Airborne asbestos take-home exposures during handling of chrysotile-contaminated clothing following simulated full shift workplace exposures

The potential for para-occupational, domestic, or take-home exposures from asbestos-contaminated work clothing has been acknowledged for decades, but historically has not been quantitatively well characterized. a simulation study was performed to measure airborne chrysotile concentrations associated with laundering of contaminated clothing worn during a full shift work day. work clothing fitted onto mannequins was exposed for 6.5 h to an airborne concentration of 11.4 f/cc (pcme) of chrysotile asbestos, and was subsequently handled and shaken. mean 5-min and 15-min concentrations during active clothes handling and shake-out were 3.2 f/cc and 2.9 f/cc, respectively (pcme). mean airborne pcme concentrations decreased by 55% 15 min after clothes handling ceased, and by 85% after 30 min. pcm concentrations during clothes handling were 11–47% greater than pcme concentrations. consistent with previously published data, daily mean 8-h twa airborne concentrations for clothes-handling activity were approximately 1.0% of workplace concentrations. similarly, weekly 40-h twas for clothes handling were approximately 0.20% of workplace concentrations. estimated take-home cumulative exposure estimates for weekly clothes handling over 25-year working durations were below 1 f/cc-year for handling work clothes contaminated in an occupational environment with full shift airborne chrysotile concentrations of up to 9 f/cc (8-h twa).