Asbestos in soil: safety procedures for sampling

The presence of asbestos in soils represents a complex challenge in environmental remediation processes, due to the high heterogeneity of contamination and the limited applicability of conventional risk assessment tools. The specific physic-morphological properties of asbestos fibers often make such tools inadequate for describing actual exposure mechanisms, thus assigning a central role to on-site operational phases concerning sampling and material management. This paper addresses the management of soils contaminated by asbestos-containing material (ACM), with a specific focus on sampling strategies; it proposes an operational approach aimed at ensuring sample representativeness and worker safety. Particular attention is given to contexts characterized by low or uncertain contaminant concentrations, in which the definition of lot size, volumetric reduction, and the selection of appropriate sampling procedures play a decisive role in operational decision‑making processes and in supporting decision‑making tools. An operational framework based on precautionary principles and on the integration of occupational health and environmental protection is therefore outlined, highlighting how structured sampling protocols can represent an effective and transferable tool for the safe management of asbestos-contaminated sites, even in the absence of fully harmonized international standards. These protocols could be particularly useful for the remediation and environmental restoration of Superfund Sites, characterized by large contaminated areas with significant volumes of soil to be treated and challenging to manage in terms of safety, time, and costs.