Asbestos Fiber Release during Change-Out of Filter Bags from HEPA-Filtered Vacuum Cleaners

摘要

High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered vacuum cleaners are the primary tool used to clean up asbestos containing material during operations and maintenance (O&M) activities. The change-out of vacuum bags is a potential source of airborne asbestos contamination. In 1989 and 1990 the Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted a series of controlled tests to determine airborne asbestos fiber levels during change-out of filters bags used in HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners. Five different HEPA-filtered vacuums of varying brands and capacities were tested. The study was conducted at EPA's controlled asbestos test (CAT) facility. The data from two studies indicates that airborne asbestos levels can increase significantly during normal bag change-out operations and that these increases vary with the configuration of the vacuum cleaner. The primary potential point of fiber release during each bag change-out occurred when the paper bag was separated from the intake tube. The use of a glove-box enclosure significantly reduced the increase in airborne asbestos concentrations during bag change-out.