Asbestos in soil and made ground: a guide to understanding and managing risks C733

‘Asbestos in soil and made ground: a guide to understanding and managing risks’ is now available.

The term ´asbestos’ relates to several fibrous minerals under a regulation of UK law that cause serious health effects (including mesothelioma and lung cancer) in people who inhale them.

Previously, using asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) was common in construction. Therefore, this book from CIRIA about asbestos in soil identifies several key areas of uncertainty in current understanding. Furthermore, it features recommendations on future research and policymaking to address them.

However, due to these uncertainties, the characterisation and assessment of potential risks are not straightforward. In fact, other developed countries are encountering similar difficulties.

This guide to asbestos in soil recommends a ´lines of evidence’ approach. In this instance, we use more than one method to estimate the airborne fibre concentrations soils on-site are likely to generate.