Asbestos discrimination based on spectral analysis of laser-induced fluorescence

Ozu, Akira  

Feasibility study on the discrimination of asbestos particles using laser-induced fluorescence has been conducted. Laser-induced fluorescence spectra with a broad band width from 350 to 700 nm were observed from five types of asbestos minerals and six types of building materials under ultraviolet laser excitations. The fluorescence spectra were examined for the numerical discrimination of asbestos from the other materials. Significant differences in the fluorescence characteristics between asbestos and the building materials were confirmed. Several microscopic methods to discriminate asbestos using the differences in accumulated fluorescence intensities from 350 to 750, decay ratio of the fluorescence intensity, and relative ratio of the intensity between two different wavelength regions, are presented.