[Asbestos substitutes and their biological action. I. Types, use, exposure and MPEL]

Referring to literature, the authors present problems of exposure to asbestos, its production and MACs in Poland. In our country artificial mineral fibres are produced in seven plants employing about 2000 workers. These plants produce basalt wool, sag wool and glass fibres used in industrial and building insulating materials and in cement and mortar additives and as a free insulating material. Mean concentrations of total dust at the work-posts measured in 1986-1989 ranged between 1.06 mg/m3 and 3.10 mg/m3. Concentrations of respirable fibres ranged from 0.041 fibre/cm3 to 0.173 fibre/cm3. In Poland, the MAC for mineral fibres for total dust amounts to 4 mg/m3 and for respirable mineral fibres to 2 fibres/cm3.