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Toxic Materials Library: Asbestos
Asbestos Has Carcinogenic Properties When Airborne
Where Is It Found?  Asbestos insulates well against heat and electricity. A popular construction material for the past 100 years due to it’s heat resistant properties and low cost, it is found in many building products including shingles, exterior siding, wallboard, paint, ceiling tiles, vinyl floor tiles. Enclosed or tightly bound asbestos fibers cause no significant health risk but aging materials when disturbed can release dangerous asbestos dust fibers. Resilient floor tiles (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber) generally contain asbestos as well as the backing on Vinyl sheet flooring, and the adhesives used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles can release fibers as well as scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal.   Asbestos found in pipe insulation in a residential home. Dangerous asbestos fibres are exposed when the insulation is damaged. Why Is It A Dangerous Toxin? Asbestos becomes an airborne toxin when its fibers escape into the air during building renovations or repairs. Common work such as disturbing insulation, sanding vinyl floor tiles, breaking apart acoustical ceiling tiles, and sawing, drilling, or smoothing rough edges of new or old asbestos materials all increase your risk of exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestos fibers lodge themselves into the lungs. If inhaled in significant quantities, the airborne toxin can cause asbestosis (a scarring of the lungs which makes breathing difficult), mesothemlioma (a rare cancer of the lining of the chest or abdominal cavity), and lung cancer (a malignant tumor of the bronchi covering). What Can I Do? Avoid disturbing insulation containing asbestos. Never attempt to remove and dispose of insulation containing asbestos by yourself. Regularly check materials you suspect of containing asbestos for signs of damage or wear and call a professional for proper assessment. Our qualified staff at Reitzel Bros. Environmental can help you to determine if you have asbestos, assess the risk, select the most appropriate method of managing the problem, and perform the abatement operation — be it removal and disposal or encapsulation.  contact us if you suspect asbestos in your home, office or institution
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