Asbestos Cement Research Articles

Pleural mesothelioma and occupational and non-occupational asbestos exposure: a case-control study with quantitative risk assessment

ObjectivesCasale Monferrato (north west Italy) is an area with an exceptionally high incidence of mesothelioma caused by asbestos contamination at work and in the general environment from the asbestos-cement Eternit...

Visualizing distribution of naturally discharged asbestos fibers in Korea through analysis of thickness changes in asbestos cement slates

Asbestos slates are harmful when asbestos fibers are lost and emitted into the surrounding areas through years of weathering. This study quantified the amount of asbestos discharged naturally from slates and visualized the amount of asbestos discharged naturally from slates in administrative districts in Korea. First, the researchers measured the thickness of slates and calculated the age of 193 slate-roofed buildings in three similar regions with average weather conditions in Korea. Then a regression analysis was conducted with SPSS 2.0 based on the results of the field survey, and this showed that the level of eroded slate by age is (−0.015 + 0.034 × n) mm/year. When applying the deduced formula for change in thickness, to slates with different specifications, the amount of asbestos discharged naturally per unit area of slate would be (−2.5 + 5.67 × n) g/m2. The map visualized with the ‘Natural Break’ option of the ArcGIS program shows the amount of asbestos discharged naturally is relatively less in Gangwon-do (6903.36 kg/year), but greater in Gyeonggi-do (165,436.03 kg/year), Gyeongsangnam-do (108,375.41 kg/year) and Jeollanam-do (162,280.53 kg/year). The map visualized using the ‘Equal Interval’ option shows that the amount of asbestos discharged naturally from slates is overwhelmingly greater in Ulsan (64,704.24 kg/year) than in any other region. This study provides data that the government can utilize to establish a plan to remove and dispose of slates, and to select priority regions for slate removal to benefit public health and the environment. The results of this study also suggest methods that can be used to estimate the amount of asbestos discharged naturally from slates with different specifications in other countries.

Signature Failure Modes of Pipelines Constructed of Different Materials When Subjected to Earthquakes

AbstractThe 2010/2011 Canterbury (New Zealand) earthquakes caused significant damage to buried pipeline infrastructure. Observations of damaged pipes that were made during either repair or replacement were used to define representative examples of the damage to each of the commonly used pipe materials. The different pipe materials that were considered included steel reinforced concrete, polyvinyl chloride, high-density polyethylene, cast iron, asbestos cement, and vitrified clay. Photographs of damaged pipes at the time of repair were collected and analyzed to identify pipe failure modes. It was determined that different pipeline materials exhibited different failure mechanisms during the earthquakes and that each pipe material was found to have a distinct failure signature. In particular, polyvinyl chloride pipes behaved in an unexpected brittle way. The failure mechanisms of each type of pipe are described using engineering nomenclature, and the signature failure modes are categorized and tabulated to f...

Mapping of Asbestos Cement Roofs and Their Weathering Status Using Hyperspectral Aerial Images

The aims of this study were: (i) the mapping of asbestos cement roofs in an urban area; and (ii) the development of a spectral index related to the roof weathering status. Aerial images were collected through the Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer (MIVIS) sensor, which acquires data in 102 channels from the visible to the thermal infrared spectral range. An image based supervised classification was performed using the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm. The SAM was trained through a set of pixels selected on roofs of different materials. The map showed an average producer’s accuracy (PA) of 86% and a user’s accuracy (UA) of 89% for the asbestos cement class. A novel spectral index, the “Index of Surface Deterioration” (ISD), was defined based on measurements collected with a portable spectroradiometer on asbestos cement roofs that were characterized by different weathering statuses. The ISD was then calculated on the MIVIS images, allowing the distinction of two weathering classes (i.e., high and low). The asbestos cement map was handled in a Geographic Information System (GIS) in order to supply the municipalities with the cadastral references of each property having an asbestos cement roof. This tool can be purposed for municipalities as an aid to prioritize asbestos removal, based on roof weathering status.

Epidemiological patterns of asbestos exposure and spatial clusters of incident cases of malignant mesothelioma from the Italian national registry.

BackgroundPrevious ecological spatial studies of malignant mesothelioma cases, mostly based on mortality data, lack reliable data on individual exposure to asbestos, thus failing to assess the contribution of different occupational and environmental sources in the determination of risk excess in specific areas. This study aims to identify territorial clusters of malignant mesothelioma through a Bayesian spatial analysis and to characterize them by the integrated use of asbestos exposure information retrieved from the Italian national mesothelioma registry (ReNaM).MethodsIn the period 1993 to 2008, 15,322 incident cases of all-site malignant mesothelioma were recorded and 11,852 occupational, residential and familial histories were obtained by individual interviews. Observed cases were assigned to the municipality of residence at the time of diagnosis and compared to those expected based on the age-specific rates of the respective geographical area. A spatial cluster analysis was performed for each area applying a Bayesian hierarchical model. Information about modalities and economic sectors of asbestos exposure was analyzed for each cluster.ResultsThirty-two clusters of malignant mesothelioma were identified and characterized using the exposure data. Asbestos cement manufacturing industries and shipbuilding and repair facilities represented the main sources of asbestos exposure, but a major contribution to asbestos exposure was also provided by sectors with no direct use of asbestos, such as non-asbestos textile industries, metal engineering and construction. A high proportion of cases with environmental exposure was found in clusters where asbestos cement plants were located or a natural source of asbestos (or asbestos-like) fibers was identifiable. Differences in type and sources of exposure can also explain the varying percentage of cases occurring in women among clusters.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates shared exposure patterns in territorial clusters of malignant mesothelioma due to single or multiple industrial sources, with major implications for public health policies, health surveillance, compensation procedures and site remediation programs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1301-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Stimulation of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) production by actinomycetes after cyclic chlorination in drinking water distribution systems

The impact of fluctuation in chlorine residual on actinomycetes and the production of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) were studied in cast-iron and PVC model distribution systems. Actinomycetes were spiked in each system and continued operation for a 12-day non-chlorine experiment, resulting in no changes in actinomycetes and MIB concentrations. Three cyclic chlorination events were performed and chlorine residuals were maintained as follows: 1.0 mg L−1 for 24 h, 0 mg L−1 for 48 h, 0.5 mg L−1 for 48 h, 0 mg L−1 for 48 h and 2 mg L−1 for 24 h. After each chlorination event, 2 -3 log decrease in actinomycetes was noted in both systems. However, within 48 h at 0 mg L−1 chlorine, the actinomycetes recovered to the pre-chlorination levels. On the contrary, MIB concentration in both systems remained un-impacted after the first cycle and increased by fourfold (< 5 to > 20 mg L−1) after the second cycle, which lasted through the third cycle despite the fact that actinomycetes numbers fluctuated 2–3 logs during this time period. For obtaining biofilm samples from field, water meters were collected from municipality drinking water distribution systems located in central Arizona. The actinomycetes concentration in asbestos cement pipe and cast iron pipe averaged 3.1 × 103 and 1.9 × 104 CFU cm−2, respectively. The study shows that production of MIB is associated with changes in chlorine residual in the systems. This is the first report of cyclic chlorine shock as a stimulus for MIB production by actinomycetes in drinking water distribution system's ecology.

Managing Technological and Economic Uncertainties in Design of Long-term Infrastructure Projects: An Info-gap Approach

Infrastructure for water distribution must operate reliably for many decades. Planners face technological and economic uncertainties. The Net Present Worth (NPW) of a long-term infrastructure project is highly uncertain because of these uncertain variables. We use info-gap decision theory for infrastructure planning to manage these uncertainties. We study the robustness question: how much can our estimates of the uncertain variables err, and the NPW will still be acceptable? The answer is expressed by the info-gap robustness function. Large robustness implies great immunity to uncertainty, while low robustness implies high vulnerability to uncertainty. A plan whose robustness is large is preferred over a plan with low robustness. In other words, the info-gap robustness function prioritizes the alternative plans. We illustrate the planning procedure with long-term planning-analysis for maintenance and replacement of Asbestos Cement (AC) pipes owned by the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) in Oakland, California. Our example illustrates the evaluation of alternatives based on robustness against uncertainty in both technological and economic variables.

SOCIAL PERCEPTION OF PASSIVE POLLUTION BY ASBESTOS IN DARABANI TOWN, BOTOSANI COUNTY, ROMANIA

Social perception is a tool widely used in the environment research, due to the emphasis put on the one hand on the human component, as an important factor in the development of society, and on the other hand on the man-environment interaction of the past decades. The aim of the present study is to assess the population concern about the environment, and particularly about the use of asbestos (a material partly forbidden in Romania since 2007), for construction purposes. The case study, Darabani town in the Botosani County, was chosen because about one fourth of the households are roofed with asbestos cement sheets. The investigation methods consisted in making an inventory of the houses covered by asbestos sheets and in administering a questionnaire to 500 residents, focused both on the perception of the environment and on asbestos use. The survey data were processed in SPSSv.17 , using Chi and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The answers were analyzed by relating the perception of the environmental problems identified in the field with the age, education level and incomes of the local community, which allowed us to highlight some statistical differences among the various groups. The results showed that the population was concerned about the environmental problems, but less concerned about asbestos use, except for the people with higher education or having high incomes. In brief, most residents ignored the fact they lived in an asbestos polluted environment.

The Path Forward for Pipe Bursting Asbestos Cement Pipe

The Path Forward for Pipe Bursting Asbestos Cement Pipe

석면 슬레이트 해체작업의 공정분석 및 위험성평가에 관한 연구

Asbestos is given to a variety of six naturally occurring silicate minerals. These minerals possess high tensile strength, flexibility, resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and electrical resistance. These minerals have been used for decades in thousands of commercial products, such as insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes, textile products, cement and wallboard materials. When handled, asbestos can separate into microscopic-size particles that remain in the air and are easily inhaled. It is now known that prolonged inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious and fatal illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Therefore the use of asbestos and asbestos products has dramatically decreased in recent years. Also all constructions including asbestos should be removed under strictly controlled conditions and very tightly implemented health & safety management systems. In this study, the process of the removal work of the asbestos cement slate was analyzed by IDEF-0 modeling and evaluated by 4M risk assessment method. The results show that removal work of the asbestos cement slate was classified five process and eighteen detail process. The risk of safety side the higher than the risk of health side in 4M risk assessment.

Impact of an asbestos cement factory on mesothelioma incidence: Global assessment of effects of occupational, familial, and environmental exposure

Few studies have examined the incidence of malignant mesothelioma (MM) associated with distinct sources of asbestos exposure (occupational, familial, or environmental). We assessed the impact of asbestos exposure—global and by source—on the incidence of MM in Broni, an Italian town in which an asbestos cement factory once operated (1932–1993). Based on data collected by the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry, we calculated the number of observed and expected MM cases among workers, their cohabitants, and people living in the area in 2000–2011. We identified 147 MM cases (17.45 expected), 138 pleural and nine peritoneal, attributable to exposure to asbestos from the factory. Thirty-eight cases had past occupational exposure at the factory (2.33 expected), numbering 32 men (26 pleural, six peritoneal) and six women (four pleural, two peritoneal). In the families of the workers, there were 37 MM cases (4.23 expected), numbering five men (all pleural) and 32 women (31 pleural, one peritoneal). Among residents in Broni or in the adjacent/surrounding towns, there were 72 cases of pleural MM (10.89 expected), numbering 23 men and 49 women. The largest MM excess was found in the towns of Broni (48 observed, 3.68 expected) and Stradella (16 observed, 1.85 expected). This study documents the large impact of the asbestos cement factory, with about 130 excess MM cases in a 12-year period. The largest MM burden was among women, from non-occupational exposure. Almost half of the MM cases were attributable to environmental exposure.

Casselberry Asbestos Cement Pipe Bursting Project Moving Forward by Leaving it Behind

The City of Casselberry is nearing the end of its water quality improvement projects, which have utilized prechlorinated potable water main pipe bursting to replace approximately 35 mi (184,800 linear ft) of asbestos cement (AC) pipe. This project is likely the largest of its kind in the United States. The project has received $10.3 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's (FDEP) State Revolving Fund Program. The City, engineer, and contractor have worked very closely with FDEP and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the applicability of the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) to the fractured pieces of AC pipe remaining in the ground after the pipe bursting process. Utilization of pipe bursting over traditional open cut provides many environmental, social, and economical benefits to the City's customers and residents. This paper will describe the working process in place to burst AC pipe while meeting all EPA regulations and will describe all the efforts to complete the project.

High incidence of lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma linked to erionite fibre exposure in a rural community in Central Mexico

ObjectiveTo report the high incidence of lung cancer (LC) and malignant mesothelioma (MM) linked to environmental exposure to erionite fibres in a rural village of central Mexico.MethodsThis is a retrospective...

Critical Data Needs Associated with Asbestos Cement Pipe Renewal Methods

AbstractAsbestos cement (AC) pipe accounts for approximately 15% of the total length of water distribution system piping in North America. Pipe renewal activities are needed to maintain these pipes as they deteriorate, but concerns over the environmental impact and regulations associated with these construction methods are largely misunderstood. Confusion around these issues led this study to determine (1) what the regulations allow, (2) which renewal methods are applicable, and (3) the critical data needs associated with these methods when used for AC pipe renewal. This paper describes current AC pipe renewal regulations and practices (e.g., pipe bursting, cured-in-place pipe lining, etc.) and the critical data needs relating to AC pipe renewal (e.g., study of the asbestos fibers released in air, water, and soil during construction). These findings are valuable for water utilities in need of solutions for renewing their aging AC pipes and in understanding regulations. The recommendations highlight the ne...

Pipe failure predictions in drinking water systems using satellite observations

Soil deformation is believed to play a crucial role in the onset of failures in the underground infrastructure. This article describes a method to generate a replacement-prioritisation map for underground drinking water pipe networks using ground movement data. A segment of the distribution network of a Dutch drinking water company was selected as the study area. Failure registration data comprising 868 failures registered over 40 months and geographical network data were obtained from the water utility. Ground movement was estimated using radar satellite data. Two types of analyses were performed: cell and pixel based. For the cell-based analysis, asbestos cement (AC) pipes exhibited the highest failure rates. Older AC pipes were also shown to fail more often, whereas failure rates for PVC were the lowest. For the pixel-based analysis, ground movement was demonstrated to play a role in the failure of all materials combined. Therefore, a replacement-prioritisation map for AC was generated which combined ground movement data and pipe-age data. This method can be a beneficial resource for network managers for maintenance and continuous monitoring.

GIS를 이용한 석면함유건축물 우선철거지역 선정 - 대구광역시를 중심으로 -

Asbestos hazards have been studied by many people and the hazards become already known wide although it is not referred obstinately. In this country, the use of asbestos was banned completely according to revision of Industrial Safety and Health Law in February of 2009. Especially, more than 82% of imported asbestos is used as building materials, so asbestos containing material with the construction waste will be generated fatally when buildings are demolished. Slate among materials included asbestos is used wide along with economic development by the 1960s. Such slate becomes superannuated, so arsenic acid in asbestos can become a problem. Therefore, change is pushing ahead by the government. In safety control about asbestos enforced at April of 2012, it is obligated to investigate buildings included asbestos beforehand. Although a local autonomous entity has also been enacted an ordinance for proper process of asbestos cement slate, it has just been made slow progress due to problems such as difficulty in pre-investigation, absence of guideline relevant to demolition and dismantling and lack of budget. To solve these problems, in this research, using arcGIS, Priority dismantling area were selected from all asbestos cement slate building in dangerousness of metropolitan area which has wide exposure range because of concentration of population, especially focusing on Daegu metropolitan city.

EXPOSURE HAZARD ANALYSIS IN CEMENT FIBER SHEET MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

Asbestos a collective name given to six type of naturally occurring fiber, well known human carcinogen. Undesirable health effects of asbestos lead to prohibition in most of developed countries but still some developing countries tend to use it in various commercial form. The objective of this study is to estimate the occupational asbestos exposure level and to predict the health risk if the level of exposure exceeds the recommended standard limit. One of the asbestos cement (AC) sheet manufacturing industry is selected to conduct study similar to general cross-sectional study. The main operation of the industry is to manufacture AC sheet in continuous basic that mean production is done round the clock. Both personal sample and static sample were collected in regular operational day by following BIS 11450:2006 as standard procedure for collecting air samples and fiber counting. Location for sampling were selected by considering staff suggestion and by visual observation made around the occupancy area. From twenty-four collected samples twenty-two were sampled, the personal sample taken from wet ball mill area shown 0.0690 fiber per cubic centimetre (f/cc) which was highest among overall collected sample and lowest concentration 0.0195 f/cc was found from personal testing fiber sheet. From the obtained fiber concentration result it shows that asbestos exposure at occupational area were maintained within the permissible limit also no history of asbestos related diseases (ARD) was found among employees which hypothesis the progressive safety system in working environment. Unless until the use of asbestos is completely prohibited, a finest control system should be followed to avoid the occurrence of ARD from both occupational and public zone.

Temperatura superficial de materiais utilizados para cobertura individual de bezerreiros

Propôs-se, com este trabalho avaliar, por meio de imagens térmicas, a temperatura superficial das coberturas de abrigos individuais para bezerras na fase de aleitamento. O período experimental foi de janeiro a março de 2012, com duração de 56 dias, conduzido com 24 abrigos individuais para bezerras Girolando. Os tratamentos consistiram em três tipos de cobertura: palha de palmeira, telha de polímero reciclado e telha de cimento amianto. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o inteiramente casualizado efetuando-se a comparação entre as médias pelo teste de Tukey (P &lt; 0,05). Os resultados mostraram diferença significativa entre os tratamentos estudados e as telhas recicladas apresentaram menores valores de temperatura média na superfície superior, em todos os horários analisados sendo o valor máximo encontrado da ordem de 36,9 ºC e o mínimo de 14,4 ºC. Os abrigos cobertos por palha e com telhas recicladas mostraram melhor desempenho térmico em relação à cobertura de fibrocimento, provavelmente indicando melhor condição de conforto térmico aos animais alojados.

The potential use of cement–asbestos waste in the ceramic masses destined for sintered wall clay brick manufacture

Asbestos fibers are considered to be carcinogenic and to cause cancer, thus elimination of asbestos-containing materials from the environment is necessary. Currently, asbestos materials are stored in special landfills designed for hazardous wastes. However, this procedure is not a final solution to the problem and an alternative might be thermal recycling. This paper reports the results of a study on using asbestos-cement slates as an additive to ceramic masses that are typical in the manufacture of sintered clinker wall bricks. Green compacts containing various amounts (0–10wt%) of asbestos–cement wastes were sintered at temperatures of 1100–1200°C. Subsequently, ceramic product properties such as water absorption, open porosity, apparent density, compressive strength and freeze resistance were determined. The preliminary results of the study indicate that asbestos-containing materials can be used as one of the raw materials in the manufacture of clinker ceramic material, and that the origin of the asbestos–cement used does not have a significant influence on the basic properties of sintered clinker wall bricks. Main ceramic properties, such as water absorption, compressive strength and freeze resistance, comply with national standards and requirements for construction and road clinker ceramic.

Developing expeditious methodology for mapping asbestos-cement roof coverings over the territory of Lazio Region

This paper reports the results of a research activity over the territory of Lazio Region for the mapping of asbestos-cement (AC) roof coverings in conformance with Law D.M. 101/2003. Through combining data retrieved from Multispectral Infrared Visible Imaging Spectrometer (MIVIS) classification by Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) and Regional Technical Map (RTM), it was possible to accurately map out the area of interest in reduced time. The maps acquired by applying the Minimum Bounding algorithm were then compared with the Classification and RTM Intersection. The results obtained so far were validated by means of field measurements and can be considered as satisfactory. However, we think it is necessary to highlight how combining MIVIS and RTM data, and using many different software packages, have contributed to give concrete answers to those environmental issues hardly to be investigated and, to open up new, significant prospects for territorial surveys.