What Happens to Asbestos Fibers Released During Manufacturing to the Environment: Land, Water, and Air.

So, the manufacturing is done for the day, the laborers pack it all up, sweep the floor, take a hit on the water jug, and either head home or stop in at the local drinking establishment. In 1982, the Environmental Protection Agency in the United States decided to extensively research and issue a 265 page study on what happens to the asbestos fibers released during that work day. The study titled “Life Cycle of Asbestos in Commercial and Industrial Use Including Estimate of Releases to Air, Water, and Land” has some eye popping results. You can pull the study off the Hathi Digital Trust or email me for a copy.

As stated in the following pages, 98.2% of the asbestos fibers released to the environment from manufacturing are deposited on the floor. Sort of makes you want to vacuum rather than sweep the floor. The next volume is water but, as stated below, that is difficult to quantify. The third is air, for which the EPA stated:

“Yet this [air emissions] is potentially the greatest health problem, as it can be carried great distances by the wind and a portion of it may be inhaled by the general population.”

In summary, once released during the manufacturing process, asbestos does not just disappear. For those that work in manufacturing facilities that release asbestos fibers, please keep the rest of us in mind and ask your employers to be a good steward of the environment.

Let me know what you think either by leaving a comment or emailing me at TheAsbestosBlog@gmail.com. Thanks. Marty