Standardization of Protocol for the Sampling, Testing and abatement of AsbestosContaining Joint Compound

摘要

This study investigated the differing regulatory guidelines from the OccupationalSafety and Health Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency concerning the abatement of Asbestos Containing Joint Compound (ACJC). The specific interest was whether or not adequate protection was being afforded demolition workers when exposed to working with ACJC materials that contain less than 1.0 percent asbestos. A spreadsheet was written to estimate the exposure scenario which might be experienced within a given room size on a demolition or renovation jobsite. Spreadsheets were calculated for ACJC with an asbestos content of 0.1 to 0.9 percent in 0.1 increments for rooms ranging in size from 15ft x 25ft x 8ft to 200ft x 25ft x 8ft. Two hundred iterations were used to compute an average exposure concentration for each room size, each size being represented by a spreadsheet. In all cases, the results indicated that the exposure potential created by the manual demolition of ACJC exceeded the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 0.2 f/cc. This finding resulted in the conclusion that personal air sampling should be conducted on individuals to determine if the exposure levels simulated in this research are comparable to those experienced in the workplace. Until this research is validated by such efforts, it is recommended that ACJC abatement actions be performed within negative air containment systems equipped with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. Asbestos, Asbestos containing joint compound, Joint compound.