ASBESTOS DETECTION BY MULTIPLE FOCAL PLANE MICROSCOPIC FLUORESCENCE IMAGING

THERE EXISTS A NEED FOR METHODS OF IN SITU DETERMINATION OF ASBESTOS PRESCENCE AND CONCENTRATION IN BOTH MATERIAL SPECIMENS AND IN AIRBORNE SAMPLES. THE DETECTION SYSTEMS SHOULD BE PORTABLE, RAPID, RELIABLE, EASY TO USE AND SAFE. THIS PROPOSAL SUGGESTS AN OPTICAL TECHNIQUE EMPLOYING DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING OF MULTIPLE FOCAL PLANE MICROSCOPIC IMAGES OF FLUORESCING ASBESTOS FIBERS FOR THEIR DETECTION. OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAM INCLUDE THE DETERMINATION OF THE OPTICAL ABSORPTION AND FLUORESCENCE SPECTRA OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASBESTOS, DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A MULTIPLE FOCAL PLANE FLUORESCENCE IMAGING MICROSCOPE, ACQUISITION OF FAMILIES OF TEST DATA FROM U.S. N.I.S.T. TRACEABLE ASBESTOS SAMPLES, DEVELOPMENT OF IMAGE ANALYSIS SOFTWARE FOR FIBER RECOGNITION AND QUANTIFICATION AND THE DESIGN OF PHASE II INSTRUMENT PROTOTYPES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF BOTH AIRBORNE AND BULK MATERIAL SAMPLES. THE RESULTS OF THE PHASE I PROGRAM WILL BE THE DETERMINATION OF THE FEASIBILITY OF USING MICROSCOPIC FLUORESCENCE IMAGING FOR ASBESTOS DETECTION AND THE DESIGN OF PROOF-OF-CONCEPT INSTRUMENTS FOR USE IN THE PHASE II PROGRAM. THE PHASE II PROGRAM WILL RESULT IN PORTABLE AIRBORNE AND BULK MATERIAL SPECIMEN ASBESTOS DETECTORS CAPABLE OF PERFORMING RAPID IN SITU MEASUREMENTS OF ASBESTOS CONTAMINATION IN NAVAL FACILITIES.