards
- Construction
 covers work in general industry such as exposure
during brake and clutch repair, maintenance work,

1. General Industry and manufacture of asbestos-containing products

29 CFR 1910.1001

2. Shipyards covers construction, alteration, repair,

maintenance, renovation and demolition of

29 CFR 1915.1001 structures containing asbestos during work in

shipyards.

3. Construction
29 CFR 1926.1101 covers construction, alteration, repair,
maintenance, or renovation and demolition of
structures containing asbestos
 Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) OSHA 2012

Assessment

Monitoring

What proper engineering controls and work practices, respiratory protection

protections Proper hazard communication and demarcation

exist in the Separate decontamination and lunch areas

Standards? Training requirements OSHA standards (1915.1001 and 1926.1101) 

Medical surveillance

Records
ATSDR (Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry)
does not consider the use of
OSHA's PEL for workplace
exposures to be appropriate for
environmentally exposed
populations
EPA has established a maximum
Environmental
contaminant level (MCL)
1. Decay of water mains constructed of
asbestos-containing cement, and
Standards
2. Erosions of naturally occurring asbestos
deposits into watersheds [EPA 2012a].
 SUMMARY

OSHA requires all asbestos-exposed

OSHA's PEL for asbestos in the
workers to be trained in PPE; they must
workplace is 0.1 fibers/cc of air (8-hour
undergo medical surveillance if
TWA).
exposed above the PEL.

EPA's MCL for asbestos in drinking Local education agencies must inspect
water is 7 MFL greater than 10um in schools and analyze friable material for
length (million fibers per liter) of asbestos content, communicate results,
drinking water. and maintain records.
 Measurement
Procedures
&
Control Protocols

ME192-3/B1

AGUILAN, REX TEODORO C.

Measurement Procedures
Measurement Procedures

Methods:
1. Phase contrast microscopy (PCM)
2. Polarized light microscopy (PLM)
3. X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD)
4. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
5. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

https://www.accessscience.com/content/asbes
tos-measurement/YB080010
 Measurement Procedures
Methods Qualitative Quantitative

Phase Contrast Microscopy Used in workplace environment Can measure fibers longer than 5 μm
(PCM) where fiber type is known in length with 3:1 l-w ratio
100-400x magnification

Polarized light microscopy (PLM) Used for bulk samples Report fibers by percent area or
100-500x magnification percent weight

X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD) Used to identify and count mineral Show the intensity of the diffraction
phases pattern to indicates the amount of
Results must be confirmed by material present
PLM,SEM or TEM.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) Used to analyze fibers in air or in bulk Measures airborne and fibers in bulk
materials. materials.
2000-20000x magnification

Transmission electron microscopy Used to analyze fibers in air or in bulk Counting protocols for fibers is similar
(TEM) materials. with SEM but can measure fibers with
5000-20000x magnification 0.01 μm diameter
Measurement Procedures

https://www.talonlpe.com/blog/how-to-
determine-asbestos-air-quality#
 Control & Protocols

Asbestos is a proven human carcinogen (IARC Group 1).

No safe level can be proposed for asbestos because a threshold is not known to exist.
Exposure should therefore be kept as low as possible.
Several authors and working groups have produced estimates indicating that, with a
lifetime exposure to 1000 F/m3 (0.0005 F*/ml or 500 F*/m3 , optically measured) in a
population of whom 30% are smokers, the excess risk due to lung cancer would be in
the order of 10x10–6 to 10x10–5. For the same lifetime exposure, the mesothelioma
risk for the general population would be in the range 10x10–5 to 10x10–4.

https://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_
health/asbestos/en/
Control & Protocols

https://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_
health/asbestos/en/
 Laws on
Production/Usage
Fibers, Asbestos and Synthetic Vitreous Fibers (SVF)
 Existing Policies
• In 1972, Republic Act 6541, An Act to Ordain and Institute a National
Building Code of the Philippines (National Building Code of the
Philippines), specifies that building materials must have a "one hour
fire-resistive time period rating". As such, because of this particular
property of asbestos, and it low cost comparative to other materials with
such a property, asbestos became widely used in the country.
 Existing Policies
• In 1978, the Department of Labor and Employment, in its Occupational
Safety and Health Standards, specifies that all work relative health issues
must be reported. Which therefore, included asbestos related health issues
(OSHC Rule 1050). However, in Rule 1070, it specifies that the standard
for asbestos exposure in all forms shall be 2 fibers/cc, 5 micrometers in
length.
 Existing Policies
• With mounting evidence of asbestos related occupational health reports in
the Philippines, in 1990, Republic Act No. of 6969 otherwise known as
"Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes and Nuclear Wastes Control Act
of 1990" mandated the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources to formulate and maintain such a list.
 Existing Policies
• In 1998, the World Health Organization's International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC) reported that chrysotile fibers are associated
with high incidence of lung cancers, and that cigarette smoking increases
lung cancer incidence among people exposed to asbestos in their
occupation. Thus, call for the banning of chrysotile together with all
asbestos.
 Existing Policies
• In 2000, asbestos was included in the DENR Administrative Order 02,
series 2000. This therefore effectively banned importation of asbestos
into, and controlled its used and disposal within the country. Asbestos
continues to be listed (DAO 2005-27). Moreover, the DENR has also
issued DAO 2004-36 detailing the proper handling and disposal of
asbestos and asbestos containing wastes.
 Existing Policies
• In 2005,the World Health Organization, continuing their call for the
banning of all asbestos, including chrysotile, "WHO Workshop on
Mechanisms of Fiber Carcinogenesis and Assessment of Chrysotile
Asbestos Substitutes , 8-12 November 2005, Lyon, France" lists less
hazardous alternatives.
Table for Asbestos Alternatives according to Health and
Environmental Risk
World Bank recommended alternatives to Asbestos Containing
Materials (ACM), according to type of ACM
 Existing Policies
• In 2011, two separate House of Representative Bills were filled: House
Bill 479 was filed by Representative Kaka Bag-Ao; and House Bill 896
was filled by Representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza, which allows
a three year grace period for total ban of all asbestos and asbestos
containing products. In 2013, a combined version, now known as House
Bill 2638 has been refiled by Representative Raymond Democrito
Mendoza.
 References
• https://www.google.com/url?
sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=2ahUKEwjF5Oibxf3g
AhVW_GEKHdoeC8AQFjACegQIBRAC&url=http%3A%2F
%2Fwww.pic.int%2FPortals%2F5%2Fdownload.aspx%3Fd%3DUNEP-
FAO-RC-PUB-Asbestos-LegalReview-Philippines-
2013.En.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2DjgTMJfT_ZxDHnPdLFYs3
TRENDS IN FIBERS
AND ASBESTOS
Patterns

■ Rural areas (remote from asbestos emission sources):

- below 100 F/m3
■ Urban areas:
- general levels may vary from below 100 to 1000 F/m3
■ Near various emission sources the following figures have been measured as yearly
averages (6,12,14):
- downwind from an asbestos-cement plant at 300 m: 2200 F/m3; at 700m: 800
F/m3; at 1000 m: 600 F/m3 (6);
- at a street crossing with heavy traffic, 900 F/m3 (14);
- on an express-way, up to 3300 F/m3 (9)
Patterns

■ Indoor air:
- in buildings without specific asbestos sources, concentrations are generally below
1000 F/m3 (12);
- in buildings with friable asbestos, concentrations vary irregularly; usually less than
1000 F*/m3 are found, but in some cases exposure reaches 10 000 F*/m3 (9), where
■ F* = fibres counted with an optical microscope.
Data
KL = a proportionality
constant, which is a measure
of the carcinogenic potency
of
asbestos

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/123072/AQG2ndEd_6_2_asbestos.
PDF?ua=1
Data

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/123072/A
QG2ndEd_6_2_asbestos.PDF?ua=1
Reminders
■ Electron microscopy is the only method which can detect and identify asbestos fibres
among the very wide range of other fibrous and nonfibrous particles
■ Asbestos is a proven human carcinogen (IARC Group 1).
■ No safe level can be proposed for asbestos because a threshold is not known to exist.
■ Exposure therefore should be kept as low as possible.
■ IARC - International Agency for Research on Cancer