Asbestos Exposures During Routine Floor Tile Maintenance. Part 2: Ultra High Speed Burnishing and Wet-Stripping

Abstract

Abstract This study was conducted to evaluate airborne asbestos concentrations during ultra high speed (UHS) burnishing and wet-stripping of asbestos-containing resilient floor tile under two levels of floor care condition (poor and good). Airborne asbestos concentrations were measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) before and during each floor care maintenance procedure in the breathing zone of the custodial personnel. Airborne total fiber concentrations were also measured by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) for comparison with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 f/cm3, 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). This study shows that UHS burnishing and wet-stripping of asbestos-containing resilient floor tile can result in elevated levels of airborne asbestos. UHS burnishing and wet-stripping produced similar increases in airborne asbestos concentrations when compared with baseline measurements. Approximately 99.5 percent of the asbestos str...