An approach to the classification and assessment of asbestos-containing wastes: description of a survey conducted in an industrial area]

A survey was conducted in a unused textile plant, located in an urban area, where large quantities of solid wastes were stocked. They resulted from the dismantling of the heating system and contained different types of asbestos. The aim of the survey was to classify the wastes according to the criteria established by Italian law (Presidential Decree No. 915, 1982), which requires that "dusts and free fibres" be accounted for when determining the concentration of asbestos in waste. This legislation leaves two main questions open: i) the choice of the analytical method for asbestos determination that should be used to obtain basic information for waste classification; ii) the criteria to be used to define "free fibres" in waste. A general approach to the solution of these issues is offered and applied to the case in question as a possible practical model of environmental control in this specific field.