Pollution of the environment and building interiors during asbestos removal as a result of lack of negative pressure in the working areas

Abstract

The paper presents examples of the consequences of the lack of negative pressure in the work zone during asbestos removal. The asbestos fibre concentrations generated in those work zones were relatively low. This was due to the leakage in barriers restricting the work zone. Therefore the asbestos content in the outside air, near the renovated rooms was increasing. In the cases discussed, these works resulted in short-term pollution of the building's outdoor air to a depth of up to 15 m. Such contamination can cover the entire interior of the building. This may lead to long-term retention of asbestos fibre in the facility, despite the completion of asbestos removal. For example, non-friable asbestos-cement sheets removal in those work conditions increased indoor air by contamination up to 3000 f/m³ (outside the work zone). In the case of removing friable asbestos inside the building type "LIPSK", indoor air contamination locally was up 21,000-51,000 f/m³, and outside the work zone to 18,000-28,900 f/m³. These values are above the average concentration of asbestos fibres in the same type of buildings (< 300-400 f/m³) in regular use.

Keywords: Airborne asbestos fibre; Asbestos; Asbestos removal; Building materials; Contamination; Indoor air; Outdoor air.

Fig. 1

(a) Changes of asbestos concentration [f/m³] in outdoor and indoor air over 100 days. The break-in work occurred between the 28th and the 32-nd day. (b) Duration of dismantling work. The analysis and general trend of indoor air changes during the progress of asbestos removal and the trend of changes in asbestos fibre concentration inside the building are based on averaging momentary values.

Fig. 2

The course of changes in the concentration of asbestos in the air during the demolition of a building containing ACM and trend lines of changes in pollution in various environments.

Fig. 3

(a) Dismantling the sandwich walls containing panels covered with the asbestos-cement board on both sides. The trend line of changes in pollution in outdoor air in the vicinity of large buildings with ACM removal as a function of distance from the asbestos fibre source (x-axis [m]; y-axis [f/m³]). (b) Dismantling only façade panels containing asbestos-cement boards (x-axis [m]; y-axis [f/m³]).

Fig. 4

Comparison of pollution in “LIPSK”-type buildings with execution errors causing leakage from the work area and results of minor renovation (renovation, plastering and painting of internal walls) with a lack of knowledge of employees about the presence of asbestos in renovated walls. (PCM measurement). A Building with intact ACM products (not renovated), in good technical condition; B Building a few years after standard renovation and adaptation work. C Rooms not renovated adjacent to asbestos dismantling carried out in a single room after several months; D Premises during the commencement of works, a few weeks after the commencement of asbestos dismantling—before the main asbestos removal phase; F Rooms after asbestos removal and final cleaning; E Rooms outside the hermetic work zone, during disassembly, of ACM and leakage; G Rooms after asbestos removal, about two/three years after completion of disassembly, cleaning and commissioning. H Premises of the BERLIN building (smaller version of the LIPSK building) undergoing small-scale renovation (renovation, plastering and painting of internal walls). Workers' lack of knowledge of the presence of asbestos in renovated walls. There was no central system for protecting the building against asbestos fiber emissions during the deterioration and destruction of friable asbestos products.