Vermiculite Containing Materials

Vermiculite LIGHT MEDIUM DARK Copyright 2013 10 Vermiculite Ore Photo courtesy of www.mesotheliomasymptoms.com Copyright 2013 11 Vermiculite s Many Uses Fertilizer Block Fill Vermiculite fire board Copyright 2013 12 4

Vermiculite Uses General Loose fill Carriers Density modifiers Fire Protection Insulation Industrial Absorbent Packing Brake Pads / Shoes Drilling Muds Filtration Beds Fireproof safes Furnaces Paints Sealants Construction Floor and Roof Screed Gypsum Plaster Loft Insulation Acoustic finishes Sound Deadening Horticultural Hydroponics Potting soil Mixes Carrier for fertilizers and insecticides Copyright 2013 13 Spray On Insulation Samples primarily affected by the current NY policies Spray on fireproofing Textures Popcorn Ceilings etc. Copyright 2013 14 Libby Vermiculite For over 70 years Libby supplied an estimated 80% of the world s vermiculite! Copyright 2013 15 5

Asbestos Contamination Copyright 2013 16 Libby Vermiculite Rice grain sized Asbestos chunks can sometimes be detected visually Copyright 2013 17 Libby Vermiculite Hand picking large amphibole chunks is straightforward. Their absence does not mean the sample is asbestos free. Copyright 2013 18 6

Looking for Smaller Fibers PLM Copyright 2013 19 Identification Strong Chrysotile, crossed polars, gypsum plate in (pos. SOE) Amosite Dispersion staining mode (blue/gold) Chrysotile kink bands Not true RI colors Copyright 2013 20 Quantitation Weak Limitations of the PLM Method Copyright 2013 21 7

What s the Percentage? 5% Copyright 2013 22 Quantitation Weak Calibrated Visual Estimation (CVE) of Asbestos Percentage from a combination of stereo and PLM Point Count using a single cross hair graticule or a 25 point Chalkley Array graticule. Copyright 2013 23 Analysis Only Good as the Prep Especially for Point Count Uniform Random Monolayer Copyright 2013 24 8

Quantification Issues Particle size (height) prevents making a nice monolayer prep Particle size (L and W) makes for large variability in percentage by point counting Copyright EMSL 2013 25 Fireproof Insulation Stereo No Intact Exfoliated Vermiculite Books Only Thin Sheets/Flakes Copyright 2013 26 Textured Ceiling Stereo A Few Exfoliated Books of Vermiculite Copyright 2013 27 9

NY Guidance Straightforward at least right? Copyright 2013 28 ID Issues Vermiculite, Biotite, Muscovite, etc. Overlapping RIs Copyright 2013 29 Vermiculite Ore Photo courtesy of www.mesotheliomasymptoms.com Copyright 2013 30 10

PLM Crossed Polars Vermiculite Lepidolite Fuschite Biotite Muscovite Copyright 2013 37 Libby Vermiculite Micas and vermiculite have many similar properties but it was Vermiculite and specifically Vermiculite from Libby Montana that ended up in most building materials Copyright 2013 38 NY Guidance Copyright 2013 39 13

NY Guidance Copyright 2013 40 Gravimetric Reduction (198.6) 480 o C (900 o F) filtration HCl acid treatment Copyright 2013 41 Monokote MSDS Spray On can have quite a bit of removable matrix Copyright 2013 42 14

Methods with Matrix Removal EPA (600) PLM NOB EPA (600) TEM NOB NY State ELAP 198.6 (PLM) NY ELAP 198.4 (TEM) Chatfield SOP (TEM) Copyright 2013 43 2g of VCM (spray on) Copyright EMSL 2013 44 Spray On Residue After Grav Copyright EMSL 2013 45 15

PLM Performed on Ash Copyright 2013 46 Analysis of Vermiculite The problems with Vermiculite Analysis Particle size prohibits making a proper slide mount Asbestos not always homogenous within the sample Asbestos can be locked between plates and therefore not easily detected Non regulated Libby Amphiboles present Copyright 2013 47 NY Guidance: More? Than Answers These Interim guidelines are effective until new testing methods are established that effectively remove vermiculite from test samples and accurately identify asbestos. Based on Addison Davies? Copyright 2013 48 16

NY Guidance: More? Than Answers These Interim guidelines are effective until new testing methods are established that effectively remove vermiculite from test samples and accurately identify asbestos. Based on Addison Davies? September/October? about a year? Will materials need to be re tested with the new method once it is established If the new method is one proposed by a private firm as an acceptable alternative to an ELAP method will this method be proprietary? Can we presume that the new method can be used for loose fill vermiculite as well as VCMs? Copyright 2013 49 Wait it Out? Approach 1 Cancel or delay asbestos surveys if possible until final regulations are in place. Approach 2 If initial analysis determines vermiculite content >10% they are stopping. The material is treated as ACM. Approach 3 If 198.1 analysis determines vermiculite content >10% proceed to 198.6 to determine the ASBESTOS percentage. Materials are classified as ACM or non ACM accordingly, disclaimer is tolerated. Approach 4 Approach 2 or 3 are followed for regulatory compliance and then various additional prep and analysis steps are requested. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis is typically a part of this process to demonstrate Best Available Technology. Copyright 2013 50 Analysis Options Above and Beyond Beyond the ELAP 198.1 then 198.6 approach TEM by ELAP Method 198.4 is an obvious next step though particle size can be an issue (light milling) Copyright 2013 51 17

The Cincinnati Method Research Method for Sampling and Analysis of Fibrous Amphibole in Vermiculite Attic Insulation EPA/600/R 04/004 (January 2004) Copyright 2013 52 A Cincinnati Method Alternative CARB 435 Or EPA 600 Fine fibers like these will likely be missed by the Cincinnati screening method. As an alternative to the Cincinnati method, a CARB style milling prior to analysis can be used Copyright 2013 53 CARB 435 Style Milling After milling, a PLM 400 or 1000 point count (0.25% or 0.1%) Copyright 2013 54 18

Another Alternative EPA TEM Qualitative Method Now an ASTM Draft Method Copyright 2013 55 ASTM TEM Qualitative Ignore floats Ignore sinks Analyze the suspension Copyright 2013 56 ASTM TEM Qualitative Drop Mount or Filtration ($uperior) Copyright 2013 57 19

ASTM TEM Qualitative Magnification at 20,000X so can see even individual asbestos fibers / fibrils ID by EDXA and SAED Positive / Negative only, no quantitation Copyright 2013 58 TEM is Good for ID of Libby Amphiboles Libby Amphibole Standard Like actinolite / tremolite, with addition of Na & K Copyright 2013 59 Vermiculite Options Cincinnati Method Vermiculite separated into fractions, floating, sinks and suspended fractions. Analysis is by a combination PLM / TEM CARB (CA Air Resource Board) 435 Method Sample is milled, followed by a PLM point count EPA 600 Milling followed by PLM EPA 600 Milling followed by TEM Analysis Can break out of mass percent with and without the contribution of Libby Amphiboles ASTM TEM Qualitative Method Excellent fiber ID but no quantification Addison Davies Method Remove vermiculite prior to analysis Copyright 2013 60 20