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Asbestos: Asbestos Containing Materials
built 287 days ago
Asbestos is a dangerous carcinogen. Asbestos exposure may cause mesothelioma and lung cancer. Asbestos poses the greatest danger when it becomes airborne. Demolishing, repairing, or just disturbing suspect materials may cause the asbestos fibers to dislodge and release into the air. The following are some of the common asbestos containing materials that might be found in your home: acoustic ceilng spray, floor tiles, linoleum, insulation, drywall/joint compound, exterior stucco, roofing, etc. (see this page).
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Asbestos may be released to indoor or outdoor air as a result of the disturbance of asbestos-containing building materials such as insulation, fire-proofing material, dry wall, and ceiling and floor tile. Amphibole asbestos has been found in some sources of vermiculite that has been used as home and building insulation. Workers or homeowners involved in demolition work or asbestos removal, or in building or home maintenance, repair, and remodeling, potentially can be exposed to higher levels of airborne asbestos than levels in general ambient air. In general, exposure may occur only when the asbestos-containing material is disturbed in some way to release asbestos fibers into the air. When asbestos-containing materials are solidly embedded or contained, exposure should be minimal.
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Asbestos can enter the air through natural weathering of asbestos containing materials or by the physical disturbance of products containing the substance. Although the substance can enter the body in several ways, inhalation poses the greatest risk. The most serious disease associated with occupational exposure to asbestos is mesothelioma, a malignant cancer. Health risks were first recognized when asbestos workers, often working in unventilated and tight spaces, began to contract asbestosis, a pulmonary disease that causes disability and death. In 1955, a British scientist noted the link between lung cancer and those who had worked with asbestos for twenty or more years. Other studies noted the correlation between lung cancer and heavy exposure to asbestos, particularly among smokers.
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Asbestos, because of its unique properties - fire resistance, high tensile strength, poor heat and electrical conductivity proved to be well suited for construction applications. Some of the materials in which asbestos can be found are: spray applied fireproofing or decorative materials, pre-formed asbestos pipe or block insulation, corrugated paper (at left) insulation, roofing and flooring materials and many other products. The uses for asbestos construction materials extended to commercial, industrial and residential applications. The only way to determine if a product actually contains asbestos is through a laboratory analysis. Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) is defined as material containing more than 1% asbestos.
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The goal of the Asbestos Program is to reduce the potential for exposure to asbestos, a known human carcinogen. Asbestos has been found in over three thousand building materials and products. Contrary to popular belief asbestos is still imported into the United States and is still found in some products. The Asbestos Program administers regulations pertaining to licensed asbestos contractors and consultants in addition to regulations pertaining to all public and private, kindergarten to grade twelve not for profit schools in Connecticut. The Asbestos Program is responsible for ensuring that local education agencies properly manage asbestos-containing materials in schools.
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Asbestos floor tile in a room does not mean that you are being exposed to asbestos. The asbestos must be released from the floor tile and become airborne to become a hazard. There is no requirement to remove asbestos from a facility unless it is in a poor condition where the asbestos fibers may be released. If an asbestos containing material is in good condition (not damaged to the point that asbestos fibers are released) there is little chance of exposure to potentially dangerous asbestos fibers.
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Asbestos Containing Materials