u/xcnbike

▲ 4 r/industrialhygiene+1 crossposts

Asbestos Exposure Assessment

Hi, I’m trying to estimate my exposure from a DIY incident where I used a power drill bit (~3/8”) to laterally grind a dryer vent opening in asbestos cement siding (20% chrysotile).

It was outside with light to moderate wind. Total active tool use was intermittent – no more than 5 minutes in total – though more time was spent standing around trying to fit the duct through, grinding again, etc. No more than ~ 1.5 square inch of siding was ground down.

When I use AI to research this, I get estimates that span many orders of magnitude – ranging from .000001 fiber years up to .001 fiber years. I think the primary issue is that there isn’t published task-based exposure assessments from using a drill bit this way, so assumptions about f/cc at tool vary.

Is hiring a CIH to provide a formal assessment for such a minor incident worthwhile or feasible? Or is the fiber year exposure so negligible that it’s not worth it, and if so, what would a worst case estimate be? Just trying to understand what my exposure was.

Thanks for opinions!

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u/xcnbike — 4 days ago