Temporal and spatial trends of airborne asbestos fiber concentrations in the urban areas of Yazd, Iran

Asbestos fibers are serious health hazards that cause diseases such as lung fibrosis (asbestosis), lung cancer and mesothelioma of the pleura. Thus, the aim of this study was to measure the concentration of asbestos fibers in urban areas of Yazd city. Totally, 60 samples were collected from low, moderate and high traffic areas of Yazd. The sampling of asbestos fibers was carried out by an SKC sampling pump with a flow rate of 10 L/min. The ambient air samples were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The mean of asbestos fibers concentrations in the ambient air of the study areas was 9.51 fiber/l. The highest geometric mean of asbestos fibers was found in the southeast of Yazd city. No clear correlation was found between asbestos fibers concentrations and metrological data (p > 0.05, r < 0. 2). The mean concentrations of asbestos fibers in all the sampling points were higher than the standards suggested by World Health Organization for ambient air (2.2 SEM fiber/l). Also, the mean concentration of asbestos fibers in the sampling stations in winter (10.89 fiber/l) was higher than that in summer (8.13 fiber/l). Due to the high volume of traffic, more commuter students, travelers, commuters and tourists, the occurrence of subsequent inversion resulting from cold weather and mechanical corrosion of asbestos-cement sheets caused by rainfalls.