Approaches and constraints to identification and quantitation of asbestos fibers.

Asbestos fibers, members of complex crystal-chemical systems, possess some range in characteristic properties. Identification of fibers requires morphological, structural, and chemical data. Most current work centers on identification of single, sublight-microscopic fibers present as contaminants in a range of media. Constraints encountered in the analysis of such materials are: sample preparation of the differing media; level of fiber exposure (contamination); presence (kind and amount) of other particles; tissue types and their different preparation techniques; homogeneity of samples and their preparations; use of proper instrumental technique; time required for analysis, and quantitation.