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FIELD TESTING OF EMISSION CONTROLS FOR ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING WASTE PILES
Citation:
Harwood, C. AND P. Ase. FIELD TESTING OF EMISSION CONTROLS FOR ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING WASTE PILES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/2-77/098.
Description:
Abatement of fugitive emissions from asbestos cement waste disposal activities has been studied. The primary sources of asbestos emissions are, (1) transfer of baghouse fines to the dump, (2) crushing and leveling of waste on the fines, (3) active dump areas, (4) inactive dump areas. The emission control options used in other industries were reviewed. Those applicable to asbestos cement waste were analyzed for cost effectiveness using engineering estimation techniques applied to a model typical plant. It was estimated that bagging of the fine waste would reduce dumping emissions by 80%, while a soil-vegetative cover would reduce the long-term emissions by 90%. Application of the three control options would reduce the emissions by 87% at a total annual cost of $17,850 for the model typical plant. Field testing of the control options indicated that the assumptions made were reasonable and that the emissions were in line with those predicted. Background asbestos levels in the ambient air were found to be high and to exist both upwind and downwind of the plant for considerable distances (10 km). Emissions from small test plots were too low to be measured but the stability of the chemically stabilized and the soil-vegetated covers were excellent. Despite the high alkalinity of asbestos waste (pH 12), vegetation was grown on the soil to give a 95% cover, far in excess of the coverage required to prevent soil erosion.