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FILE NAME: Asbestos Sacks and Bags (ASB) DATE: 1972 Jan 17 DOC#: ASB098 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: NIOSH Report - Asbestos Burlap Bag Test with Cover Letter to TX Dept of Health &UJB L AP fe A- C t e S T Hat5l5o0caMl aIinnsStittrueetet fFoer dOercaclupOaftifoicnealBSldagfe.,tyBaan,d34H0e9alth C incinnati, Ohio 45202 MD irv. iMsioanrtinofCO. cWcoulpwattsieohn, aPl .HS .e,aldthireancdtoRr adiation Control l1e1a0s0aWSetsatte49DthepSatrrtmeeetnt o*f Health Austin Tessas 78754 Dear Hr. Ifukascfu AFsittpsrheuvrigohusClyommienngtioCnoerdpoirnattihone 8iXn0T3Hylseurr,vTeyesraespdoarttedofDtehceember 7, 1971, nfourrstehreiesstoinragtheeoTf yalmerosairteeaapsubrecsitiaoasa, bfourrlaupsebiangst,hperiervniouurssleyriuesse.d On aofrethceennt utrrsieprietos hTayvlienrg, pauvrcihsaistedwatsimtsaaadebatogst.heMEr.ikEnelbr eKrturFseanryto, no, ne naluoresesry197s0a$leshmowane,veerx, phleainsheodwtehdautathaeybahmadwnhoetrepusormcheas1e5d00an- y2b00ag0sbags ayerewsetroerethde, reHas winodmiacnatceamd sthina,t pthicekyedareupuasedbaign,fraenqdusehnotolyk bi tutvwighoirloeusly lfaorrg e15d*us3t0clsoeucdondins ihnerthberepaathrfionrgrazaoncnaa. ofFhoellrowwionrgk, thtiimsa, wcreeaastkinegd a for a bag to bring back to Cincinnati for a laboratory evaluation. A<1r9e7c1e,nVt orle.p2o7r,t Hbyo,J.1,Wpa.gn7e3r), acnt tai tii.edin "EthpeidBemriitoilsohgyMoefdiAcaslbeBstuolsletin , bCaagnsceprrse"vrioeufesrlys ctoonatafienwingcaasesbseostfosmesotheliomas in woman who cleaned Dfouor ttohethuesepooftebnutrialalpfobargaasperrieovuios uhselyaluthsedprofoblremst,orthageeraotfioansableestos, sshimouilldarbcaoenvdailtuioantesdmiinghntoetxoinslty. th is nursery but in others where .... A Ur. Martin C* Kukasch, P.E., Director January 17, 1972 Page 2 Enclosed is a laboratory report of our findings* Sincerely yours, Bichard A. Lessen, Epidemiologist Biometry Branch Division of Field Studies and Clinical Investigations Roy Fleming, Engineer Environmental Investigations Branch Division of Field Studies and Clinical Investigations Enclosure: NIOSH Laboratory Report cc: Director, DFSCI Acting Deputy Director, DFSCI Acting Chief, Environmental Investigations Branch, DFSCI Regional Program Director, Region VI, H10SH ASBESTOS - BURLAP BAGS Report Prepared By: Roy M. Fleming Division National Environmental Investi gations. Branch of Field Studies and' Clinical Investigations Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 1014 Broadway Cincinnati. Ohio 45202 v l * 'A-. :- .'i.-- w . )i . ASBESTOS - BURLAP BAGS Concern over the use of burlap bags for wrapping the bases of rose bushes has arisen because the bags were initially used as containers for amosite asbestos. To determine a possible exposure of asbestos fibers io workers who use these burlap bags, a test, simulating the handling of the bags, was conducted in an enclosed room. For a four minute sample, the average asbestos concentration of fibers greater than five microns in length in the w o rker's breathing zone was 490 fibers per milliliter. Samples taken within two feet of the worker at heights of 6 inches, 33 inches, and 60 inches yielded con centrations of 500, 350, and'470 fibers per milliliter, respectively. Conditions of the test One burlap baa was used in the test. It was taken from the middle of a stack of bags at the Eikner Nursery in Tyler, Texas, sealed in a plastic bag, and flown to Cincinnati, Ohio. The burlap bag was kept In the plastic bag until the actual test. To achieve possibly the worst exposure, the test was conducted in a small room <4* x 6 ' x 8 ') which has no ventilation, the burlap bag was turned inside out before shaking, and the bag was shaken vigorously for 60 seconds. The four minute sampling time was determined from rehersal of the procedure for wrapping a bush, however, the worker could probably wrap one bush in half that time if he worked quickly. Procedure The test room was vacuumed and the equipment was set up as in Figures I and 2. Two four minute samples were taken at locations I and 2 before the test. -These filters were changed, and the burlap bag was placed in front of the chair still in its plastic container. Five minutes later the worker's personal pumps were turned on just as he e n t e r e d `the rcon. Wearing a respirator, the worker turned on pumps I, 2, and 3 and then sat in the chair. He took the burlap bag oiit of the plastic bag and turned the burlap bag inside out. Standing, he shook the bag for 60 seconds and then sat down, spreading the burlap bag on his lap. He then went through the motions of placinc a rose bush on the bag and wrapping the bag around the base of the bush,. After tving the corners with a wire, the worker placed the bush on the floor and stood up to brush off his clothes. He shut off pumps I, 2, and 3 and le-ft the room. His peVsonal pumps were turned off as soon as he was outside the room. During the first three minutes after the test, the filter's were taken off the pumps, two filters were installed on pumps 1 and 2, and the burlap bag was sealed in the plastic bag. Two four minute samples were taken to measure airborne asbestos concentrations. The room v/as then opened for cleaning and removal of equipment. V Asbestos - Burlap Bag January 14, 1972 Page 2 . Data - collected and counted on January 11, 1972 Before te s t: cflhoaoirr 1Ieevvee 11 Five Minute Break During te s t: . fclhoaoirr lleevveell stand ing level Personal samples Three Minute Break A fter te s t: cflhoaoirr lleevveell Total 00..00 548800 730 . .654900 328000 >5p 00 ..00 ' * 530500 470 547100 215300 . >T0y - 00 ..00 233700 150 2416.00 - 18500 Equipment and supplies Test room -- a 4'-0" x 5 '-lO" .x 7 ,-7M enclosure with two sealed windows and a double door Burlap tag - approx i r a t e ly '3' x 2 ' and lin ed with th in p la s tic Tripod - pump1support Ring stand - pump support Matai foI d ing chair MSA portable pumps -- Model G.part no. 456058 Mililpore membrane filters - AA, 0.8p pore size Comfo custom respirator - Part no. 86432 Ultra filter cartridges - Type "H", part no. 81051 0001 Asbestos - Burlap Bag January 14, 1972 Page 3 Observations arid remarks. Before the test the r o e m w a s completely free of asbestos. Vfh11e the worker was shaking the burlap bag the presence of dirt and asbestos was visible through a window, settling on the worker's hair and clothes and on the floor. The filters were positioned so that debris o r asbestos would not be forced directly Onto them by the shaking of the burlap bag. Of the samples taken on or near the worker, the lowest concentration .of fibers greater than five microns in length was 350 fibers per milliliter, many times the emergency .asbestos standard as pub Iished In the Federal Register on December 7, 1971: ''The 8-hour time-weighted average airborne concentration of asbestos dust t o which employees are exposed shall not exceed five fibers per milliliter greater than five microns in length, as determined by the membrane filter method at 400-450X magnification (4 millimeter objective) phase contrast illumination Concentrations above 5 ' fibers' per mil Iliter but, not to exceed 10 fibers per milliliter, may be permitted up to a total of 15 minutes in an hour for up t o 5 hours in.an 8-hour day." Even five minutes- after shaking had stopped, concentrations of airborne asbestos averaged ISO fibers per milliliter for fibers greater than five microns in length. Since only one bag was used and only one set of samples were taken, no definite conclusions can be made concerning the safety of using the burlap bags. However, due to t h e extremely high concentrations measured in this test, field studies should be conducted to determine the actual concentrations of asbestos to which workers are exposed, 0001G TOP FRONT SIDE Figure