Pilot Study to Estimate Asbestos Exposure from Vermiculite Attic Insulation: Research Conducted in 2001 and 2002

摘要

This project began in November 2000 as a preliminary or pilot study of the analysis of vermiculite attic insulation. There were two general objectives for the pilot study: (1) obtain a rough estimate of amount of asbestos in attics having vermiculite attic insulation; and (2) obtain a rough estimate of a persons exposure to asbestos while performing common household activities. The budget and the timing for the completion of the both parts of this pilot study precluded a comprehensive search for: (a) commercial vermiculite products which either represented all nationally distributed products in the present or in the past; (b) and the asbestos content and mine origin for this universe of products. In addition, there were similar constraints on (a) an exhaustive or nationally representative search for different types of homes using different types of vermiculite insulation from different mines and containing different amounts of asbestos; and (b) evaluations of national attic use patterns and exhaustive evaluations of different simulations of use experiments in the attics and in the dwellings below the attics.