Characterization and Radiation Impact of Corrugated Asbestos Roofing Sheets in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This paper describes a systematic procedure for characterizing corrugated asbestoscement roofing sheets and evaluating their radiation status related to the asbestos fibre air dispersion that can cause carcinogenic diseases such as lung cancer and mesothelioma. X-ray powder diffraction analyses of powdered asbestos roofing sheet samples show that hazardous fibre of chrysotile has been detected in the three (03) out of four (04) commercially available asbestos roofing sheet samples in Sri Lanka. However, Radium Equivalent Activity (Raeq) of asbestos roofing sheet samples has ranged from 39.12 – 75.42 Bq kg-1, which are below the internationally accepted value of 370 Bqkg-1.The results showed that X-ray powder diffraction analyses and radiation techniques can furnish government authorities with an efficient, rapid and repeatable environmental mapping procedure that can provide information about the location of hazardous asbestos roofing sheets in Sri Lanka.