title: Practical application of magnetic alignment of mineral fibres for hazard evaluation.
abstract: Techniques and instrumentation have been developed employing the magnetic alignment of fibrous dust collected on membrane filters coupled with light-scatter measurement for the accurate and reproducible assessment of airborne fibre hazard. This equipment, specifically designed to measure asbestos hazard, is built into a standard microscope, which also incorporates a facility for manual fibre counting and for bulk sample identification. With this new technique, up to 100 samples per day can be analysed automatically, compared with some 10-15 samples per day by manual counting. Collected fibres are assessed from areas of membrane filters some 30 times greater than those with manual methods; consequently, a more representative result ensues. These techniques lend themselves to considerable and varied application and involve relatively inexpensive instrumentation.
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D001194:Asbestos / Q000032:analysis*; D008027:Light; D008280:Magnetics; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis; D012306:Risk; D012542:Scattering, Radiation / Q000379:methods; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D008903:Minerals; D001194:Asbestos