Carpet mastic asbestos analysis results letter, December 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

The inspection of the targeted areas in the building was in response to upcoming plans to do renovation work. Therefore, following local, state and federal guidelines, all asbestos containing materials within these areas must be identified and abated if activities related to the construction will result in their disturbance. No demolition was performed during the inspection.

The asbestos survey identified no asbestos containing materials (ACM's) in the entire hallway areas of the building. As per New York State Department of Labor Code Rule Title 56 and EPA Regulations these materials must be removed by trained and licensed personnel prior to any demolition/renovation/disturbance activity.

Inspectional Procedures The asbestos investigation consisted of a preliminary walk through inspection of the areas to assess and areas that might contain suspect ACM and accessibility to these areas. A secondary inspection was then performed, at which time . sampling of suspected ACM was performed.

Sampling and Analytical Methodology

These limitations, such as the inability to detect thin or extremely short fibers (less than one (1) micrometer in length) generated during the milling process and the difficulty of separating asbestos fibers and bundles from the resinous matrix, may lead to false negatives or underestimates of the amount of asbestos fibers present in the sample. For these reasons, when analysis by PLM yields negative results for the presence of asbestos in NOB materials, the State of New York, Department of Health (DOH) has issued the following requirements as of August 3, 1992: "Polarized Light Microscopy is not consistently reliable in detecting asbestos in floor coverings and similar non-friable organically bound materials. Before this material can be considered or treated as non-asbestos-containing, confirmation must be made by quantitative Transmission Electron Microscopy".

The superior resolution of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) can detect the presence of asbestos fibers well beyond the range of PLM. In addition, the use of select-area electron diffraction (SAED) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) can positively identify asbestos fibers in the sample. All this information was obtained from the inspection of the entire floor in the property. Enclosed find the laboratory analysis report for the samples.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING SERVICES

NYC-WTC 000092677