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Lower Manhattan Test and Clean Program
Specific addresses of individual residential units and small buildings participating in the Lower Manhattan Test and Clean program are confidential and therefore not included in the information posted to the Web site.
The air samples were tested for asbestos and man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF). The dust samples were tested for asbestos, MMVF, lead, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Air Samples
Testing for asbestos and man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF) in air called for moving a measured volume of air across a filter. The asbestos samples are analyzed using an electron microscope; the MMVF samples are analyzed using an optical microscope. In each case the filter is examined and the number of fibers counted. Problems can arise when too many dust particles were captured by the filter. The filter viewing area becomes obscured (i.e. overloaded) which interferes with the ability of the technicians examining the sample under the microscope to separate or identify individual fibers. Samples where this occurred or where the sample could not be analyzed for other reasons were listed as “Not Analyzed/Invalid.”
Dust Samples
Dust samples for lead and PAHs were collected by wiping a piece of soft filter paper over a surface, such as a floor or wall. Dust samples for MMVF and asbestos were collected by a vacuuming technique referred to as microvac.
Within individual units and building common areas, dust was collected from two types of areas, accessible and infrequently accessed. An accessible area is an area where people can be readily exposed to the dust, which include floors, tables and countertops. An infrequently accessed area is an area where people are not often exposed to the dust, which include the tops of bookshelves and under or behind refrigerators. Below are the test results for air and dust samples taken from residential units and building common spaces to date. Due to an analytical issue, some of the asbestos in dust and MMVF in dust samples are being reanalyzed.
Asbestos Results - Air |
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|
Total Asbestos Samples: Air |
Asbestos Samples Passed: Air |
Asbestos Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Air |
Asbestos Samples Not Analyzed/Invalid: Air |
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Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
|
||
183 |
991 |
991 |
0 |
0 |
||
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
|
||
21 |
1092 |
990 |
2 |
100* *(All 100 samples are invalid due to particulate overloads in buildings with ongoing construction) |
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Asbestos Results-Dust Accessible Areas |
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|
Total Asbestos Samples: Dust |
Asbestos Samples Passed: Dust |
Asbestos Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Dust |
Asbestos Samples Not Analyzed/Invalid: Dust |
Asbestos Samples Being Reanalyzed: Dust |
|
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
|
||
183 |
712 |
711 |
1 |
0 |
0 | |
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
|
||
21 |
844 |
842 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Asbestos Results-Dust Infrequently Accessed Areas |
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|
Total Asbestos Samples: Dust |
Asbestos Samples Passed: Dust |
Asbestos Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Dust |
Asbestos Samples Not Analyzed/Invalid: Dust |
Asbestos Samples Being Reanalyzed: Dust |
|
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
|
||
183 |
790 |
790 |
0 |
0 |
0 | |
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
|
||
21 |
677 |
672 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
|
Asbestos is made up of long, thin fibers that are strong and heat-resistant. It has been used in thousands of products (such as building materials and heat-resistant fabrics). Inhaled asbestos is associated with three major diseases: asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Asbestos only poses a risk it is inhaled. The risk-based clearance level for asbestos is 0.0009 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc) in air. The level of risk associated with this benchmark is negligible based on a person being exposed every day for 30 years. The benchmarks for settled dust in accessible areas are not risk-based because there is no scientific consensus on how to determine if these fiber will ever be inhaled. Rather, theses benchmarks are intended to identify the number of fibers in settled dust, and compare them with background levels generally accepted by experts in the asbestos removal field. The benchmark for asbestos in accessible areas is 5,000 structures per square centimeter (S/cm2) and 50,000 S/cm2 for infrequently accessed areas. This benchmark is intended to minimize the potential for recontamination of accessible areas. |
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Man-Made Vitreous Fibers (MMVF) Results - Air |
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|
Total MMVF Samples: Air |
MMVF Samples Passed: Air |
MMVF Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Air |
MMVF Samples Not Analyzed/Invalid Air |
|
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
|
|
183 |
1013 |
991 |
0 |
22 |
|
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
|
|
21 |
1092 |
1077 |
0 |
15 |
|
Man-Made Vitreous Fibers (MMVF) Results - Dust Accessible Areas |
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|
Total MMVF Samples: Dust |
MMVF Samples Passed: Dust |
MMVF Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Dust |
MMVF Samples Not Analyzed/Invalid: Dust |
MMVF Samples Being Reanalyzed: Dust |
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
|
|
183 |
706 |
706 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
|
|
21 |
841 |
841 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Man Made Vitreous Fibers (MMVF) Results: Dust--Infrequently Accessed Areas |
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|
Total MMVF Samples: Dust |
MMVF Samples Passed: Dust |
MMVF Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Dust |
MMVF Samples Not Analyzed/Invalid Dust |
MMVF Samples Being Reanalyzed: Dust |
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
|
|
183 |
784 |
784 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
|
|
21 |
674 |
674 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Man-made vitreous fibers (MMVF) are a class of insulating materials used widely in residential and industrial settings; they are made primarily from glass, rock, slag or clay. The fibrous particles have long, thin geometry, like asbestos, and can irritate the respiratory tract. MMVF's can also be a skin irritant. Man-made vitreous fiber (MMVF) toxicity occurs primarily from inhalation exposure. The health-based clearance level for MMVF is 0.010 fibers per cubic centimeter (f/cc). The standards are intended to protect individuals from hazards associated with inhaling MMVF in indoor air. The benchmark for settled dust in accessible areas is not risk-based, and was developed with consideration given to both its toxicity and background levels relative to asbestos. The benchmark for MMVF in accessible areas is 5,000 fibers per square centimeters (f/cm2), and 50,000 f/cm2 for infrequently accessed areas. This benchmark for infrequently accessed areas is intended to minimize the potential for recontamination of accessible areas. |
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Lead Results-Dust Accessible Areas |
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|
Total Lead Samples: Dust |
Lead Samples Passed: Dust |
Lead Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Dust |
Lead Samples Not Analyzed/ Invalid: Dust |
|
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
||
183 |
712 |
700 |
11 |
1 | |
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
||
21 |
841 |
764 |
77 |
0 | |
Lead Results-Dust Infrequently Accessed Areas |
|||||
|
Total Lead Samples: Dust |
Lead Samples Passed: Dust |
Lead Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Dust |
Lead Samples Not Analyzed/ Invalid: Dust |
|
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
||
183 |
789 |
777 |
11 |
1 | |
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
||
21 |
674 |
599 |
75 |
0 | |
Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. The primary source of lead exposure is deteriorating lead-based paint. Many homes built before 1978 contain lead-based paint. Soil can pick up lead from exterior paint, or may contain lead from vehicle emissions of leaded gasoline, even though it is no longer in use. Household dust may contain lead from deteriorating lead-based paint or from soil tracked into a home. Children six years old and under are most at risk, because their bodies are growing quickly. The risk-based benchmark for lead in settled dust is based on the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development standard of 40 micrograms per square foot (μg/ft2) for accessible floor space and 400 μg/ft2 for infrequently accessed areas, such as window troughs. These standards are also used to clear indoor spaces after lead abatement work. Registrants will be eligible for cleaning if the sampling results exceed these standards. The standards are intended to protect children from hazards associated with lead-containing dust in the indoor environment. |
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Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) Results-Dust Accessible Areas |
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|
Total PAH Samples: Dust |
PAH Samples Passed: Dust |
PAH Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Dust |
PAH samples Not Analyzed/Invalid: Dust |
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
|
183 |
706 |
705 |
0 |
1 |
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
|
21 |
841 |
841 |
0 |
0 |
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) Results-Dust Infrequently Accessed Areas |
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|
Total PAH Samples: Dust |
PAH Samples Passed: Dust |
PAH Samples Exceeded Benchmark: Dust |
PAH samples Not Analyzed/Invalid: Dust |
Number of Apartments |
|
|
|
|
183 |
784 |
783 |
0 |
1 |
Number of Buildings |
|
|
|
|
21 |
674 |
673 |
0 |
1 |
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of over 100 different chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage, or other organic substances like tobacco or charbroiled meat. PAHs are produced by many combustion sources and enter the air mostly as releases from burning coal, automobile exhaust, volcanoes and forest fires. In the indoor environment, PAHs can even be produced when you cook. The approximately 28,000 building fires that occur in NYC each year are also sources of PAHs. Two PAH results are derived from testing; the individual PAH concentrations and the total PAH toxicity equivalent. The total PAH toxicity equivalent consists of seven of individual PAH concentrations converted to a standard unit of exposure, and then added together as a measure of the cumulative effect of the PAHs. The value of the total PAH toxicity equivalent is then compared with the benchmark. The EPA health-based benchmark for PAHs in accessible areas is 150 micrograms per square meter (μg/m2). The level of risk associated with this benchmark is negligible based on the assumption of daily exposure over 30 years. The benchmark for infrequently accessed areas is 1500 μg/m2. This benchmark is intended to minimize the potential for recontamination of accessible areas. |
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