The evaluation of asbestos fibers by transmission electron microscopy requires that particulate be deposited on a filter and that the filter be prepared for analysis in a manner that retains the spatial characteristics of the particulate as it was deposited. Occasionally, the samples are prepared by redistributing the particulate onto a second filter. While numerous reports have described the effect of the redistribution of the particulate in terms of the number of particles or the resulting size of particles, no study has attempted to model the effect of redistribution. The effect of this redistribution on particle size is evaluated here and is described using standard comminution models. The proposed model is shown to reasonably fit the observed data. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.