Asbestos Could Be Lurking Homes, Offices or Schools

What asbestos is
Sources of asbestos
Health problems associated with asbestos
Decreasing exposure to asbestos 

What Asbestos Is 

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that has been used commonly in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. There are three types: chrysotile (which is white or greenish in color), crocidolite (which is blue in color), and amosite (which is a gray-green color). Asbestos was commonly used before 1970 in building products because it was fireproof, a good thermal insulator, and easily made into fabrics, pipe coverings, and other materials.

Asbestos has been banned from many products and voluntarily removed from others because it was found that long-term exposures to high levels of asbestos fibers in the air led to respiratory disease and cancer in asbestos workers and their families. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos is banned from corrugated paper, rollboard, commercial paper, speciality paper, flooring felt and new uses of asbestos, meaning asbestos cannot be used in products that have not historically contained asbestos.  Although the EPA banned asbestos in 1989, the regulation was overturned in 1991 by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. For more information and clarification on which asbestos-containing products are banned and which are not, visit the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/ban.html.

Asbestos fibers can get into the air when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed by cutting, sanding or other remodeling activities. Improper attempts to remove these materials can release asbestos fibers into the air of homes, increasing asbestos levels and endangering people living in those homes. 

Sources of Asbestos 

Asbestos is mostly found in older homes. Items that may contain asbestos include:

• Pipe and furnace insulation materials, especially in homes built between 1930 and 1950.

• Exterior asbestos cement roofing, shingles, and siding.

• Walls and floors around woodburning stoves may be protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets.

• Textured paints and other coating materials (their use was banned in 1977).

• Fireproof gaskets in heat shields, wood stoves, and furnaces. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use.

• Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets may have asbestos insulation.

• Asbestos is found in some resilient floor tiles (such as vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber) as well as on the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives. Sanding these types of tiles can release asbestos fibers.

• Hot water and steam pipes in older houses may be coated with an asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape.

• Soundproofing or decorative material sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly, or water-damaged material may release fibers. Fibers will also be released by sanding, drilling, or scraping these materials.

• Consumer products such as fireplace gloves, ironing board covers and certain hair dryers.

• Automobile brake pads and linings, clutch facings and gaskets.

• Artificial ashes and embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces may contain asbestos.

• Asbestos laboratory gloves and pads

• Asbestos stove-mats and iron rests

• Vermiculite

Health Problems Associated With Asbestos

Health problems caused by asbestos will not show up for many years, often 20 to 30 years. There are no acute or immediate symptoms from asbestos exposure. Exposure to asbestos can result in:

• Pleural plaques

• Asbestosis (scarring of lung tissue), which can lead to disability and death. Signs and symptoms of asbestosis include:

  • Cough

  • Shortness of breath

  • Chest pain

• Cancers of the lung, stomach, colon, rectal, vocal cord, kidney and mesothelioma (cancer of chest lining or abdomen)

Persons who have a history of asbestos exposure should know that smoking tobacco multiplies their risk for lung cancer. Therefore, anyone with a known history of asbestos exposure should avoid any exposure to tobacco smoke.

Decreasing Exposure to Asbestos

• Do not use materials containing asbestos.

• If you think your home may have asbestos, do not panic! Usually it is best to leave asbestos material alone if it is in good condition. Generally, material in good condition will not release asbestos fiber. There is no danger unless fibers are released into the air.

• If you hire a professional asbestos inspector to see if you do have asbestos in your home:

  • Make sure that the inspection will include a complete visual examination and the careful collection and lab analysis of samples. If asbestos is present, the inspector should provide a written evaluation describing its location and extent of damage, and give recommendations for correction or prevention.

  • Make sure an inspecting firm makes frequent site visits if it is hired to assure that a contractor follows proper procedures and requirements. The inspector may recommend and perform checks after the correction to assure the area has been properly cleaned.

• If possible, prevent asbestos-containing materials from being damaged, disturbed, or touched. Periodically inspect for damage or deterioration.

• Properly discard damaged or worn asbestos gloves, stovetop pads, or ironing board covers.

• Follow proper procedures in replacing wood stove door gaskets that may contain asbestos.

• Do not dust, sweep, wrap, vacuum, cut, rip, grind, or sand materials that might contain asbestos.

• If asbestos material is more than slightly damaged, or if you are going to make changes in your home that might disturb it, you will need to contact a certified asbestos abatement contractor. Removing asbestos is not a "Do-it-yourself" type of activity. That could be deadly. Special training is needed.

• If you need a certified asbestos abatement contractor, be sure to do the following things:

  • Check with your local air pollution control board, the local agency responsible for worker safety, and the Better Business Bureau. Ask if the firm has had any safety violations. Find out if there are legal actions filed against it.

  • Ask for references from previous clients and call them to see if they were satisfied.

  • Insist that the contractor use the proper equipment to do the job. The workers must wear approved respirators, gloves, and other protective clothing.

  • Make sure that the actual workers (not just the contractor) are certified asbestos workers.

  • Before work begins, get a written contract specifying the work plan, cleanup, and the applicable federal, state, and local regulations which the contractor must follow (such as notification requirements and asbestos disposal procedures). Be sure the contractor follows local asbestos removal and disposal laws. At the end of the job, get written assurance from the contractor that all procedures have been followed.

  • Assure that the contractor avoids spreading or tracking asbestos dust into other areas of your home. They should seal the work area from the rest of the house using plastic sheeting and duct tape, and turn off the heating and air-conditioning system. For some repairs, such as pipe insulation removal, plastic glove bags may be adequate. They must be sealed with tape and properly disposed of when the job is complete.

  • Make sure the work site is clearly marked as a hazard area. Do not allow household members and pets into the area until work is completed.

  • Insist that the contractor apply a wetting agent to the asbestos material with a hand sprayer that creates a fine mist before removal. Wet fibers do not float in the air as easily as dry fibers and will be easier to clean up.

  • Make sure the contractor does not break removed material into small pieces. This could release asbestos fibers into the air. Pipe insulation was usually installed in preformed blocks and should be removed in complete pieces.

  • Upon completion, assure that the contractor cleans the area well with wet mops, wet rags, sponges, or HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) vacuum cleaners. A regular vacuum cleaner must never be used. Wetting helps reduce the chance of spreading asbestos fibers in the air.

  • All asbestos materials and disposable equipment and clothing used in the job must be placed in sealed, leakproof, and labeled plastic bags. The work site should be visually free of dust and debris. Air monitoring (to make sure there is no increase of asbestos fibers in the air) may be necessary to assure that the contractor's job is done properly. This should be done by someone not connected with the contractor.