Smithtown, New York Asbestos Information
What Is Asbestos?
Is Asbestos
Dangerous?
Are All products With Asbestos A Health Risk?
Do All People Exposed To Asbestos, Develop Asbestos Related Disease?
What Are Asbestos-Containing Products?
How Can I tell If I Have Asbestos In My Home?
If Asbestos Is Found In My Home, What Should I Do?
What Is
Asbestos?
Asbestos is a mineral fiber found in rocks, of naturally occurring
silicate minerals that can be separated into fibers. There are
several kinds of asbestos fibers, all of which are fire resistant
and not easily destroyed or degraded by natural processes. The
fibers are strong, durable, and resistant to heat and fire. They are
also long, thin and flexible, so that they can even be woven into
cloth, because of these qualities, asbestos has been used in
thousands of consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific
and building products.
During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of asbestos
have been used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and
commercial buildings in the United States. There are several types
of asbestos fibers, of which three have been used for commercial
applications: (1) Chrysotile, or white asbestos, comes mainly from
Canada, and has been very widely used in the US. It is white-gray in
color and found in serpentine rock. (2) Amosite, or brown asbestos,
comes from southern Africa. (3) Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, comes
from southern Africa and Australia.
Is
Asbestos Dangerous?
Asbestos has been shown to cause cancer of the lung and stomach
according to studies of workers and others exposed to asbestos.
There is no level of exposure to asbestos fibers that experts can
assure is completely safe. Some asbestos materials can break into
small fibers which can float in the air and these fibers can be
inhaled. The tiny fibers are so small they can not be seen with the
naked eye. They can pass through the filters of normal vacuum
cleaners and get back into the air. Once inhaled, asbestos fibers
can become lodged in tissue for a long time. After many years cancer
or mesothelioma can develop.
Are All products With Asbestos A Health Risk?
No. A health risk exists only when asbestos fibers are released from
the material or product. Soft, easily crumbled asbestos containing
material has the greatest potential for asbestos release and
therefore has the greatest potential to create health risks.
Do All People Exposed To Asbestos, Develop Asbestos Related Disease?
No. Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos do not develop
any related health problems. Health studies of asbestos workers and
others, however, show that the chances of developing some serious
illnesses, included lung cancer, are greater after exposure to
asbestos.
What Are Asbestos-Containing Products?
What is common to many asbestos-containing products is that they
were (are) used to contain heat (i.e. thermal insulation.) This was
the main reason for their use. It is impossible to list all of the
products that have, at one time or another, contained asbestos. One
of the most common products asbestos is found in, is in the
insulation material found on heating pipes and ducts of homes built
before 1960.
Some of the other common asbestos-containing products are
insulating cement, insulating block, asbestos cloth, gaskets,
packing materials, thermal seals, refractory and boiler insulation
materials, transite board, asbestos cement pipe, fireproofing spray,
joint compound, vinyl floor tile, ceiling tile, mastics, adhesives,
coatings, acoustical textures, duct & pipe insulation for heating,
ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, roofing products,
insulated electrical wire and panels, and brake and clutch
assemblies.
How Can I tell If I Have Asbestos In My Home?
People who have frequently worked with asbestos (such as plumbers,
building contractors or heating contractors) often are able to make
a reasonable judgment about whether or not a material contains
asbestos on a visual inspection. Many professional home inspectors
also can make a reasonable visual judgment. To be absolutely
certain, an industrial hygienist would have to make the
identification.
If Asbestos Is Found In My Home, What Should I Do?
In most cases, asbestos containing materials are best
left alone.
When it is necessary to disturb asbestos, you should contact a
licensed asbestos contractor. You can also obtain a copy of Asbestos
in the Home published by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety
Commission (800-638-2772) which discusses the situation and makes
recommendations. Remember, do not dust, sweep, or vacuum particles
suspected of containing asbestos fibers.
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Inspection
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