A Comparison of Tape Sampling and Microvacuum Procedures for the Collection of Surface Glass Fiber Contamination

Details

• Personal Author:
  Blehm KD ; Corrigan CA
• Description:
  Currently, few published methods exist for assessing surface contamination of asbestos and other fibers. Several surface sampling procedures have been employed: the wipe sampling method, the tape sampling method, and a more recent procedure commonly known as the microvacuum or microvacing procedure. Wipe sampling is not appropriate for sampling fibers on a surface, and limited studies have been reported which describe the procedure and validation of the tape sampling method or the microvacing procedure with respect to quantitative recovery, repeatability, or methodology. Therefore, this laboratory study evaluated the relative efficiency and reproducibility of two tape sampling and two microvacing procedures in use at a large multibuilding government facility for assessing surface contamination of fibrous materials, and quantitatively compared the most efficient and reproducible tape sampling method with the most efficient and reproducible microvacing procedure. The one-pat and three-pat tape sampling procedures, as well as the one-area sweep and three-area sweep microvacing procedures, were all evaluated simultaneously within an aerosol chamber using micropulverized fiberglass (mean fiber dimensions of 19 × 0.9 um) as the fibrous contaminant and smooth, painted metal as the sampling surface. Samples were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy and incorporated differential counting procedures which applied polarized light microscopy. The relative efficiency was evaluated by collecting repeat samples {relative efficiency = 100 - [(repeat/original) × 100]}. Reproducibility was evaluated by comparing adjacent samples (original/adjacent). The results demonstrated that the mean fiber concentration collected by the tape sampling method ranged from 40 to 176 times the mean fiber concentration collected by the microvacing procedure on a painted metal surface. The tape three-pat method was overall most efficient [mean relative efficiency of 93%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 88.28, 97.87) and most reproducible (adjacent paired ratio of 1.14 +/- 22%, 95% CI = 0.89, 1.39) when compared with the other tape or microvacing methods studied. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asbestos Dust Glass Inorganic Chemicals Laboratories Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Asbestos Fibers Fibers Fibrous Dusts Fibrous Glass Dust Laboratory Techniques Sampling Equipment Sampling Methods Surface Properties
• ISSN:
  1047-322X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  12
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058325
• Citation:
  Appl Occup Environ Hyg 1997 Nov; 12(11):751-755
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1998
• Performing Organization:
  Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19940701
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2d730e1602353218fedf744b6a978b0c7eae159655899f5531c42468709a63a9d313e70b18afe14a53a0f5769eda7393a4bef454833a2ae1ea7e50c477d49dd4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/221448/cdc_221448_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 802.55 KB ]