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.
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
Occupational Respiratory Disease Surveillance (ORDS)
NIOSH Topic Page about occupational respiratory disease medical screening and monitoring
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.
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