Airborne asbestos levels in school buildings in Italy

Our plain-English summary of Airborne asbestos levels in school buildings in Italy, by A. Campopiano, S. Casciardi, F. Fioravanti, et al (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2004).

The study

• Authors: A. Campopiano, S. Casciardi, F. Fioravanti, D. Ramires
• Journal: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Published: 2004;1(4):256-61
• Cited by: 6 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

This article provides a summary of environmental investigations carried out from 1992 to 2002 by the National Institute for Occupational Prevention and Safety on airborne asbestos fiber concentrations in Italian schools. The monitoring was performed to evaluate the risk from asbestos exposure to students and school staff. Fifty-nine schools located in several Italian regions were studied. A detailed visual examination assisted with locating asbestos-containing materials in different school areas. Asbestos was mainly present in the vinyl floor coverings and in the asbestos-cement products (roofs, facades, and heating ducts). After the identification of the potential sources of exposure, several bulk and air samplings were performed in the areas where the contamination was suspected. All air samplings were collected on membrane filters and analyzed by phase contrast optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. During the course of the samplings, the schools were in operation and normal student activities took place. Most of the results provided no significant evidence of airborne asbestos fibers, although some dispersion was found in a few school buildings where, during the past years, monitoring and safety programs had not been implemented.

In plain English

This article summarized surveys that Italy's National Institute for Occupational Prevention and Safety (ISPESL) carried out from 1992 to 2002 in 59 primary and secondary schools in several Italian regions. The researchers looked for asbestos-containing materials, tested samples, and sampled air while schools operated normally. Vinyl-asbestos floor tiles contained only chrysotile. Asbestos-cement products contained amosite, crocidolite and chrysotile. Eighty-three percent of air measurements were below the detection limit of 0.4 fibers per liter (f/L), and 17% were above it. All airborne asbestos fibers identified by scanning electron microscopy were chrysotile, and no airborne amphibole fiber was detected. Floor tiles and asbestos-cement roofing gave results below the detection limit even when damaged. All results above 0.4 f/L came from asbestos-cement wall and ceiling panels. Three percent of measurements exceeded 2 f/L, the Italian limit for reoccupying an area after asbestos removal. Those were in areas with severely damaged or continually disturbed materials. The authors concluded that most of the surveyed school buildings were well maintained. They noted that air sampling gives average levels and may underestimate risk from children's behavior.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Environmental survey of school buildings: visual inspection, analysis of bulk material samples, and air sampling during normal school activity
• Who was studied: 59 primary and secondary schools in several Italian regions, surveyed by ISPESL from 1992 to 2002
• Exposure: Asbestos-containing building materials in schools: vinyl-asbestos floor tiles (chrysotile only) and asbestos-cement products such as partitions, ceilings, walls, roofs and facades (amosite, crocidolite and chrysotile)
• Main results:
  • 83% of air measurements in the schools were below the detection limit of 0.4 f/L
  • 17% of air measurements in the schools were above 0.4 f/L
  • All airborne asbestos fibers found by SEM were chrysotile, and no airborne amphibole fiber was detected
  • Where vinyl-asbestos tiles were present, air concentrations were always below the detection limit (0.4 f/L), even where the floor had greatly deteriorated
  • For asbestos-cement roofing sheets, measured concentrations were below the detection limit whether the sheets were in good repair or severely damaged
  • All concentrations above 0.4 f/L were associated with asbestos-cement panels used for walls and ceilings
  • 3% of measurements exceeded 2 f/L, the Italian limit for an area to be safe to reoccupy after asbestos removal. These were in areas where materials were severely damaged or undergoing continuing disturbance.
  • Some partitions and walls had greatly deteriorated near door frames, with tufts of chrysotile and crocidolite visible to the naked eye. When such cases were found, the rooms were closed until repairs were finished.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that most of the surveyed school buildings were well maintained and that asbestos-containing materials inside them were in good repair, resulting in unmeasurable airborne asbestos fiber concentrations
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Air sampling gives an average concentration over the sampling time. Actual risk may be greater than assessed because of children's natural behavior, such as scraping damaged walls.
  • Non-friable materials do not release fibers evenly over time, but can cause local, sudden increases right after breakage
  • Existing dose-response data come from very high historical worker exposures and give no useful information for estimating risk at current indoor levels

Topics

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM), Asbestos-Cement, Air Sampling, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).

Related studies

• Asbestos in New York City public school buildings--public policy: is there a scientific basis? — R. Wilson, A.M. Langer, et al. (1994)
• Asbestos-related disease in custodial and building maintenance workers from a large municipal school district — J.R. Balmes, A. Daponte, et al. (1991)
• Airborne concentrations of asbestos in 71 school buildings — M. Corn, K. Crump, et al. (1991)
• Airborne asbestos in buildings — R.J. Lee, D.R. Van Orden (2008)
• Mesothelioma among employees with likely contact with in-place asbestos-containing building materials — H.A. Anderson, L.P. Hanrahan, et al. (1991)
• Personal airborne asbestos exposure levels associated with various types of abatement — J.H. Lange, K.W. Thomulka, et al. (2006)

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