Research on Current Nonoccupational Exposure to Asbestos Available to Purchase

Preliminary data from research being undertaken through the University of Western Australia is presented. The research data collection focused on emerging areas of potential public exposure and concern, such as asbestos-contaminated soil and aging asbestos-containing infrastructure in built environments. There is a poor understanding and increasing concern regarding the current exposure of the general Australian community to asbestos. One reason for this concern is a lack of recent data on asbestos fiber concentrations in different environments and under different conditions. Air and soil samples have been collected in areas and situations in which concentrations may be elevated or for where exposure data are lacking. The suitability of available methods for sampling and analysis of lower asbestos concentrations in Australia is considered as well as the modifications to sampling methodology to consider a revised lower limit of reporting. Preliminary samples were collected and analyzed using accepted Australian methodology for fiber counting with further analysis using scanning electron microscopy for selected samples. Preliminary results suggest that airborne asbestos concentrations are extremely low, even in situations such as fire-damaged asbestos. The use of more sensitive methods for nonoccupational assessment of asbestos in soil and in air is supported as analytical methods must be sufficiently sensitive for quantifying environmental (low-level) exposure. An outcome of the completed research will be to develop exposure categories for current nonoccupational exposure scenarios that could be used in future epidemiological studies of asbestos-related diseases as well as to better understand and communicate health risk to the public from current asbestos exposures.