Sampling and Analysis of Mineral Fibers on Construction Sites

Abstract

Different organizations have expressed the need for more recent data on concentration determinations and the detailed characterization of airborne man-made mineral fibers (MMMF) at the users' sites. In this context, the concentrations and characterization of airborne MMMF were conducted using phase contrast optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at construction sites where workers were installing or removing insulant materials. The size and composition of fibers were determined by TEM both in bulk materials and in the airborne samples. At five construction sites, ambient concentrations of airborne fibers were shown to increase from [glass wool] < [rock wool] < [ceramic fiber (industrial oven)] as a result of both the nature of the materials and the confinement of the sites. The characterization of the fibers in the bulk insulation materials is not a good representation of the sizes and elemental composition of the airborne fibers.