According to statistics from the Minerals Yearbooks of the United States Geological Survey from 1980 to 2022 , the proportion of asbestos production by country has changed significantly worldwide in recent decades. While significant quantities were still being mined in 22 countries around 1980, there are only four main producers in 2022.
GSA measuring device SG12
Asbestos wave – asbestos in old buildings
The Industriegewerkschaft Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (IG BAU) warns of a new danger from asbestos in buildings. With the imminent major renovation wave for modernization, conversions and energy saving, an “asbestos wave” threatens to hit the construction industry in the coming decades. Construction workers and DIY enthusiasts will be exposed to major health risks if they inhale the asbestos fibers that are released.
Harmful asbestos in serpentinite rock
Serpentinite, a dark greenish natural stone with characteristic spots and whitish bands, is mainly used as a decorative stone. Serpentinite is still used today for flooring, cladding and other decorative products. However, serpentinite can release harmful asbestos fibers under certain conditions. These dangers exist above all when serpentinite is worked or broken .
Building Energy Act – energy-efficient refurbishment and new construction obligations
The new Building Energy Act (GEG) – “Act on Energy Saving and the Use of Renewable Energies for Heating and Cooling in Buildings” came into force on November 1, 2020 and merged the previous laws and ordinances (EnEG, EnEV and EEWärmeG).
Old night storage heaters – often contaminated with asbestos – PCB – chromate
Depending on the year of construction and model type, night storage heaters can still be heavily contaminated with asbestos and other harmful pollutants such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and chromate (chromium VI). In order to measure possible asbestos contamination indoors, GSA measuring devices offers suitable measuring devices such as the SG12 for asbestos measurement.
AMF fibre measurements with SG12 for mineral wool insulation
With the specially developed for fibre measurements according to VDI 3492 SG12 can also be used to sample roof insulation for potential sources of danger. Roof insulation is often made of glass wool or rock wool, which are classified as AMF (artificial mineral fibers). According to TRGS 905, these fibers can be carcinogenic.