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The Requirements for AHERA Air Sampling

The Asbestos Hazards Emergency Response Act (AHERA), enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1986, outlines the requirements for AHERA air sampling. AHERA requires individuals who collect air samplings to undergo exclusive training and certification when involved with asbestos work in schools and commercial and public facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration have joint responsibility for enforcing the regulations.

  1. Significance

    • Asbestos refers to an inorganic material commonly used in shipping and residential/commercial building construction in the United States from the late 1800s until around 1980. Thousands of building materials contained asbestos, including roofing, insulation, ceiling and floor tiles and soundproofing. Building material manufacturers commonly used asbestos in heating ceiling tiles and ductwork. As long as asbestos is undamaged and remains in a solid condition, the material presents a minimal hazard. However, when asbestos-containing material becomes damaged and "friable," or crumbles, the material creates minute fibers that may easily become airborne. People who inhale the fibers incur the risk of suffering major respiratory and carcinogenic hazard.

    Mandatory Inspections

    • EPA rules and state regulations require asbestos inspection of certain commercial, residential and public buildings before undertaking remodeling or renovation projects. OSHA also requires inspection of buildings built before 1981 to resolve asbestos issues prior to renovation or to prove that a building does not have asbestos-containing materials. By law, only AHERA-accredited inspectors can inspect or conduct air samples.

    AHERA Inspector

    • The AHERA regulations state that an AHERA-accredited inspector must conduct asbestos inspections and perform air sampling. The rules give each state the authority to develop accreditation plans for inspectors and contractors. The required coursework include classes focused on the Asbestos Hazards Emergency Response Act practices for inspecting, sampling, categorizing and recording materials.

      Government enforcement personnel are exempted from this accreditation rule; in addition, residential buildings with 10 or fewer dwelling units do not have to be examined by an accredited inspector. Although other smaller residential buildings and private homes do not have to conform to the same regulations that apply to commercial and public buildings, professional inspectors should follow the same procedures for inspections and air sampling.

    AHERA Air Sampling

    • The actual process of AHERA air sampling involves using precise equipment for collecting the samples. The regulation requires the inspector to collect a sufficient volume of air to contain between 100 and 1,300 asbestos fibers per square millimeter, using a cassette device that has a 25-millimeter diameter. The cassette must have a mixed-cellulose ester filter and a 50-millimeter extension cowl. The inspector then sends the sample to an EPA-approved laboratory for testing. Laboratories use a process called Phase Contrast Microscopy to count the fibers.

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