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Asbestos
U.S. EPA Asbestos
What Is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a mineral
fiber. It can be positively identified only with a special type of
microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past,
asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to
provide heat insulation and fire resistance.
How Can Asbestos Affect My Health?
From studies of people
who were exposed to asbestos in factories and shipyards, we know that
breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of:
The risk of lung cancer
and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk of
lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibers is also greater if you smoke.
People who get asbestosis have usually been exposed to high levels of
asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases do not usually
appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.
Most people exposed to
small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not
develop these health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material
may release asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled into the lungs. The
fibers can remain there for a long time, increasing the risk of disease.
Asbestos material that would crumble easily if handled, or that has been
sawed, scraped, or sanded into a powder, is more likely to create a health
hazard.
Where Can I Find Asbestos And When Can
It Be A Problem?
Most products made
today do not contain asbestos. Those few products made which still contain
asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such.
However, until the 1970s, many types of building products and insulation
materials used in homes contained asbestos. Common products that might
have contained asbestos in the past, and conditions which may release
fibers, include:
-
STEAM PIPES, BOILERS, and
FURNACE DUCTS insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape.
These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired, or
removed improperly.
-
RESILIENT FLOOR TILES
(vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on VINYL SHEET
FLOORING, and ADHESIVES used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles
can release fibers. So may scraping or sanding the backing of sheet
flooring during removal.
-
CEMENT SHEET, MILLBOARD,
and PAPER used as insulation around furnaces and woodburning stoves.
Repairing or removing appliances may release asbestos fibers. So may
cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling, or sawing insulation.
-
DOOR GASKETS in furnaces,
wood stoves, and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers
during use.
-
SOUNDPROOFING OR DECORATIVE
MATERIAL sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly, or water-damaged
material may release fibers. So will sanding, drilling, or scraping the
material.
-
PATCHING AND JOINT
COMPOUNDS for walls and ceilings, and TEXTURED PAINTS. Sanding,
scraping, or drilling these surfaces may release asbestos.
-
ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFING,
SHINGLES, and SIDING. These products are not likely to release asbestos
fibers unless sawed, dilled, or cut.
-
ARTIFICIAL ASHES AND EMBERS
sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces. Also, other older household
products such as FIREPROOF GLOVES, STOVE-TOP PADS, IRONING BOARD COVERS,
and certain HAIRDRYERS.
-
AUTOMOBILE BRAKE PADS AND
LININGS, CLUTCH FACINGS, and GASKETS.
Where Asbestos Hazards May Be Found
In The Home
-
Some roofing and siding
shingles are made of asbestos cement.
-
Houses built between 1930
and 1950 may have asbestos as insulation.
-
Asbestos may be present
in textured paint and in patching compounds used on wall and ceiling
joints. Their use was banned in 1977.
-
Artificial ashes and
embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces may contain asbestos.
-
Older products such as
stove-top pads may have some asbestos compounds.
-
Walls and floors around
woodburning stoves may be protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or
cement sheets.
-
Asbestos is found in some
vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and
adhesives.
-
Hot water and steam pipes
in older houses may be coated with an asbestos material or covered
with an asbestos blanket or tape.
-
Oil and coal furnaces and
door gaskets may have asbestos insulation.
What Should Be Done About Asbestos In
The Home?
If you think asbestos
may be in your home, don't panic! Usually the best thing is to LEAVE
asbestos material that is in good condition ALONE.
Generally, material in
good condition will not release asbestos fibers. THERE IS NO DANGER unless
fibers are released and inhaled into the lungs.
Check material
regularly if you suspect it may contain asbestos. Don't touch it, but look
for signs of wear or damage such as tears, abrasions, or water damage.
Damaged material may release asbestos fibers. This is particularly true if
you often disturb it by hitting, rubbing, or handling it, or if it is
exposed to extreme vibration or air flow.
Sometimes, the best way
to deal with slightly damaged material is to limit access to the area and
not touch or disturb it. Discard damaged or worn asbestos gloves,
stove-top pads, or ironing board covers. Check with local health,
environmental, or other appropriate officials to find out proper handling
and disposal procedures.
If asbestos material is
more than slightly damaged, or if you are going to make changes in your
home that might disturb it, repair or removal by a professional is needed.
Before you have your house remodeled, find out whether asbestos materials
are present.
How To Identify Materials That Contain
Asbestos
You can't tell whether
a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it, unless it is
labeled. If in doubt, treat the material as if it contains asbestos or
have it sampled and analyzed by a qualified professional. A professional
should take samples for analysis, since a professional knows what to look
for, and because there may be an increased health risk if fibers are
released. In fact, if done incorrectly, sampling can be more hazardous
than leaving the material alone. Taking samples yourself is not
recommended. If you nevertheless choose to take the samples yourself, take
care not to release asbestos fibers into the air or onto yourself.
Material that is in good condition and will not be disturbed (by
remodeling, for example) should be left alone. Only material that is
damaged or will be disturbed should be sampled. Anyone who samples
asbestos-containing materials should have as much information as possible
on the handling of asbestos before sampling, and at a minimum, should
observe the following procedures:
-
Make sure no one else is in
the room when sampling is done.
-
Wear disposable gloves or
wash hands after sampling.
-
Shut down any heating or
cooling systems to minimize the spread of any released fibers.
-
Do not disturb the material
any more than is needed to take a small sample.
-
Place a plastic sheet on
the floor below the area to be sampled.
-
Wet the material using a
fine mist of water containing a few drops of detergent before taking the
sample. The water/detergent mist will reduce the release of asbestos
fibers.
-
Carefully cut a piece from
the entire depth of the material using, for example, a small knife,
corer, or other sharp object. Place the small piece into a clean
container (for example, a 35 mm film canister, small glass or plastic
vial, or high quality resealable plastic bag).
-
Tightly seal the container
after the sample is in it.
-
Carefully dispose of the
plastic sheet. Use a damp paper towel to clean up any material on the
outside of the container or around the area sampled. Dispose of asbestos
materials according to state and local procedures.
-
Label the container with an
identification number and clearly state when and where the sample was
taken.
-
Patch the sampled area with
the smallest possible piece of duct tape to prevent fiber release.
-
Send the sample to an
asbestos analysis laboratory accredited by the National Voluntary
Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) at the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST). A directory of NVLAP-accredited
laboratories is available on the
NVLAP web site. Your state or local health department may also
be able to help.
Reference: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |