ASTM D5755

ASTM D5755 is a standard laboratory method for measuring asbestos in settled dust. Dust is collected from a surface with a small vacuum pump and filter cassette (microvacuum sampling) and analyzed by transmission electron microscopy; results are reported as asbestos structures per square centimeter of surface.

Origin

ASTM International first published the method in 1995. It was developed so that dust on surfaces could be measured in a standardized way, alongside air sampling, in buildings, homes and workplaces.

Significance in Asbestos Context

Settled-dust results are often used to show that asbestos from a product, a building or a worker's clothing contaminated a place, or that a task such as cleaning or sweeping would have stirred fibers into the air. Defendants criticize the method because its indirect preparation can break up fiber bundles and raise the count, and because there is no health-based standard that converts a dust loading into an airborne exposure. Results are most persuasive when they are paired with air sampling or with a work-practice simulation of the same activity.

Example Sentence

Dust collected from the top of the garage cabinets under ASTM D5755 contained over a million chrysotile structures per square centimeter.

Related Terms

Indirect-Transfer Method, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Structure Counting, Take-home Exposure, Exposure Reconstruction, Air Sampling

Notes

• Dust samples should be collected by a qualified industrial hygienist with full chain-of-custody records.
• Undisturbed surfaces (tops of cabinets, rafters, ductwork) can preserve dust for decades; don't clean them before they are sampled.