How to Identify Floor Tiles & Sheet Flooring That May Contain Asbestos InspectAPedia® -
How to recognize floor tiles or other flooring that may contain asbestos fibers
Asphalt asbestos floor tile identification and advice
Vinyl asbestos floor tile (VAT) identification and handling to minimize asbestos fiber risks in buildings
History of asphalt-asbestos floor tile production & history of vinyl-asbestos floor tile production
Photographs of asbestos in building products
Questions & answers about how to identify asbestos-containing flooring materials and what to do when asbestos-containing floor tiles or sheet flooring are found in a building.
This article explains how to identify floor tiles that are likely to contain asbestos, by making a simple visual inspection, noting the probable age of the building and age of its materials, and similar clues. This document assists building buyers, owners or inspectors who need to identify asbestos materials (or probable-asbestos) in buildings by visual inspection. If you don't see information you want, ask us for it using the comments box on this page.
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We provide photographs and descriptive text of asbestos insulation and other asbestos-containing products
to permit identification of definite, probable, or possible asbestos materials in buildings.
For a detailed photo guide to individual vinyl-asbestos floor tile patterns, brands, sizes, and years of manufacture, see ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE.
Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos
materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air.
While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy may be needed to identify the specific type of
asbestos fiber, or to identify the presence of asbestos in air or dust samples, many asbestos-containing building products
not only are obvious and easy to recognize, but since there were not other look-alike products that were not asbestos, a visual identification of this material can be virtually a certainty in many cases.
Our photo (left) shows Armstrong® Excelon 12x12 vinyl asbestos flooring made in 1972, identified in our floor tile photo guide ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE - detailed photo guide to asphalt asbestos and vinyl asbestos floor tiles, and resilient flooring produced in 1900 -1980.
On occasion, the original flooring packaging or installation literature may be available for a given home: often an extra box of floor tiles was kept for future repairs. The vinyl-asbestos floor tile package label information, combined with a simple comparison of tiles in the package with tiles installed in the building may be sound confirmation of asbestos-containing materials. See Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Packaging. Historical information about the dates of flooring installation may also be sufficient to rule in or out the possibility that flooring in a building contains asbestos.
See these articles on types, ages, characteristics, ingredients, & inspection of different types of floor coverings:
FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS - history, dates, and description of the production process and ingredients in asphalt floor tiles, asphalt-asbestos floor tiles, & vinyl-asbestos floor tiles 1900 to present.
FLOORING MATERIALS, Age, Types - Age of Building Flooring Materials - A Guide to Estimating Building Age, This article describes types and ingredients in flooring materials: Asphalt floor tile, Cork floor tile or planks, Laminate flooring (modern), Linoleum & older sheet flooring (painted canvas), Vinyl-asbestos floor tiles, Wood flooring.
Asphalt asbestos floor tiles as an asbestos fiber source in buildings
Asphalt asbestos floor tiles were popular in the U.S. from 1920 into the 1960's. Asphalt-asbestos floor tiles were produced at first in dark colors using a heavy asphalt binder combined with a very high percentage of asbestos filler fibers. It would be uncommon to find these floors still in use today, but if you encounter black or very dark asphalt floor tiles they are probably very high in asbestos fibers.
(The black tiles shown at left were not dated and may be a newer product, but in general, if you find very old black floor tiles they are probably an asphalt-asbestos product. )
Source of High Levels of Asbestos in Asphalt Floor Tiles:
Asphalt-asbestos floor tiles were produced at first in dark colors using a heavy asphalt binder combined with a very high percentage of asbestos filler fibers. It would be uncommon to find these floors still in use today, but if you encounter black or very dark asphalt floor tiles they are probably very high in asbestos fibers.
Depending on the particular mixture of asphalt, gilsonite, asbestos, limestone, and pigment used, these floor tiles could contain as much as 70% asbestos by weight. One reason that so much asbestos was used in flooring tiles was simply the wish to find an application for asbestos waste product from asbestos mining operations.
The black and white floor tiles at left also may be vinyl not asphalt based since white tiles appear to have been laid at the same time as the black units. This home was constructed in the 1950's. Since white resilient floor tiles would have been unusual to find before 1952-1955, we guess that the age of the floor may be consistent with that of the home in this photo.
While the asbestos fibers are mixed with a hard binder and the floor tiles are certainly not friable, we have read accounts of airborne levels of asbestos fibers being traced to the presence asphalt-asbestos floor tiles in areas either subjected to high volume foot traffic or to abrasive floor cleaning or maintenance procedures (like using steel wool pad floor buffing machines in a school corridor), or during demolition of this material.
Older nine-inch "thicker" vinyl or asphalt-based floor tiles, many more recent 12-inch floor tiles (1960 - 1980), and some more recent sheet linoleum as well as the mastic used to bed or glue down older flooring materials are likely to contain asbestos fibers and should not be disturbed by grinding, sanding, or demolition without taking the appropriate precautions.
We discuss the history and manufacture of asphalt-asbestos floor tiles in our Age of House articles at Flooring Materials. We discuss the inspection, diagnosis, and repair of various flooring products at FLOOR TYPES & DEFECTS.
Also see Asbestos HVAC Ducts a field identification guide to
visual detection of asbestos in and on heating and cooling system ducts and flue vents. Also see Micro-Photographs of Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the
9/11/01 attack. Links to U.S. government and other authoritative research and advice are included.
What is the Level of Hazard of Asphalt Asbestos or Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles?
The US EPA points out in Adequately Wet Guidance, EPA340/1-90-019 that asbestos-containing floor tiles are considered non-friable materials but the materials can become friable with age or by grinding, sanding, demolition, etc.
Here is what the University of Minnesota has to say about the hazards of this type of asbestos-containing floor tiles:
Flooring that contains asbestos, when intact and in good condition, is generally considered nonfriable and is not hazardous.
Heat, water, weathering or aging can weaken flooring to the point where it is considered friable. Friable flooring includes any material containing more than 1 percent asbestos that can be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder with hand pressure. This includes previously nonfriable flooring material which has been damaged to the extent that it may be crumbled, pulverized or reduced to powder by hand pressure. Flooring can also be made friable during its removal. Friable materials can release asbestos fibers into the air. Once in the air, asbestos fibers present a health hazard to people who inhale those fibers.
The University of Minnesota source includes advice on removing asbestos-containing floor tiles if removal is required for any reason, and the UM provides examples of do-it-yourself removal procedures that are safe for homeowners as well as examples that were probably unsafe or improper.
In general, avoid violent demolition, such as using floor sanders, grinders, or floor stripping machines to remove these materials.
During demolition or removal, this material should be disturbed as little as possible.
Consider simply installing a new material atop the old asbestos-containing flooring. Remember that asbestos is not "radioactive" - it does not cause injury or illness simply by being present, encapsulated in a substance or covered-over by a new material.
In most residential cases testing these floor products is probably not justified, but if you prefer to send asbestos-suspect material samples to an NVLAP certified lab, they usually want three separate samples each about 3/4" in diameter, and charge about $20./sample. Here is the NIST link about those labs: http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/scopes/temtm.htm that has a list of participants. NVLAP is a national voluntary lab accreditation program within NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce whose lab program is at http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Accreditation/index.cfm
For guidelines for wetting asbestos containing materials, see Adequately Wet Guidance, EPA340/1-90-019 that asbestos-containing floor tiles are considered non-friable materials but the materials can become friable with age or by grinding, sanding, demolition, etc.
How to Dispose of Vinyl-Asbestos or Asphalt Asbestos-Containing Floor Tiles
The following advice for disposal of vinyl-asbestos or asphalt asbestos floor tiles is adapted from the Minnesota State Department of Health:
State health departments typically recommend that all asbestos debris and waste is disposed of in a landfill that accepts asbestos-containing waste. There are three methods of disposing of asbestos waste and they are:
Contact local waste hauler for special pick-up.
Contact licensed abatement contractor for pick-up and disposal.
Dispose of waste yourself.
Watch out: if you are disposing of asbestos-containing waste yourself, you should contact your local state health department for detailed instructions. For example, while a landfill may accept asbestos-containing-material (ACM) (as the material may be buried and thence non-hazardous, special requirements may apply to protect workers and buildings from asbestos dust during collection, bagging, removal, and transportation.
How to Identify Asphalt-Asbestos or Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles as a potential asbestos fiber source in buildings
Asphalt-based asbestos floor tiles and plastic or vinyl-based asbestos flooring were popular in the U.S. in the 1940's - 1970's and were produced by some manufacturers (Armstrong) as late as 1980. Some asbestos-containing flooring products were manufactured (we estimate) as early as the late 1920's.
Photo at left from a 1950's home appears to show Armstrong Excelon-type VAT, courtesy of reader Kim who adds that asbestos testing indicated that the white floor tiles contained 7% and the black contained 5% asbestos. We suspect the actual asbestos levels are higher in these tiles because both fibers and fine asbestos filler particles were often used.
If the flooring is being demolished, sanded, buffed with steel-wool floor polishers,
or subject to heavy traffic, it might be a source of unacceptable asbestos particle release, as we discussed above at asphalt asbestos floor tiles as an asbestos source.
Armstrong® produced the Excelon Tile™ series beginning with a"plastic asbestos" tile series in 1954, referring to the product as vinyl plastic asbestos floor tiles beginning in 1955, and vinyl asbestos tiles from 1957 to 1980.
Vinyl asbestos floor tiles were produced by a number of manufacturers, and the decorative tile patterns were varied, often annually as styles and tastes changed. It is possible to make a tentative identification of floor tiles based on the individual tile pattern, color, and thickness.
On occasion, the original flooring packaging or installation literature may be available for a given home: often an extra box of floor tiles was kept for future repairs. The vinyl-asbestos floor tile package label information, combined with a simple comparison of tiles in the package with tiles installed in the building may be sound confirmation of asbestos-containing materials.
Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Thickness and Dimensions: 9x9 inch and 12x12 inch flooring
The Wards vinyl asbestos floor tiles shown just below are nominally 1/16 gauge (4mm) in thickness 9" x 9" square.
Armstrong vinyl asbestos 9" x 9" floor tiles may also have been produced in three thicknesses, depending on the cost and durability desired by the consumer: 1/16", 3/32", and 1/8" thickness. Our 9" x9" lab sample of Armstrong vinyl asbestos floor tile was measured at 3/32" (about 2mm) thick.
Armstrong also made 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tiles beginning in 1960. By 1972 most Armstrong vinyl asbestos floor tiles were sold in the 12" x 12" dimension. From 1973 to 1980 all Armstrong Excelon vinyl asbestos floor tiles were sold in 12" x 12" size.
At left is our photo of an asbestos-containing floor tile sold by Montgomery Wards®.
In additional photographs below we show the examination of this "asbestos floor tile in the lab" as well as photos of the original labeling on the package in which these tiles were distributed.
Details about and more identifying photographs of Montgomery Ward vinyl asbestos tile flooring are atMontgomery Ward Floor Tiles.
We discuss the history of vinyl-asbestos floor tiles in our Age of House articles at Flooring Materials. We discuss the inspection and diagnosis of various flooring defects, including vinyl asbestos tiles, at FLOOR TYPES & DEFECTS.
According to Rosato, even when vinyl or other synthetic organic resins were used as the binder to produce light colored floor tiles, asbestos fibers continued to be the main ingredient in these floor tile products, and may be present at levels as much as 70% by weight.
Other Examples of Asphalt-Asbestos or Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles (VAT) such as Armstrong™ Flooring and EverWear™ Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles™
Asphalt Asbestos, Plastic Asbestos, and Vinyl Asbestos floor tiles were sold in both 9" x 9" and in some years 12" x 12" sizes. Just below are photographs and text describing other vinyl or asphalt based asbestos-containing flooring.
These photographs of EverWear Vinyl Asbestos floor tiles were provided courtesy of home inspector David Grudzinski, who reported as follows:
While inspecting this home for a buyer I noticed this box and the tiles on the floor. All over the floor and next to the box are 1 inch holes drilled and filled with tiny plugs. The seller made the plugs to cover termite drill holes from treatment. he had no idea the danger of drilling these tiles and breathing the dust.
As you walk across the floor the tiles crack under your feet. The buyer was going to cover the tiles with a carpet and forget about it. My opinion was that that would be dangerous as the tiles are crumbling and the vacuuming of the carpet would sent the asbestos dust all through the house and be worse. further, the central heating ducts may be filled with the dust from past drilling and the home should be properly cleaned. only testing will tell the level of contamination from asbestos.
Details about Montgomery Ward vinyl asbestos tile flooring are at Montgomery Ward Floor Tiles. Excepts are below.
Here is the information from the original package in which this Montgomery Wards asbestos-containing floor tile was sold.
At the time of its popularity, the addition of asbestos fibers to the binder making up these floor tiles was considered a benefit in fire resistance and durability.
Click on any of these images to enlarge them to read the packaging text.
The following photographs of Sears™ VAT vinyl-asbestos-tile floor tiles, including the original box, were provided by reader Aaron Cramer. Mr. Cramer is an attorney with expertise in asbestos and U.S. patent litigation and services.
The "VAT" visible on the original Sears packaging almost certainly indicates "Vinyl Asbestos Tiles", and we have a lot and pattern number Sears VAT vinyl asbestos floor tile #2119-3, 126715-25VF. See our ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE for our full list and set of photographs.
Below our photographs show the embossed pattern on these Sears vinyl asbestos floor tiles. The tiles are solid through in color and material and are about 1/16" thick and 9" x 9" in size. Below right shows these Sears floor tiles installed.
Other (Brand Uncertain) Asphalt-Containing 9" x 9" Floor Tiles that Contain Asbestos
See our ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE to flooring produced between 1955 and 1980 and in some cases later products up to the present. Below we provide additional example photographs of asbestos-containing floor tiles in both 9" x 9" and 12" x 12" sizes.
At above left we show a 9" x 9"
cork patterned vinyl asbestos floor tile found in a 1960's ranch style home in New York. At above right we show a 9" x 9"
reddish brown asphalt or vinyl asbestos floor tile found in the same home.
Other (Brand Uncertain) Asphalt-Containing 12" x 12" Floor Tiles that Contain Asbestos
Below is a 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tile found in the same home as the 9" x 9" flooring shown above.
See a very similar and long-running popular Armstrong floor tile pattern beginning in 1955: Armstrong's Seneca white
It is likely that this is an asbestos-containing floor tile.
At left is a 12" x 12" vinyl asbestos floor tile found in a home built in 1969. Testing found 3% chrysotile asbestos in this floor tile sample. Thanks to reader R.M. for the photo and test information.
We have not identified the manufacturer of this floor tile though it may be an Armstrong tile (See Craftlon Collection 12" x 12" Adelphi II Aalst 54431 (showing a second color, Aalst) and see ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE) .
Asbestos-containing Vinyl Based Sheet Flooring Product Photos
The resilient sheet flooring shown at left is a modern product (we are using this photo as a placeholder) and does not contain asbestos.
But before about 1978, in products that looked like this same material, asbestos fibers were used as a strengthen material on vinyl sheet flooring backing.
If the vinyl resilient sheet flooring backing material were dry-sanded or scraped during building demolition, for example, or if the sheet flooring is worn through so that foot traffic continues to damage the backing material, it is possible for unsafe levels of asbestos fibers to be released in a building. --EPA Guidance
During demolition or removal, this material should be disturbed as little as possible. Additional demolition, renovation, and installation advice for dealing with resilient sheet flooring materials can be obtained from the Resilient Floor Covering Institute, by obtaining their publication on the topic.
Questions & Answers About Asbestos-Containing Sheet Flooring Products
Question: How Should I Handle Exposed Sheet Flooring Underside I can See in My Duct System?
I have these pictures of the flooring surrounding the floor air vent in the bathroom of my house. Both are taken from inside the vent looking up. The white overhang is the bottom of the relatively new sheet flooring which is placed over the 1978 bathroom floor which is most likely some sort of sheet vinyl/linoleum . It's a typical bathroom floor.
Between the wood floorboard and the white overhang (new floor), you can see a brown looking material. I'm not sure if this is backing of the original floor, backing of the new floor, or something else entirely.
Without speculating too much, was the asbestos paper backing used on old flooring typically white in color? I'd like to rid the idea that the brown part you see (although blurry) is an asbestos backing. if realistic. I understand testing is the only way but im not about to rip it out.
Thanks for your time and I enjoy your website. it's very informative. I refer many people to it. - J.L.
Reply: Yes old sheet flooring asbestos backing is typically white, but it could be a different color by now - here's what we'd do:
I am sorry to say that the photos were too blurry for me to have much of an opinion - I know how tough it is to get the camera to focus in those odd awkward places.
That said, here are some things to consider:
In my (limited) experience with asbestos-containing backing on sheet flooring, yes it's usually quite light or white in color.
But of course if it was exposed to dirt, dust, debris, spills, its color may be changed from original.
If you think the flooring you see was installed before 1986 it's reasonable to presume it contains asbestos and to treat it accordingly - meaning don't make a mess.
It sounds as if it's all covered with other layers so it surely isn't much of a fiber release hazard in your home in general.
But I agree that if asbestos-suspect material is exposed in the air path of your HVAC system ductwork, it would be prudent to see if you could cover or encapsulate it - probably you'd use a spray on coating if you can't reach the exposed surface to laminate something over it.
That'd be much less disturbance than tearing up floors unnecessarily. - DF
Older sheet flooring products in buildings that do Not Contain Asbestos
This sheet flooring covering backed with burlap fabric is probably more than a century old. We examined it in an non-public area of the Justin Morrill Homestead, a historic building in Vermont. The material has not been tested for asbestos fibers, but where we see what is obviously a jute backing it's not likely that the product contained asbestos..
The possible origin of this product is discussed at Asphalt & Vinyl Floor Tile History - history, dates, and description of the production process and ingredients in asphalt floor tiles, asphalt-asbestos floor tiles, & vinyl-asbestos floor tiles 1900 to present.
Photos of Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Laboratory Examination
In the lab, following Walter McCrone's procedure for teasing out asbestos particles from solid materials such as this floor tile, we broke a small corner off for further examination by microscope.
Tiles are broken, not cut, in order to expose asbestos fibers for removal, slide preparation, and microscopic examination using transmitted, reflected, and primarily polarized-light central stop diffusion microscopy.
This stereo-microscopic view of the edge of this asbestos-floor tile shows the combination of binder, limestone, possibly asbestos powder as well as asbestos fibers, and other silicate materials.
See Asbestos Floor Tile Laboratory Procedures for a detailed example of how small floor tile samples may be processed in a forensic laboratory to look for asbestos fibers in the matrix of a floor tile such as our example at left.
Questions & Answers regarding this article
Questions & answers about how to identify asbestos-containing flooring materials and what to do when asbestos-containing floor tiles or sheet flooring are found in a building.
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Thanks to reader Aaron Cramer for contributing photographs of Sears Roebuck vinyl asbestos floor tiles, August 2010. Mr. Cramer has worked in asbestos litigation defense work in Pittsburgh - related to hot-tops and generally steel mills and presently works with U.S. Patent Office procedures and litigation. He can be contacted at 34 Lodge Street,
Pittsburgh, PA 15227,
Tel: 412-207-7237 and email: arcramer@comcast.net
David Grudzinski,
Advantage Home Inspections,
is a professional home inspector in Cranston, RI. 02910. He can be reached at 401-935-6547,
fax- 401-490-0607 or by email to contact/us@advantagehomeinspections.us 04/26/2009
Thanks to reader R.M. for the photo and test information documenting chrysotile asbestos in a vinyl-asbestos floor tile from a 1969 home. January 2011.
Thanks to reader Kim for the photo of black and white VAT resembling Armstrong Excelon from a 1952 home - January 2011.
EVER WEAR TILE CO is currently (2009) in the Terrazzo, Tile, Marble, and Mosaic Work industry in Fallon, NV. 775) 423-6221. [We do not know the company history nor whether there is an association with EverWear vinyl asbestos floor tiles discussed in this article.]
Thomas Hauswirth, Managing Member of Beacon Fine Home Inspections, LLC and (in 2007) Vice President, Connecticut Association of Home Inspectors
Ph. 860-526-3355 Fax 860-526-2942 beaconinspections@sbcglobal.net 06/07: thanks for photographs of transite asbestos heating ducts
"Asbestos in your home or at work," Forsyth County Environmental Affairs Department, Winston-Salem NC
12/08
"Asbestos Floor Tile Removal", the University of Minnesota's advice on removing VAT (vinyl asbestos or asphalt asbestos floor tile) can be read in detail at www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floortile/index.html
Copy on file as - /hazmat/Asbestos_in_Your_Home_US_EPA.pdf - Asbestos in Your Home - U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
Resilient Floor Covering Institute, 1030 15th St. NW, suite 350, Washington D.C.
Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
The ABCs of Asbestos in Schools (August 2003), U.S. EPA, Web search 08/17/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/abcsfinal.pdf - aqui se encuenta la misma documenta escrito en Espan~ol: El ABC del Asbestos en las Escuelas, copy on file as /sickhouse/EPA_Asbestos_ABCs_Schools_Spanish.pdf, fuente original: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/spanishabcs.pdf
Managing Asbestos in Place: A Building Owner's Guide to Operations and Maintenance Programs ("Green Book"), web search 08/11/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/management_in_place.html How to Develop and Maintain a Building Asbestos Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Program, This information is designed to assist building owners and managers in understanding how to develop and maintain an operations and maintenance program for asbestos-containing materials in their buildings.
Monitoring Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM), U.S. EPA, web search 08/11/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/section6.html, quoting:
Periodic Visual Reinspections and Air Monitoring
A visual reinspection of all ACM should be conducted at regular intervals as part of the O&M program to help ensure that any ACM damage or deterioration will be detected and corrective action taken.
The AHERA regulations for schools also require a routine surveillance check of ACM every six months to monitor the ACM's condition. This surveillance can be conducted by a trained school custodian or maintenance worker.
While only school buildings are required to have surveillance checks every six months, it is a good practice for other buildings with ACM. The asbestos program manager (APM) should establish appropriate surveillance and reinspection intervals, based on consultation with the building owner and any other qualified professionals involved in the O&M program.
EPA recommends a visual and physical evaluation of ACM during the reinspections to note the ACM's current condition and physical characteristics. Through this reinspection, it is possible to determine both the relative degree of damage and assess the likelihood of future fiber release.
Maintenance of a set of visual records (photos or video) of the ACM over time can be of great value during reinspections.
EPA recommends a visual and physical evaluation of ACM during the reinspections to note the ACM's current condition and physical characteristics.
Additional Prevention Measures
Supplemental Air Monitoring
As part of an O&M program, a carefully designed air monitoring program to detect airborne asbestos fibers in the building may provide useful supplemental information when conducted along with a comprehensive visual and physical ACM inspection and reinspection program. For employees who are, or may reasonably be expected to be exposed to airborne concentrations of asbestos fibers above the permissible limits set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), regulations require that the employer conduct both initial and periodic air sampling. For more information about the OSHA exposure monitoring requirements, see the regulations at 29 CFR § 1910.1001(d).
If the ACM is currently in good condition, increases in airborne asbestos fiber levels at some later time may provide an early warning of deterioration or disturbance of the material. In that way, supplemental air monitoring can be a useful management tool. If an owner chooses to use air monitoring in an "early warning" context, a knowledgeable and experienced individual should be consulted to design a proper sampling strategy. (See Useful Links for more information on air monitoring.)
This air monitoring should supplement, not replace, physical and visual inspection. Visual inspection can recognize situations and anticipate future exposure (e.g., worsening water damage), whereas air monitoring can only detect a problem after it has occurred, and fibers have been released.
Sampling Methods
Note that the collection of air samples for supplementary evaluation should not use aggressive air sampling methods. Aggressive sampling methods, in which air is deliberately disturbed or agitated by use of a leaf blower or fans, should only be used at the completion of an asbestos removal project inside the abatement containment area.
Methods of Air Sampling Analysis
The most accurate and preferred method of analysis of air samples collected under an O&M program requires the use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Phase contrast microscopy (PCM), which is commonly used for personal air sample analysis and as a screening tool for area air monitoring, cannot distinguish between asbestos fibers and other kinds of fibers which may be present in the air. PCM analysis also cannot detect thin asbestos fibers, and does not count short fibers. TEM analysis is more expensive than PCM analysis. However, the more accurate information on actual levels of airborne asbestos fibers that can be derived from TEM should be more beneficial to the building owner who elects to use supplemental air monitoring in the asbestos management program. TEM analysis is most reliably performed by laboratories accredited by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and who follow EPA’s quality assurance guidelines. (See References, U.S. EPA, Dec. 1989, Transmission Electron Microscopy Asbestos Laboratories: Quality Assurance Guidelines. Washington, DC: EPA 560/5-90-002).
Selecting a Lab
Selection of a reliable and experienced air monitoring firm and analytical laboratory is important, if the building owner elects to conduct supplemental air monitoring under the O&M program. A consultant knowledgeable in air sampling and analysis protocols can be contacted for recommendations if the building owner or APM has limited knowledge in this area. Contact your state asbestos regulatory agency (5 pp, 17k, about PDF) for information on how to find an accredited asbestos professional.
In addition, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) maintains a listing of accredited asbestos laboratories under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). You may call NIST at (301) 975-4016.
"Asbestos Floor Tile Removal Guide & Instructions - copy on file as Asbestos_Floor_Tile_Removal_MDH.pdf ] - ", Minnesota Department of Health, retrieved 12/7/2010, original source: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/floortile/index.html
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings How to find and recognize asbestos in buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
Asbestos Identification and Testing References
Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed
the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
Asbestos in Your Home U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance, EPA340/1-90-019, December 1990, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Stationary Source Compliance Division, Washington, DC 20460,original web source: http://www.epa.gov/region04/air/asbestos/awet.htm
Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print, text and images available at InspectAPedia.com).
Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
Enviro-Scare: Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
Asbestos Information Links: Asbestos Detection, Testing, Recognition, Hazards, Field Photos, and Information Sources, including
health-related links such as legal services and information about mesothelioma and other cancers.
"Handling Asbestos-Containing roofing material - an update", Carl Good, NRCA Associate Executive Director, Professional Roofing, February 1992, p. 38-43
EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
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