Tyler Ferracini, Sarah Brown, Brooke Simmons, Heather Avens, Shannon Gaffney, Scott Dotson, Jennifer Sahmel
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate potential airborne asbestos exposures during brake maintenance and repair activities on a P&H overhead crane, and during subsequent handling of the mechanic's clothing.
Methods: Personal (n = 27) and area (n = 61) airborne fiber concentrations were measured during brake tests, removal, hand sanding, compressed air use, removal and reattachment of chrysotile-containing brake linings, and reinstallation of the brake linings. The mechanic's clothing was used to measure potential exposure during clothes handling.
Results: All brake linings contained between 19.9% to 52.4% chrysotile asbestos. No amphibole fibers were detected in any bulk or airborne samples. The average full-shift airborne chrysotile concentration was 0.035 f/cc (PCM-equivalent asbestos-specific fibers, or PCME). Average task-based personal air samples collected during brake maintenance, sanding, compressed air use, and brake lining removal tasks ranged from 0 to 0.48 f/cc (PCME). The calculated 30-minute time-weighted average (TWA) airborne chrysotile concentration associated with 5-15 minutes of clothes handling was 0-0.035 f/cc PCME.
Conclusion: The results indicated that personal and area TWA fiber concentrations measured during all crane brake maintenance and clothes handling tasks were below the current OSHA 8-h TWA Permissible Exposure Limit for asbestos of 0.1 f/cc. Further, no airborne asbestos fibers were measured during routine brake maintenance tasks following the manufacturer's maintenance manual procedures. All short-term airborne chrysotile concentrations measured during non-routine tasks were below the current 30-minute OSHA excursion limit for asbestos of 1 f/cc. This study adds to the available data regarding chrysotile exposure potential during maintenance on overhead cranes.
期刊介绍:
Inhalation Toxicology is a peer-reviewed publication providing a key forum for the latest accomplishments and advancements in concepts, approaches, and procedures presently being used to evaluate the health risk associated with airborne chemicals.
The journal publishes original research, reviews, symposia, and workshop topics involving the respiratory system’s functions in health and disease, the pathogenesis and mechanism of injury, the extrapolation of animal data to humans, the effects of inhaled substances on extra-pulmonary systems, as well as reliable and innovative models for predicting human disease.