Is your organization planning a renovation or expansion? Maybe you'd like to conduct building maintenance to prevent a future emergency? There are multiple hazards and toxins that need to be taken into consideration before starting a construction project. If hazards are not properly identified, tested and removed, they have the potential to derail a project. This presentation will show you how to handle hazardous building materials from the perspective of two environmental engineers.

1. Handling Hazardous
Building Materials
How to Avoid a Construction
Nightmare

2. Meet Your Moderator
2
James Ciccone

3. During This Webinar
3
 All lines will be muted.
 Communicate via the questions tab in your
webinar panel.
 Unanswered questions will be responded to
after the webinar.
 Webinar recording and slides will be emailed
to you tomorrow.

4. Meet Your Presenters
Ryan Miller
Engineering Project Manager
Triumvirate Environmental
4
Maria Borejsza-Wysocka
Environmental Engineer
Triumvirate Environmental

5. Agenda
5
Asbestos
Lead
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Mercury (in plumbing)
Summary & Questions

6. Poll Question
6
What is your greatest
challenge when it comes
to asbestos?

7. Asbestos: What Is It?
7
The “Miracle” Fiber
• Widely used for many reasons:
Resistant to heat, electricity, and chemicals
Sound absorbent
Has a high tensile strength
Able to be woven into cloth

8. 8
Types of Asbestos
• Serpentine (Chrysotile)
 Quickly cleared in the human lung,
 Distinct morphology,
 Fibers often “clumped” in air
• Amphibole (Amosite and
Crocidolite)
 Biopersistant
 Straight spear like fibers

9. 9
Suspect Materials
• Pipe Insulation
• Floor Tile
• Mastic
• Ceiling Tile
• Duct Seam Glue
• Joint Compound
• Roofing Material
• Fire Proofing
• Fume Hood Panels

10. 1
0
How Do You Identify Asbestos?
• Laboratory analysis
 Cannot identify an asbestos
fiber by the naked eye
• Licensed asbestos
inspector
• Specific methodology
for sampling

11. 11
Asbestos Sampling
OSHA 40 CFR 763.86
• Prescriptive sampling methods
US EPA Pink Book
• Summarizes the Asbestos Hazard
Emergency Response Act (AHERA)
sampling guidelines

12. 12
Asbestos Sampling
Surfacing Material

13. 13
Asbestos Sampling
Thermal System Insulation (TSI)

14. 14
Asbestos Sampling
• Miscellaneous Materials
 At least one sample shall be collected from each suspected
miscellaneous material. (EPA)
 OSHA says: In a manner sufficient to determine whether material is
ACM or not ACM, collect bulk samples from each homogeneous area
of friable miscellaneous material that is not assumed to be ACM.

15. 15
Definitions
• The US EPA defines ACM as
material containing >1% asbestos.
• MA DEP has requirements for
asbestos containing waste
material (ACWM) for specific
materials (vermiculite) containing
1% asbestos or less.
 Non-routine asbestos abatement work

16. 16
It’s Identified, Now What?
• Abatement
 Performed by licensed contractor
 Requires 10 working day notification to the
state
 Clearance sampling
 Re-occupancy
• Management
 Asbestos Management Plan or O&M Plan
 Asbestos awareness training

17. 17
Case Study
• Facility wide asbestos inspection and management plan
• 12 buildings assessed, one for pre-demolition and the others for an O&M plan
• Over 300 samples collected over the course of 6 business days
• Asbestos identified in roofing materials, TSI, mastic, floor tiles, fume hood panels, etc.
• Continues management and inspection of areas identified

18. Agenda
18
Asbestos
Lead
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Mercury (in plumbing)
Summary & Questions

19. 19
History of Use
• Lead Pipes
 Lead has been used in plumbing for centuries
 Majority of buildings built prior to the 1980s have lead in
their plumbing infrastructure
 1986: SDWA prohibited use of pipe, solder, or flux in
public water systems that was not “lead free”
• Lead Paint
 Lead based paint has been used for centuries
 1951 first ban on the use of lead based paint
 Majority of buildings built prior to the 1978 have lead-
based paint

20. 20
History of Use
Source: www.epa.gov

21. 21
Exposure
How does lead
get into the
water?

22. 22

23. 23
Exposure
• Areas of concern are painted surface
 Walls and ceilings
 Windows and window sills
 Doors and door frames
 Stairs, railing, banister, and porches
 Woodwork (baseboards and molding)
• Routes of exposure
 Inhalation
 Ingestion

24. 24
Health Effects

25. 25
Water Sampling
Drinking water taps

26. 26
Lead Paint Sampling and Screening

27. 27
Laws and Regulations
• Safe Drinking Water Act (1986)
“No person may use any pipe or plumbing fitting or fixture, any solder, or flux, after June
19, 1986, in the installation or repair of: (i) any public water system; or (ii) any plumbing
in a residential or non residential facility providing water for human consumption, that is
not lead free (within the meaning of subsection (d))
Effective 2 years after August 6, 1996, it shall be unlawful-
(A) For any person to introduce into commerce any pipe, or any pipe or plumbing
fixture, that is not lead free, except for a pipe that is used in manufacturing or
industrial processing;
(B) For any person engaged in the business of selling plumbing supplies, except
manufacturers, to sell solder or flux that is not lead free; or
(C) For any person to introduce into commerce any solder or flux that is not lead free
unless the solder or flux bears a prominent label that it is illegal to use the solder or
flux in the installation or repair of any plumbing providing water for human
consumption.”
-1417(a)(1)(A)

28. 28
Laws and Regulations
• Lead and Copper Rule (1991)
(1) The lead action level is exceeded if the concentration of lead in more than 10
percent of tap water samples collected during any monitoring period conducted in
accordance with §141.86 is greater than 0.015 mg/L (i.e., if the “90th percentile”
lead level is greater than 0.015 mg/L). - §141.80
• Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act (2011)
“…the term ‘lead free’ means- (A) not containing more than 0.2 percent lead when
used with respect to solder and flux; and (B) not more than a weighted average of
0.25 percent lead when used with respect to the wetted surface of pipe, pipe fitting,
plumbing fittings, and fixtures” 1417(Sec.2)

29. 29
Laws and Regulations
• Toxic Substances Control Act
(1976)
• U.S. EPA Lead Renovation,
Repair, and Painting Rule
 Lead-Based Paint: paint with lead levels ≥
1.0 mg/cm2 or more than 0.5% by weight

30. 30
Lead is Identified, Now What?
Lead in Water
• Measures to reduce lead in
drinking water:
 Flush your pipes prior to
drinking
 Only use cold water for eating
and drinking
 Install a water filter or treatment
system
 Remove the pipes containing
lead and dispose the waste
accordingly
 Reduce the corrosiveness of the
water
• Shut down the system
• Label water outlets accordingly
Lead in Paint
• Measures to reduce exposure
to lead
 Inspect and maintain all painted
surfaces
 Address water damage quickly
and completely
 Keep building dust free
• Lead Paint Abatement
• Remove the waste accordingly

31. 31
Case Study

32. Agenda
32
Asbestos
Lead
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Mercury (in plumbing)
Summary & Questions

33. Poll Question
3
3
How concerned are you
that you might have a
PCB problem?

34. 34
History and Background
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs): 1929 to 1979
 1929 – PCBs first manufactured
 1960s – Production decreased in 1960s
 Early 1970s – all uses of PCBs in United States are confined to closed
systems
 1977 – PCB manufacturing in the United States ends
 1979 – PCBs banned in the United States
• Properties
 Chemically Stable
 Non-Flammable
 High Boiling Point
 Tasteless and odorless
 Good Insulators

35. 35
Commercial Uses
• Electrical equipment
• Fluorescent light ballasts
• Transformers and capacitors
• Motor and hydraulic system oil
• Thermal insulation
• Adhesives and tapes
• Oil-based paint
• Caulking
• Plastics
• Floor finishes

36. 36
Exposure
• Routes of Exposure
 Inhalation
 Dermal routes
• Activities:
 During repair or removal of older
construction materials (i.e., paint,
plaster, and caulk)
 Leak or release form electrical
equipment

37. 37
Health Effects
• Cancer
• Immune effects
• Reproductive effects
• Neurological effects
• Endocrine effects
• Not acutely toxic to humans

38. 38
Sampling
Air Sample
Building Material Sample
Wipe Sample

39. 39
Laws and Regulations
• Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA)
 40 CFR Part 761
• Definition of Bulk Waste vs.
Remediation Waste
 40 CFR §761.61 and 761.62

40. 40
PCBs is Identified, Now What?
• Reduce exposure to PCBs
 Remove PCB containing fluorescent light
ballasts
 Remove building material: caulk, masonry,
wood and bricks contaminated or containing
PCBs
 Encapsule PCB containing material
• Dispose PCB waste accordingly

41. 41
Case Study

42. Agenda
42
Asbestos
Lead
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Mercury (in plumbing)
Summary & Questions

43. What is Mercury?
• Naturally occurring element that in its
pure form is a liquid that volatizes
readily
• Exposure at high levels can harm the
brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and
immune systems
• Mercury vapor is colorless and
odorless

44. Where Can
It Be Found?
Thermometers
Barometers
Manometers
Light bulbs
Thermostats
Coal and other rocks
Coal-burning power plants are the
largest human-caused source of
mercury emissions to the air in the
United States

45. Mercury
Devices in
Your Facility

46. 46
Mercury in Plumbing
• Relic plumbing
 Mercury poured into drains can remain in
the plumbing indefinitely, until it is
physically removed or the plumbing is
replaced
• Often overlooked
• Mercury remediation is costly
and time consuming

47. Mercury in
Plumbing

48. Mercury Vapor
Measurement
• Various methods are used to detect
and quantify mercury vapors in air
• Vapor detection limits vary
significantly
• Regulations and guidance
concentrations can be in milligrams
per cubic meter (mg/m3),
micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3),
or nanograms per cubic meter
(ng/m3)

49. 49
Mercury Vapor Measurement

50. Mercury Vapor Measurement
Triumvirate utilizes the Jerome J-505 for most mercury vapor monitoring activities.
Monitoring Device Detection Limit
Dräger tubes 0.05 mg/m3
Jerome J-505 0.00005 mg/m3
Lab (EPA Method 6009) 0.002 mg/m3
Lumex 0.00005 mg/m3
Jerome 431-X 0.003 mg/m3 (± 0.003 mg/m3)
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Analyzer 10 to 20 mg/kg
48

51. Mercury Meter Interferences
• Potential interferences to the Jerome 431-X mercury vapor analyzer have been
identified and are listed in the Manufactures Owners Manual
• Erroneously high readings can sometimes occur with the presence of:
 Hydrocarbons
 High levels of CO, CO2, and SO2
 Water vapor/condensation
 Chlorine and Ammonia
 NO2
 Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
 Most mercaptans (organic sulfur compounds or “thiols”)
• There are no known interferences with the Jerome J505 or Lumex meters
49

52. Regulations and
Guidance
• OSHA established a PEL as a ceiling value of
0.1 mg/m3, the only legally enforceable federal
U.S. standard
• NIOSH set a REL of 0.05 mg/m3 as a 10-hour,
time weighted average
• The ACGIH recommended the most recent
occupational exposure standard as the TLV-
TWA of 0.025 mg/m3
• The ATSDR recommends risk managers
isolate humans from mercury spills when a
concentration level of ≥ 0.01 mg/m3

53. 53
Cleanup Guidance

54. Worker Health and Safety
Spills within a facility can pose a threat
to worker health and safety and to
building occupants:
• Improper PPE
• Cross Contamination
• “Hot Spots”
• Improper Clean Up
• Improper Waste Disposal
52

55. Mercury Clean Up Products &
Equipment
Triumvirate utilizes multiple mercury
cleanup products to effectively
eliminate mercury vapor releases,
including:
• Mercury Vacuums
• Mercury Amalgamation
• Mercury Vapor Adsorption
53

56. Waste Disposal
• The most common disposal method is
mercury retort
• Solid and liquid bearing wastes are put
through a controlled high vacuum retort
system that recycles mercury
• The mercury can be recycled up to
99.99995% purity, and can be used on a
wide variety of applications
54

57. Case Study: Mercury in Lab Piping

58. Case Study: Mercury in Lab Piping
• Remove each sink trap, collect the
contents, and screen with a Jerome
J-505
• Traps with detections were removed
and containerized for proper disposal
• Remaining laboratory waste piping
was screened, and any piping with
detections was cut and containerized
for proper disposal
• All piping was removed until there
were no detections on the Jerome
56

59. Agenda
59
Asbestos
Lead
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Mercury (in plumbing)
Summary & Questions

60. Summary
60
• It is important to know what materials are present prior to
construction or renovations to handle the building
material/waste accordingly.
• Pipes in your building may contain lead, mercury or asbestos.
• It is important to assess a variety of building material to
determine if they are hazardous.
• Planning ahead will save you time and money during your
renovations and construction projects.

61. THANK YOU!
CONTACT US!
1-888-834-9697
www.triumvirate.com
Ryan Miller: rmiller@triumvirate.com
Maria Borejsza-Wysocka: mborejsza-wysocka@triumvirate.com