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CHEMICAL STABILIZERS FOR THE CONTROL OF FUGITIVE ASBESTOS EMISSIONS FROM OPEN SOURCES
Citation:
Ase, P., R. Koch, AND G. Yamate. CHEMICAL STABILIZERS FOR THE CONTROL OF FUGITIVE ASBESTOS EMISSIONS FROM OPEN SOURCES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-82/063.
Description:
Quarried serpentinite, recently found to contain asbestos, is used to aggregate for surfacing secondary roads. Emission concentrations of 0.6 x 10 to the 6th power to 8 x 10 to the 6th power fibers/cu m were collected 20 m downwind from a serpentinite surfaced roadway. These levels are up to 55 times greater than background levels and correspond to emission factors of 34 x 10 to the 10th power to 370 x 10 to the 10th power fibers/km-vehicle at a vehicular traffic speed of 13.4 m/sec (30 mph). Chemical treatments were tested for controlling these asbestos emissions. Laboratory tests were developed for screening fifty-one candidate commercial materials. Four of the most promising were field-tested. Asbestos emission fiber count reductions of 80% to 90% were achieved with chemical treatments at application rates ranging from $0.08/sq m to $0.25/sq m. Comparable emission reductions were demonstrated with traffic speeds reduced from 13.4 m/sec (30 mph) to 6.7 m/sec (15 mph).