Testing of the asbestos fibres concentration in the atmosphere at workstations and in the environment

The paper presents the methodology for determining the concentrations of asbestos fibres in the atmosphere, at workstations and in the environment. There have been discussed the legal regulations, that substantiate this type of tests, and the experience of the Testing Laboratory for Work Environment and Atmosphere Protection of the Central Mining Institute, within the scope of testing, relations with the investors and contractors for works connected with the removal of asbestos-containing produets. The tests are being conducted at workstations, when removing the produets with asbestos from various buildings, mainly from dwelling houses, as well as in the environment, for example in the areas of renovated buildings, for estimation of correetness of performed work. In the article, there have also been presented the information on the equipment of the testing laboratory, methodology of collecting air samples, as well as on documenting, and uncertainty of results. The Testing Laboratory for Work Environment and Atmosphere Protection holds the Certificate of the Polish Centre for Accreditation No. AB 301. Since 2003, the scope of accreditation includes among other things, collecting the samples with the aim to determine the numerical concentrations of respirable asbestos fibres in the work and in the outer environment. The samples are being taken in accordance with the testing procedure (PB-11), worked out in the Laboratory, in the management system corresponding with the PN-EN ISO 17025:2005 standard. Within the range of intrainstitute cooperation, determination of the numbers of asbestos fibres in the samples are made by using the optical microscopy method in the Laboratory for Measurements of Atmospheric Dust, according to the KD-2205-1 procedure, aceredited in the Polish Centre for Accreditation.