An Evaluation of Vacuum Equipment for Collection of Asbestos Waste

Nine industrial vacuum cleaners for the collection of asbestos (1332214) waste were tested for the amount of asbestos fiber concentrations in the exhausted air and the effects of increasing cleaner capacity. The cleaners were tested in a facility comprised of a feeder room containing an asbestos feed hopper that dispensed the asbestos fiber evenly and continually and a test room in which the vacuum hose was connected to a pipe extending from the hopper. The vacuum exhaust was positioned in the center of the test room. Five sample points were located in a circular pattern around the vacuum at varying heights. NIOSH recommended guidelines were followed for air sampling in the test room. Suction pressure and air volume were determined. Three of the 9 units were also tested using isokinetic sampling. No quantitative ranking of vacuum performance was obtained. The authors conclude that the tests are a first step in establishing a performance documentation for industrial vacuum cleaners used for the collection of asbestos waste.

An Evaluation of Vacuum Equipment for Collection of Asbestos Waste [PDF – 23 MB]