Asbestos Risks

What is Asbestos?  Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals.  It is mined and milled from rock and is thin and strong.  Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos), and Crocidolite (blue asbestos), are the most common types of asbestos used in manufacturing.  Rarer forms are Tremolite, Anthophyllite, and Actinolite.  When viewed under a microscope, Chrysotile fibers are pliable and cylindrical and are often arranged in bundles, whereas Amosite and Crocidolite fibers appear to look like tiny needles.

It has been estimated that 3,000 different types of commercial products contain asbestos.  In homes built prior to 1978, asbestos is most commonly found as thermal insulation on boilers and pipes.  Unfortunately, it can also be found in many other household materials which include:

• Blown-in attic insulation
• Vinyl floor tiles - usually 9" X 9" tiles contain asbestos, but all tile should be tested to be sure
• Glue that attaches floor tiles to concrete or wood (also called "mastic")
• Some forms of linoleum
• Window caulking or glazing
• Roofing materials
• HVAC duct insulation (usually found in corrugated or flat paper form)
• Siding material
• Plaster
• Fiber cement siding (usually 1/8" thick and 8" X 4", brittle)
• Corrugated heavy duty panels

Exposure to Asbestos Fibers.  Asbestos can enter the environment from natural mineral deposits which have been exposed to the weather, and fiber releases arising from the application, disturbance and removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM).  Asbestos may be found in products such as floor tiles, roof shingles, exterior siding, cement automotive brakes, acoustical and structural insulation, etc.  Asbestos fibers can be released into the air when ACM becomes damaged.  If friable ACM (material that can be crumbled by hand pressure) is disturbed and becomes airborne, an inhalation hazard may result.  Asbestos fibers in non-friable ACM (i.e. floor tiles, sidings, laboratory desktops, etc.) are so tightly bound in the material that they are in, that they do not easily release fibers.  However, if the material is braided, sanded or sawed, the material can easily be rendered friable.

How do asbestos fibers enter the body?

• Inhalation - Breathing air which has asbestos-containing fibers in it, is the primary route of damaging exposure.  Some of the asbestos fibers reaching the lungs are eliminated in exhaled air and others are coughed from the lungs with mucous.  The fibers reaching the deepest air passages of the lungs can produce the greatest damage.

• Ingestion - The digestive system can be exposed to asbestos fibers from drinking water and mucous cleared from the kings.  A small number of fibers may penetrate the cells that line the digestive system but only a few will reach the bloodstream  These fibers will be released in the urine.

• Through the Skin - Asbestos fibers contacting the skin rarely pass through the skin into the body.

How can asbestos affect my health?  It is important to note that not everyone who is exposed to asbestos develops an asbestos-related disease.  Available information on the health effects related to asbestos exposure primarily comes from long-term studies of people exposed to large quantities of asbestos in the workplace.

• Asbestosis - Asbestos workers who breathe in asbestos fibers may develop a slow build-up of scar-like tissue in the lungs called asbestosis.  This scarred tissue impairs the ability of the lungs and heart to adequately provide oxygen to the body.  This is a serious disease and may take 20 to 30 years to develop after exposure.  Asbestosis can eventually lead to disability or death in people exposed to high amounts of asbestos.

• Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma -  Lung cancer starts within the respiratory tissues and mesothelial cancer grows from the thin membranes that surround the lung or the abdominal cavities.  Both lung cancer and mesothelioma are usually fatal.  These asbestos related diseases do not appear immediately, but may develop 20 to 50  years after exposure.

• Pleural Plaques - All types of asbestos can cause a variety of non-malignant pleural conditions as well.  For reference, the pleura is the  chest cavity or the place where the lungs sit.  A thickening of the pleura can occur which can impair lung function.  Pleural plaques (a gelatinous substance) can also occur, typically after about 15 years from being exposed to airborne asbestos fibers.

The health effects from oral asbestos exposures are unclear.  In some areas where the residents are exposes to asbestos fibers in the drinking water, cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine may be a greater concern.  After reviewing the scientific evidence from human experience and animal testing, however, health authorities are still unsure of asbestos links to caner in the digestive system.

If you suspect that you have asbestos in your home or work environment, please give us a call for a free site visit and evaluation.