Health & Safety
HTIW is NOT Asbestos
Alumino-Silicate Glass Wool (ASW/RCF) is often compared with asbestos, is that right?
NO.
The basis for the production of Alumino-Silicate Glass Wool is molten mineral raw material with a particular composition, which is made into wool by centrifugal, blowing or spraying methods.
SEM image of ASW-fibres
Asbestos is the generic term for a series of fibrous-crystallized natural silicates. Based on its crystalline structure and chemical composition, asbestos is divided into two main groups; serpentine (main representatives being chrysotile or white asbestos) andamphibole asbestos (main representatives being crocidolite or blue asbestos, amosite or tremolite).
SEM image of asbestos fibres
Fibre diameter is a very important factor that plays a significant role in exposure. The thinner the fibre the more chance it has to reach the deep lung. This combined with a high biopersistence of amphibole asbestos results in a very high dose reaching the deep lung and remaining there for an extremely long period of time.
Furthermore, the thinner the fibre, the more volatile it gets and the longer it can remain airborne, increasing the overall dust level.
ASW/RCF airborne fibres are much thicker and are therefore less respirable. As a further consequence, handling of ASW/RCF products generates far less airborne dust as shown in the epidemiological studies where cumulative exposures have been measured.
The concept of dose to the target organ also takes into consideration the biopersistence of the fibre dust. Biopersistence is about 10 to 15 times shorter than that of amphibole asbestos. ASW/RCF is therefore far from reaching the dose to which asbestos workers used to be exposed to.
Asbestos Problem
The hazardous nature of asbestos was recognized very late on account of its long latency period. This, in connection with the widespread use of asbestos products, led to severe diseases of large groups of the population.
Experience with ASW/RCF
In the case of ASW, only a small group of trained employees in the industrial sector handles the products. The existing regulations for handling ASW are based on realizations concerning the handling of asbestos.
After more than 50 years of commercial application, there is no single known case of fibrosis, lung cancer or mesothelioma worldwide connected to the exposure to ASW/RCF.
