https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9405-4346
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Abstract
Mobilization of asbestos fibers from a 60-year-old corrugated asbestos cement roof was studied in material samples collected from a domestic house in Southern-Norway. Samples included pieces of the roof itself, rainfall simulated run off-water and moss growing on the roof surface. Weathered roof debris below the rain water system was investigated for asbestos fibers leached from the roof, and air samples were collected for asbestos concentrations in ambient air. Micrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy show that weathering exposed asbestos fibers on the deteriorated roof surface. A high number of fibers found in the run off-water as well as in the weathered roof debris sample illustrates that exposed fibers are prone to mobilization. Investigation of weathering-induced magnesium depletion by scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy of asbestos fibers collected from the moss, roof underside and surface revealed that fibers had MgO weight % comparable to reference material. The major element chemistry of the fibers is therefore unaltered. Our findings demonstrate that care must be taken when working on and handling old corrugated asbestos cement roof as asbestos fibers might be released. In order to limit exposure to mobile fibers, moss covering asbestos cement roof should not be removed.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Regional Safety Representative Foundation for funding, Vidar Larsen and Sture Beiermann (Fellesforbundet), for identifying the house and for contributing to sampling. Jon Hovik helped with sampling and Ole Synnes (STAMI), made the sampling pumps. This work was supported by the Regional Safety Representative Foundation.
The authors declare no conflict of interest relating to the material presented in this article. Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are solely those of the authors. The study data are available upon request from the corresponding author.