QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF AIRBORNE ASBESTOS DUST IN OCCUPATIONAL ENVIRONMENT BY X-RAY DIFFRACTION USING CONVENTIONAL AND ROTATING ANODE X-RAY TUBE

Abstract

X-ray diffraction is used as an analytical tool for crystalline substances which are hazards in an occupational and natural environments. This paper describes a method for qualitative and quantitative determination of asbestos in airborne dust in the occupational environment. Airborne asbestos collected on glass fiber filter by means of high volume air sampler can be analyzed without removal of the dust from the filter and also without addition of internal standard material. For determination of amounts of total dust, the filter is weighed before and after the collection of the sample. For estimation of mass per unit volume of air, the total volume of air that passed through the filter is recorded. In order to obtain asbestos content in airborne particulates, two types of X-ray generators are used in this study. One is equipped with conventional sealed anode X-ray tube. It is applicable to determine quantita-tively 1 to 5 mg of asbestos with this method. The other is equipped with rotating anode X-ray tube in order to generate high power X-ray. This procedure can be carried out routinely in a laboratory and in occupational environment when the total amount of sample is of the order of 0.01 mg of glass fiber filter of 3.8 cm2 in area.The results of field survey indicate very high concentration of both asbestos and total dust in working area of asbestos industry, especially of sprayed mineral fiber containing asbestos.