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• Possible concerns of airborne and dust-borne fiberglass fragments in buildings
• Health concerns of fiberglass exposure
• Fiberglass exposure hazard reference list

This document provides information about fiberglass fragments and indoor air quality fiberglass contamination issues in residential and light-commercial buildings. © Copyright 2008 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Airborne Fiberglass Fragments as a Possible Health Concern

A Guide to Large versus Very Small Fiberglass Fragments in Building Dust

In our page top photo of fiberglass insulation fragments collected in an indoor air sample, you can see not only a large and typical fiberglass insulation strand with its characteristic colored resin binder. You can also spot much smaller fiberglass fragments.

When a forensic laboratory is asked to screen dust or air samples for fiberglass, depending on the lab's protocols it's not certain that fibers of both large dimension and small fiber fragments will both be reported.

Small glass fiber fragments are easily "lost" in other non-fungal granular debris in building dust. We posit that studies of the level of airborne fiberglass in buildings may be faulty if the methods used to screen for fiberglass fragments do not include small, even sub-micron particles along with the common large particles.

Most Buildings Probably have Mostly Large Fiberglass Fragments - Some Have Sub-Micron Fragments

Our field and lab experience suggest that while we find fiberglass in nearly all modern indoor environmental dust, the common particles are usually long and large (and presumed less of a health risk than very small particles). However in environments where fiberglass insulation is old, damaged by foot traffic, handling, pests such as mice, or where it was chopped or disturbed, on occasion we find high levels of very small, even sub-micron fiberglass particles. Therefore a first level of inspection for this hazard starts with the age of the building and the visual determination of the condition of its insulation.

Fiberglass fragments are inorganic material typically from fiberglass insulation; depending on their size and quantity these may be a respiratory irritant or may contribute to more serious health concerns.

The presence of incidental fibers in buildings is common. The Association of Man-made Mineral Fiber Producers asserted to the US EPA in 1992 that a study at that time " does not provide evidence of significant adverse health effects following inhalation of glass fiber." ("Respirable Fibrous Glass Chronic Multidose Inhalation Study-Preliminary Final Results," TIMA, 4 May 1992 delivered to U.S. EPA by hand.) The Seventh Annual Report on Carcinogens (June 1994) lists glass fibers of respirable size as a substance "reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans."

DJF Opinion: Caution about fiberglass fragment size: when reading studies about airborne fiberglass, pay close attention to the methods used to collect samples and the methods used to identify and count fiberglass particle fragments. For example, some counting devices or microscopic methods exclude all particles below a give size by the choice of instrument or counting method itself.

Deciding not to look for very small particles (which if present may be the more harmful ones) or using a methodology that excludes them means that study is not going to find them even if they in fact were dominant by number or even total volume in a sample.

Prudent Avoidance of Fiberglass Insulation Dust

It is possible that small fiberglass particles in air may constitute a meaningful health risk (obviously depending on the overall exposure level) which has not been explored. It seems reasonable to me to suggest that that prudent avoidance of fiberglass dust would be appropriate. Improper cleaning or treatment of fiberglass ducts with biocides and particularly, mechanical cleaning that can damage the fiberglass lining HVAC ducts may in fact increase rather than decrease indoor air quality problems in a building, particularly if occupants have other respiratory or pulmonary concerns/vulnerabilities.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

FIBERGLASS HAZARDS
  Recognizing Fiberglass Insulation
  Recognizing Fiberglass Duct Insulation
  Lab Identification of Fiberglass
  Fiberglass Fragment Hazards
  Fiberglass Detection in Building Air
  Mold in Fiberglass Insulation
  Mold in Foam Insulation
  Actual mold growth in insulation
  Moldy insulation may look clean
  Why does mold grow in fiberglass?
  When to test insulation for mold
  Fiberglass Hazard References
INSULATION INSPECTIONS

More Information on Fiberglass Hazards, Fiberglass Particles, Airborne Fiberglass Dust, Mold in Fiberglass Insulation,Contaminants, and Indoor Air Quality Investigations, Building Diagnostic Inspections, and Building Repairs

For more information about fiberglass as an indoor air quality concern see:

• Fiberglass in Indoor Air, HVAC Ducts, and Building Insulation
• Asbestos Identification in Buildings: How to find & identify asbestos-containing materials
• Asbestos in Good Condition
• Mold in Fiberglass, when, why, and how fiberglass becomes a reservoir of problem mold in buildings.

Note: "DJF Opinion" in this document identifies comments based on my experience and/or field and empirical data but which I do not cite as authoritative.

The Mold and IAQ Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

On-Site Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan

Building & Home Inspection, Construction Diagnosis & Repair - Research Website

Contact Daniel Friedman for website content suggestions or for fee-paid consulting

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