• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 2014

While variety of cases of studies about asbestos analysis methods are released internationally, the results of Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) according to differences in the method of the analysis is becoming an issue. In this study, homogeneity ensured ACM samples were analyzed by visual estimation method and point counting method, and the result cound be used not only to improve the reliability on asbestos analysis of the institutions and analysts but also to obtain the basic data of Polarizing Light Microscope (PLM) analysis by comparing and evaluating. Asbestos analysis were divided into qualitative and quantitative analysis method. The quantitative analysis was performed by visual estimation method and point counting method (total 400 points) of EPA 600-R-93-116 method by using PLM. Firstly, The following was the result of homogeneity of the samples by ANOVA (Analysis of variance) and the results were satisfied. The results of qualitative analysis showed that the samples were chrysotile and amosite, and about the results of quantitative analysis, asbestos concentration determined by point counting method tend to be lower than concentrations determined by visual estimation method and also, pont counting method was a little more complicated and time-consuming.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.346-356
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• 2008

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals with long and thin fibers that originate naturally in the environment. Asbestos mainly affects lungs and the membrane that surrounds the lungs. In general, PCM (phase contrast microscopy) and PLM (polarized light microscopy) have been used to analyze asbestos fibers. However, these methods have often problems to over-estimate number concentration when counting real asbestos fibers. Moreover, there are many difficulties when separating and identifying various asbestos and non-asbestos fibers. In order to determine quantitative information on fibrous particles, source profiles for asbestos and non-asbestos fibers must be initially developed on the basis of their chemical compositions and physical parameters. In our study, a SEM/EDX was used to develop source profiles from known asbestos samples as reference samples. We could make the source profile matrix consisting of 6 types of asbestos fibers and 2 types of non-asbestos fibers by analyzing 380 fibers. Based on these profiles, a rule building expert system was developed by using the visual basic application (VBA). Various fibers were successfully classified by 2 simple rules in the EXCEL environment based on several visual steps such as inserting data, viewing results, and saving results. For a case study to test the expert system, samples from a construction materials and from various indoor environments such as a residental area, a preschool classroom, and an underground store were collected and analyzed. As a result of the survey, a total of 76 individual test fiber particles was well classified into 5 different types of particle classes; 9.3% of chrysotile, 15.4% of amosite, 0.8 of crocidolite, 4.2% of tremolite, 5.8% glass fiber, 21.1% of other fibers, and 43.5% of unknown fibers in terms of number concentration. Even though unknown portion was high, it will be decreased markedly when expanding fiber source profiles.