Pollution of the environment and building interiors during asbestos removal as a result of lack of negative pressure in the working areas.

The paper presents examples of the consequences of the lack of negative pressure in the work zone during asbestos removal. The asbestos fibre concentrations generated in those work zones were relatively low. This was due to the leakage in barriers restricting the work zone. Therefore the asbestos content in the outside air, near the renovated rooms was increasing. In the cases discussed, these works resulted in short-term pollution of the building's outdoor air to a depth of up to 15 m. Such contamination can cover the entire interior of the building. This may lead to long-term retention of asbestos fibre in the facility, despite the completion of asbestos removal. For example, non-friable asbestos-cement sheets removal in those work conditions increased indoor air by contamination up to 3000 f/m(3) (outside the work zone). In the case of removing friable asbestos inside the building type "LIPSK", indoor air contamination locally was up 21,000-51,000 f/m(3), and outside the work zone to 18,000-28,900 f/m(3). These values are above the average concentration of asbestos fibres in the same type of buildings (< 300-400 f/m(3)) in regular use.