Histopathology of lung showing ferruginous body.
A fiber of asbestos or related substance is coated by an iron-protein
complex and surrounded by macrophages. |
"Asbestos" is a generic name given to a fibrous variety of six
naturally occurring minerals that have been used for decades in the
development of thousands of commercial products. The term "asbestos"
is not a mineralogical definition but a commercial name given to a
group of minerals that possess high tensile strength, flexibility,
resistance to chemical and thermal degradation, and electrical
resistance. These minerals have been used in many products,
including insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes
and textile products, and cement and wallboard materials. The
asbestos minerals have a tendency to separate into microscopic-size
particles that can remain in the air and are easily inhaled. Persons
occupationally exposed to asbestos have developed several types of
life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer. Although the use
of asbestos and asbestos products has dramatically decreased, they
are still found in many residential and commercial settings and
continue to pose a health risk to workers and others.
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NIOSHTIC-2 Search
NIOSHTIC-2 search results on Asbestos
 is
a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health
publications, documents, grant reports, and journal articles supported in
whole or in part by NIOSH.
Recommendations for Preventing Occupational Exposure to Asbestos
NIOSH
Recommendations for Limiting Potential Exposures of Workers to Asbestos
Associated with Vermiculite from Libby, Montana
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2003-141 (2003)
Fact Sheet describes Vermiculite and Asbestos, and provides
recommendations to prevent occupational exposures.
Asbestos Bibliography
(Revised)
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-162 (1997)
Compendium of NIOSH research and recommendations on asbestos. It updates
and supersedes the NIOSH document Asbestos Publications from June
1992.
Occupational Health
Guidelines for Chemical Hazards
Guidelines summarize pertinent information about chemical hazards for
workers, employers, and occupational safety and health professionals.
Specific
Medical Tests Published in the Literature for OSHA Regulated Substances:
Asbestos
Database lists the specific medical tests published in the literature for
OSHA regulated substances. Updates of OSHA mandated tests (July 1, 2000)
and NIOSH/OSHA recommendations are included.
Workplace Exposure to Asbestos: Review and Recommendations: NIOSH/OSHA
Asbestos Work Group Recommendations.
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 81-103 (1980)
 PDF
only 2285 KB (41 pages)
Includes information about sampling and analysis of airborne asbestos,
biologic effects of exposure, recommended occupational standards, more...
Current
Intelligence Bulletin #31 - Adverse Health Effects of Smoking and the
Occupational Environment
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No 79-122 (1979)
Identifies six ways in which smoking can interact with workplace
exposures, including asbestos.
Revised Recommended
Asbestos Standard
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 77-169 (1976)
Review of information on the health effects of exposure to asbestos.
Current Intelligence
Bulletin #5 - Asbestos Exposure During Servicing of Motor Vehicle Brake
and Clutch Assemblies
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No 78-127 (1975)
Includes estimates of the population at risk, interim recommendation for
brake and clutch servicing procedures, and a copy of the Department of
Labor standard covering exposure to asbestos in the workplace.
Criteria for a
Recommended Standard—Occupational Exposure to Asbestos
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 72-10267 (1972)
Presents the criteria and standards for preventing occupational diseases
arising from exposure to asbestos dust.
Asbestos Abatement
An Evaluation of
Glove Bag Containment in Asbestos Removal
NIOSH Publication No. 90-119 (1990)
Examines the effectiveness of the glove bag control method to prevent
asbestos emissions during the removal of asbestos-containing pipe lagging.
B-Reader Program
To B or Not to B:
The NIOSH B-Reader Program
NIOSH B-Reader approval is granted to physicians who demonstrate
proficiency in the classification of chest x-rays for the pneumoconioses
using the International Labour Office (ILO) Classification System.
Conference Proceedings
Proceedings of the
VIIth International Pneumoconioses Conference Part I
NIOSH Publication No. 90-108 Part I (1990)
Proceedings of the
VIIth International Pneumoconioses Conference Part II
NIOSH Publication No. 90-108 Part II (1990)
Home Contamination
Protecting Workers' Families: A Research Agenda: Report of the Workers'
Family Protection Task Force
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2002-113 (2002)
Represents the Task Force's commentary on the 1995 NIOSH Workers' Home
Contamination Study report, identifies gaps in the current knowledge about
take-home exposures and related health effects, and provides a prioritized
agenda for Federally sponsored research.
Protect Your Family: Reduce Contamination at Home
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-125 (1997)
This report summarizes a NIOSH conducted a study of contamination of
workers' homes by hazardous substances transported from the workplace.
Report to Congress on Workers' Home Contamination Study Conducted Under
the Workers' Family Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 671A)
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 95-123 (September 1995)—Summary
This report to Congress and the Workers' Family Protection Task Force
summarizes incidents of home contamination, including the health
consequences, sources, and levels of contamination.
Sampling and Analysis
NIOSH Manual of Analytical
Methods (NMAM), 4th edition
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-113 (1994)
NMAM is a collection of methods for sampling and analysis of contaminants
in workplace air, and in the blood and urine of workers who are
occupationally exposed. These methods have been developed or adapted by
NIOSH or its partners and have been evaluated according to established
experimental protocols and performance criteria. NMAM also includes
chapters on quality assurance, sampling, portable instrumentation, etc.
- Method #7400 - Asbestos and Other Fibers by PCM
PDF
only 140 KB (15 pages)
- Method #7402 - Asbestos by TEM
PDF
only 37 KB (7 pages)
- Method #9000 - Asbestos, Chrysotile by XRD
PDF
only 42 KB (6 pages)
- Method #9002 - Asbestos (bulk) by PLM
PDF
only 175 KB (9 pages)
NIOSH Pocket Guide
to Chemical Hazards
The Pocket Guide presents key information and data in abbreviated tabular
form for 677 chemicals or substance groupings (e.g., manganese compounds,
tellurium compounds, inorganic tin compounds, etc.) that are found in the
work environment.
Worker Notification Program
Through the NIOSH
Worker Notification Program, NIOSH notifies workers and other
stakeholders about the findings of past research studies related to a wide
variety of exposures. The links below present archival materials sent to
participants in studies related to drycleaning.
Surveillance
Atlas of
Respiratory Disease Mortality, United States: 1982-1993
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-157 (1998)
This report presents maps showing geographic distributions (by health
service area) of mortality associated with selected respiratory conditions
that together represent nearly all respiratory diseases. For categories of
traditional occupational lung diseases mapped in this atlas (i.e., the
pneumoconioses, including coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, asbestosis,
silicosis, byssinosis, and other and unspecified pneumoconioses), nearly
all cases are attributable to hazardous occupational exposure.
Worker Health
Chartbook, 2000
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2000-127 (2000)
The Worker Health Chartbook presents data and charts that characterize
types of injuries and illnesses by gender, race, industry, and occupation.
In May 2002, sections of the Chartbook were re-packaged in booklets
highlighting fatal and nonfatal illnesses and injuries as well as a focus
on mining.
Work
Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report 2002
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-111 (2002)
The sixth of a series, the Work-Related Lung Disease (WoRLD) Surveillance
Report 2002 provides information on various work-related respiratory
diseases and associated exposures in the United States. The WoRLD
Surveillance Report 2002 describes where these diseases are occurring (by
industry and geographic location), who is affected (by race, gender, age,
and occupation), how frequently they occur, and temporal trends.
Work
Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report 1999
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2000-105 (1999)
This surveillance report presents summary tables and figures of
occupational respiratory disease surveillance data focusing on various
occupationally-relevant respiratory diseases, including pneumoconioses,
occupational asthma and other airway diseases, and several other
respiratory conditions. For many of these diseases, selected data on
related exposures are also presented.
Work
Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report 1996
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-134 (1996)
This 1996 surveillance report provides national and state-specific
summaries of occupational respiratory disease surveillance data focusing
on pneumoconiosis mortality. Selected occupational respiratory hazard
sampling data relevant to pneumoconiosis are also presented.
Work
Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report 1994
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-120 (1994)
The 1994 Work-Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report (WoRLD) provides a
summary of surveillance data for various occupational respiratory diseases
from a variety of sources. The majority of the data in this report is for
the time period 1968-1990.
Work
Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report Supplement 1992
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 91-113s (1992)
Supplement to the first Work Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report (WoRLD)
which presents updated data and data which was previously unpresented
including sex, race, geographic distribution, industry and occupation;
number of discharges with silicosis or asbestosis from the National
Hospital Discharge Survey; and reports of occupational asthma and
silicosis from the SENSOR program.
Work
Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 91-113 (1991)
First of a series, this report represents a summary of data for various
occupational respiratory diseases divided into figures and tables. |
