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A study of asbestos fiber exposures during removal of asbestos gaskets of the type used in equipment in the Dutch chemical industry was conducted. Breathing zone samples were collected from workers in two groups who removed asbestos gaskets on chemical industrial equipment using two procedures. The first group consisted of maintenance personnel who, while performing their job tasks, removed gaskets only if they could be removed with little effort using only a putty knife and without breakage (group-A). The second group (group-B) was composed of specially trained workers who removed the gaskets that were left by group-A. For both groups, the gaskets were wetted with a wetting agent before attempting removal. The average fiber exposures of group-A workers varied from 0.042 to 0.242 fibers per milliliter (fibers/ml); only four of 11 samples collected by group-A contained asbestos, at very low concentrations. The average fiber exposures of group-B varied from nondetectable to 0.02 fibers/ml. Asbestos was detected in one of three examined samples at a concentration of 0.003 fibers/ml. The authors conclude that personal exposures to asbestos during removal of asbestos containing gaskets are well below the current Dutch standard of 0.3 fibers/ml.
Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 40(5):583-588, 1996. (7 references)
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