Asbestos short fibers in indoor air: a first study in French buildings

摘要

Whereas long asbestos fibers have been largely studied and are targeted by the legislation, the short asbestos fibers (length [L] < 5μm; diameter [D] ≤ 3μm, and L/D ratio > 3) are rarely measured in the air. This study aimed at measuring the indoor concentration of short asbestos fiber in different types of buildings still containing materials with asbestos. Air sampling was performed in 47 buildings (n=131 rooms). Short asbestos fibers were detected in 50% of the samples, and long fibers in 16%. The short fiber mean concentration was 17 f/L.