Regensburg/Germany. This Jens Kugler had not expected. Responding to an advertisement he and his wife bought a weekend property in a quiet area to relax from work stress in the metropolis. The cottage appeared in good condition. The surprise came when Jens wanted to dispose of an old oven at the recycling center. “Oh what, asbestos sheets are installed inside. The oven must be disposed of by a specialized company,” the answer came at the recycling. Thereupon, the family looked closely at the newly acquired buildings.
The roof covering consisting of asbestos cement. Behind a pine wood paneling on the wall in the living room they discovered ancient glass wool. The thermal insulation in the wall of a shower and toilet consisted of asbestos-containing material. The shock was great. Before Kugler family made further thoughts about restoration, they wanted to know if or how much asbestos dust was found in the apartment. Which analysis is called for in this case?

Dust and indoor air samples for analysis purpose

The first rough analysis of the spatial situation a dust sample is recommended. Especially handy asbestos temple is used. At the adhesive surface of a few square centimeters, the fibers adhere to very fine. If required, further stamp must be used. Microscopic analysis is preliminary evidence to asbestos exposure in the room. If successful, a room air analysis should follow. This procedure is much more complicated to do. An eight-hour sampling at a rate of eight liters per minute is a prerequisite for proper laboratory analysis. The medium is a vapor-coated with gold pore filter. The detection limit for an evaluated filter area of 1 mm² is 300 fibers per cubic meter. After a successful restructuring a reference value of less than 500 fibers per m³ to be achieved.

What makes asbestos dangerous?

The fibrous dust can be split into microscopically small units. The fibers penetrate thus very deep into the body and implant themselves in the external respiratory tract or directly into the lungs. Workers who were exposed to asbestos temporarily a high rate, developed asbestosis with a latency period of nearly twenty years. Lung cancer or tumors in the range of fin or peritoneum are other medical conditions. Because of the health risks the use of asbestos in new products is now banned. Nevertheless, construction materials containing asbestos in many buildings that are older than 30 years to find.

Rehabilitation counseling by the expert

For the remediation of asbestos-containing products own policies have been adopted. The German Ordinance on Hazardous Substances (GefSoffV) returns along with the Technical Rule 521 an important basis. Also to note is the Asbestos Directive of ARGEBAU. Experts for asbestos and synthetic mineral fibers must pass an exam to guide this item. For the urgency of the restoration action a checklist is to be processed. If the points scale greater than 80 units is to initiate an immediate remediation. From 70 to 79 points, the urgency level II applies. If the stock of a score of less than 70 units, a long-term assessment is required.