NEUTRALISATION OF ASBESTOS-CONTAINING WASTE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2786-5681-2022-2.01Keywords:
asbestos-containing waste, environmental pollution, asbestos waste management, impact on human health.Abstract
Abstract. The paper presents the characteristics of asbestos as a mineral. Asbestos is a trade name for six serpentine fibrous minerals and amphiboles. The processes of removing asbestos-containing products, which poses a high risk of emission of asbestos fibers harmful to human health, is described. First, make an inventory of asbestos-containing waste to determine the sequence of actions. Products can be qualified for immediate disposal or for temporary preservation, as required by law. When removing asbestos-containing products, the contractor should set up warning boards, fence the area, and take technical measures to eliminate the emission of asbestos fibers. Asbestos-containing products must be moistened with water before being removed. Trained employees should be equipped with personal protective equipment as well as working clothes and footwear. Asbestos-containing waste should be taken to a hazardous waste landfill or an inert or other than inert waste landfill, and placed in areas specially adapted for this purpose. Precautions during inventory and liquidation of asbestos-containing waste are specified. An innovative technology for asbestos neutralization MTT (Microwave Thermal Treatment) is characterized. The impact of asbestos products on health is discussed. The most dangerous cases of diseases are asbestosis, pleural and pericardial diseases, as well as lung cancer and mesothelioma. The need for research on the concentration of respirable asbestos fibers in the atmospheric air is emphasized.
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