title: Study of asbestos exposure in some applications of asbestos materials in the chemical industry.
abstract: This study is designed to determine the effects of short-term asbestos exposure on workers in the production of asbestos gaskets and filter materials for technological equipment in the chemical industry. The workers from the "Cathode workshop", "Diaphragm electrolysis", "Polymers" Co., Devnja (12 operators) who operate the installation of asbestos diaphragms manufacture and installation of electrolysis cells, and the staff of the "Mechanical" shop of "Nephtochim" Co., Burgas, engaged in the cutting of gaskets made of pressed asbestos-polymer boards (6 workers), were studied. The hygienic normative standards and methodology for measuring and assessment of the asbestos exposure, used all over the world were applied: mean shift count concentration of respirable asbestos fibres; entire shift personal sampling (BSS 2200-85), PCOM light microscopy (BSS 16909-89). The level of asbestos exposure registered was in the range 0.04 to 0.38 f/cm3 for the operators in the "Diaphragm electrolysis" shop and for the staff in the "Mechanical" shop of "Nephtochim" Co. from 0.04 to 0.43 f/cm3. The established concentrations are acceptable according to the requirements of the official hygienic threshold limit value (TLV) in Bulgaria (1 f/cm3), but because asbestos is a human cancerogen and there is tendency for regular revision with the intention of decreasing the hygienic TLV, the asbestos occupational exposure of these groups of workers cannot be accepted as safe. The statements made increase the necessity of dust control by technical preventive means and the medical control of the workers exposed to asbestos-related injuries.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Chemical factors of the work environment and dust, National Centre of Hygiene, Medical Ecology and Nutrition, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Strokova
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Evstatieva
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dimitrova
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mavrodieva
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lukanova
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos; D002617:Chemical Industry; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure
chemical_list: D001194:Asbestos