Optimal management program for asbestos containing building materials to be available in the event of a disaster

Our plain-English summary of Optimal management program for asbestos containing building materials to be available in the event of a disaster, by Y.C. Kim, W.H. Hong (Waste Management, 2017).

The study

• Authors: Y.C. Kim, W.H. Hong
• Journal: Waste Management
• Published: 2017;64:272-285
• Cited by: 6 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

Abstract

The safe management and disposal of asbestos is a matter of considerable importance. A large number of studies have been undertaken to quantify the issue of waste management following a disaster. Nevertheless, there have been few (if any) studies concerning asbestos waste, covering the amount generated, the cost of disposal, and the degree of hazard incurred. Thus, the current study focuses on developing a program for the management of Asbestos Containing Building Materials (ACBMs), which form the source of asbestos waste in the event of a disaster. The study will also discuss a case study undertaken in a specific region in Korea in terms of: (1) the location of ACBM-containing buildings; (2) types and quantities of ACBMs; (3) the cost of ACBM disposal; (4) the amount of asbestos fiber present during normal times and during post-disaster periods; (5) the required order in which ACBM-containing buildings should be dismantled; and (6) additional greenhouse gases generated during ACBM removal. The case study will focus on a specific building, with an area of 35.34m2, and will analyze information concerning the abovementioned points. In addition, the case study will focus on a selected area (108 buildings) and the administrative district (21,063 buildings). The significance of the program can be established by the fact that it visibly transmits information concerning ACBM management. It is a highly promising program, with a widespread application for the safe management and optimal disposal of asbestos in terms of technology, policy, and methodology.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In plain English

This study developed a map-based (GIS) computer program for managing asbestos-containing building materials in Korea. It focused on slate roofing, which in Korea was made of 90% cement and 10% chrysotile. Using building register data, the program estimated, for buildings in its case-study district, the amount of slate, the removal and disposal cost, the extra greenhouse gases, and the asbestos fiber released in normal times and if the slate is damaged. It also ranked districts by which should have buildings demolished first. The fiber-release figures came from earlier studies. The authors' analysis of 6,694,094 building registers found 1,142,688 buildings with slate roofs, which were counted as containing asbestos building materials. That was 17.1% of all buildings in Korea. In the case-study district of Jung-gu, Daegu, 1212 of 21,063 buildings (5.8%) were counted this way. For one 35.34 m2 house, the program estimated 529.9 kg of slate and a disposal cost of 3,679,951 Won. In one selected area, the program counted 108 buildings, 35 with slate, while a site survey found 111 and 33. The authors were optimistic about the program but said its evaluation models still need verification.

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: Development of a GIS-based computer program for managing asbestos-containing building materials, with a case study applying it to one Korean district. This is a modeling and software study, not a health study.
• Who was studied: All available Korean building registers (6,694,094, as of January 2015). The case study covered Jung-gu, Daegu Metropolitan City (21,063 buildings), a selected area in Suchang-dong (108 buildings), and one single-family house of 35.34 m2 in Namsan-dong.
• Exposure: Slate roofing (asbestos cement). Under the Korean Standard it was made of 90% cement and 10% chrysotile. Buildings with slate roofs were treated as buildings containing asbestos building materials. No human exposure or health outcomes were measured.
• Main results:
  • From the building registers, the authors identified 1,142,688 buildings with slate roofs, counted as containing asbestos building materials. These were 17.1% of all buildings in Korea.
  • The national count of buildings with slate roofs, counted as containing asbestos building materials, was 1,142,688, or 17.1% of all buildings.
  • Among slate-roof buildings counted as containing asbestos building materials, Busan metropolitan city had the highest number (42,370). Taebaek city in Gangwon province had the highest rate (53.7%).
  • In Jung-gu, Daegu, 1212 of 21,063 buildings (5.8%) were counted as containing asbestos building materials (slate).
  • The estimated cost of removing and disposing of the materials was 55,568 Won per 1 m2, not counting the preliminary survey step.
  • For the single 35.34 m2 house (use approved in 1949), the program estimated 529.9 kg of slate roofing over 50.5 m2 of roof. It estimated a disposal cost of 3,679,951 Won.
  • For the same house, the program estimated that dismantling would produce an additional 2.45 kg of greenhouse gases, compared with a building free of asbestos materials.
  • For the same house, the program estimated that about 277 g of asbestos fiber was released naturally over the past 69 years. It estimated that complete destruction of the slate could generate about 8.1 f/cc of asbestos fiber.
  • In the selected Suchang-dong area, the program counted 108 buildings. Of these, 35 (32.4%) were counted as containing asbestos building materials.
  • For the selected Suchang-dong area, the estimated disposal cost was 94,491,737 Won.
  • A site survey of the same area found 111 buildings (accuracy level 97.3%) and 33 buildings containing asbestos building materials (accuracy level 94.3%).
• The authors' conclusion: The authors expressed considerable optimism about the program's effectiveness for managing and disposing of asbestos-containing building materials. They said it should be expanded with a nationwide database and linked to existing construction waste management programs.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • Building registers contain only legitimate (approved) buildings, so they may not match what actually exists.
  • The differences between the program and the site survey were caused by an administrative flaw in the building registers.
  • The other evaluation models could not be verified and need checking against earlier or follow-up studies.
  • Only slate was included. Indoor materials and facility materials were not.
  • The authors assumed an equal degree of vibration and dispersion for all buildings because there were no earlier studies. Data on nearby residents were limited.
  • The case study was carried out in normal times, not after a disaster.
  • Map files could not be created for all districts in Korea, so the case study covered one district.

Related studies

• Estimating the Additional Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Korea: Focused on Demolition of Asbestos Containing Materials in Building — Y.C. Kim, W.H. Hong, et al. (2016)
• Management of Asbestos Containing Materials: A Detailed LCA Comparison of Different Scenarios Comprising First Time Asbestos Characterization Factor Proposal — M. Pini, S. Scarpellini, et al. (2021)
• Worker exposure to asbestos during removal of sprayed material and renovation activity in buildings containing sprayed material — N.W. Paik, R.J. Walcott, et al. (1983)
• Asbestos release from whole-building demolition of buildings with asbestos-containing material — R.A. Perkins, J. Hargesheimer, et al. (2007)
• Mesothelioma among employees with likely contact with in-place asbestos-containing building materials — H.A. Anderson, L.P. Hanrahan, et al. (1991)
• Asbestos-containing materials in New York City buildings — P. Lundy, M. Barer (1992)

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