The quality of fiber count data

Details

• Personal Author:
  Abell, Martin T. ; Baron, Paul A. ; Shulman, Stanley A.
• Description:
  Assessment of the variability and bias of fiber count data, used to measure exposure to asbestos (1332214), was discussed. Detailed quality control procedures presented in NIOSH Method 7400 were reviewed. A quality assurance program utilizing recount samples and reference samples was outlined. Intracounter, intralaboratory, and interlaboratory sources of variability were considered. Count and recount data were used to assess the bias in fiber counting. A method for calculating intracounter s(r), an estimate of the relative standard deviation, was presented. A test comparing s(r) of a sample set and the s(r) historically obtained by the counter allowed rejection of fiber counts with excess variability. The limits of the test were evaluated. Intralaboratory bias and variability were assessed by comparing fiber counts of reference samples obtained by different counters in the laboratory. A method for evaluating interlaboratory s(r), involving counting 20 samples in each laboratory, was outlined. Confidence limits on the data could be calculated from the subjective component of the interlaboratory s(r). The authors recommend that a Quality Assurance Coordinator from each laboratory assess the quality of fiber count data by the methods presented. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asbestos Environmental Monitoring Inorganic Chemicals Occupational Health Quality Control Safety
• Keywords:
  Air-monitoring Analytical-methods Asbestos-fibers NIOSH-Author Quality-control Statistical-quality-control
• ISSN:
  0882-8032
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  273-285
• Volume:
  4
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00192546
• Citation:
  Appl Ind Hyg 1989 Nov; 4(11):273-285
• Contact Point Address:
  Paul A. Baron, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
• CAS Registry Number:
  Asbestos (CAS RN 1332-21-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1990
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Industrial Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6208c873a23c098f083870d7057d9558937af24de3cff5efed4e09fc4de480347c053e171bc1352e7b7e97e07d5b0c69280bdfad75c33d1cd7b5b75729024742
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205761/cdc_205761_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.61 MB ]