Exposure to airborne asbestos in thermal power plants in Mongolia

Background:

Coal-fired thermal power plants (TPPs) in Mongolia use various types of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in thermal insulation of piping systems, furnaces, and other products.Objective: To investigate the occupational exposure of insulation workers to airborne asbestos in Mongolian power plants.

Methods:

Forty-seven air samples were collected from four power plants in Mongolia during the progress of insulation work. The samples were analyzed by phase contrast microscopy (PCM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Results:

The average phase contrast microscopy equivalent (PCME) asbestos fiber concentration was 0.93 f/cm³. Sixteen of the 41 personal and one of the area samples exceeded the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US OSHA) short-term exposure limit of 1.0 f/cm³. If it is assumed that the short-term samples collected are representative of full-shift exposure, then the exposures are approximately 10 times higher than the US OSHA 8-hour permissible exposure limit of 0.1 f/cm³.

Conclusion:

Power plant insulation workers are exposed to airborne asbestos at concentrations that exceed the US OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit. Action to mitigate the risks should be taken in Mongolia.     

Mesothelioma in Mongolia: case report

Background:

More than 80% of cases of mesothelioma worldwide have a history of asbestos exposure. In Mongolia, workers in coal burning thermal power plants (TPP) have widely utilized asbestos as an insulation material.

Methods:

We describe the case of a 47-year-old woman diagnosed with a malignant pleural mesothelioma. She worked in a TPP in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia for 28 years.

Results:

A computer tomography (CT) scan showed a circumferential ring around her left lung, and tissues’ samples had a biphasic variant of mesothelioma with epithelioid and sarcomatoid components.

Discussion:

This is the first reported case of mesothelioma in Mongolia. We expect additional cases of mesothelioma, as well as other asbestos related diseases, will be identified in the future. In order to properly track asbestos related diseases in the country, we recommend the creation of an asbestos related disease registry.