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Environmental asbestos pollution — Situation in Poland

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health

Abstract

Objectives

Environmental exposure of the general population to asbestos in Poland is mainly due to degradation of very popular asbestos-cement products and the resultant release of the elementary asbestos fibres into the ambient air. Assessments of environmental pollution by asbestos were based on the volume of the raw material used, amount of manufactured asbestos products, and measuring the concentration of fibres in the air.

Material and Methods

Under the governmental program intended to remove asbestos, measurements of the concentration of asbestos fibres were performed in 2004–2010 in all provinces of Poland. Considering that potential sources of asbestos dust emissions were present in residential areas, 1634 sampling sites were designated. From 2 to 4 air samples were collected at each sampling site. A total of 5962 samples were collected during seven years. A single dose of air collected by 25 mm 0.8 μm pore Sartorius filter was 1,300 litres. The fibres were counted using optical microscopy with phase contrast (PCM) on a polarizing microscope (PLM) at a total magnification of 600×.; method was adapted to determine the concentration of asbestos fibres in non-occupational environment.

Results

Mean concentration of asbestos fibres was 492 f/m3 (95% CI: 467–518). In 82% of the sampling sites, the mean concentrations did not exceed 800 f/m3. As much as 25.8% of the samples were found to be below the detection limit of the method. Estimated mean concentrations of fibres in different provinces ranged from 146 (95% CI: 106–203) to 709 f/m3 (95% CI: 591–851). In the areas affected by former asbestos-processing plants, mean concentration was 732 f/m3 (95% CI: 527–1016) and was significantly higher than levels recorded in other areas of Poland.

Conclusion

Asbestos consumption per capita and the recorded moderate levels of asbestos fibres concentration in atmospheric air point to a relatively low level of environmental asbestos pollution in Poland.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland

    Neonila Szeszenia-Dąbrowska, Wojciech Sobala, Beata Świątkowska & Urszula Wilczyńska

  2. Department of Environmental Health Hazards, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland

    Grażyna Stroszejn-Mrowca

  3. Department of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, św. Teresy 8, 91-348, Łódź, Poland

    Neonila Szeszenia-Dąbrowska

Authors
  1. Neonila Szeszenia-Dąbrowska
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  2. Wojciech Sobala
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  3. Beata Świątkowska
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  4. Grażyna Stroszejn-Mrowca
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  5. Urszula Wilczyńska
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Neonila Szeszenia-Dąbrowska.

Additional information

This work was performed under the task “Assessment of environmental exposure to asbestos in Poland on the grounds of measurements of asbestos fibres concentration in ambient air” (IMP 10.2/2009).

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Szeszenia-Dąbrowska, N., Sobala, W., Świątkowska, B. et al. Environmental asbestos pollution — Situation in Poland. IJOMEH 25, 3–13 (2012). https://doi.org/10.2478/s13382-012-0003-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13382-012-0003-0

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