3 Alarming Asbestos Facts
October 20th, 2009. By AbiK
Do I sound alarmist? or more aptly, alarmed? I am. I was writing an article on Asbestos and Asbestos Mesothelioma—and the more I researched the more alarmed I became. If you’re like me, asbestos mesothelioma—while indeed an awful, deadly disease—seemed to be something that only shipyard workers, miners, construction workers and veterans had to fear. Or I associated it with legal ads that start out “Have you or a loved one….” But a little research yields some pretty alarming facts about asbestos—and it’s changed my opinion about who’s really affected by asbestos exposure into “this means YOU”.
Asbestos Alarm 1: Asbestos is in more places than you think
A little tooling around the EPA site gave me the following:
The EPA estimates that there are asbestos containing materials in most of the nation’s approximately 107,000 primary and secondary schools and 733,000 public and commercial buildings.
Damaged ACM (asbestos-containing material) is more likely to release fibers than non-damaged ACM. In a 1984 survey, EPA found that approximately 66 percent of those buildings that contained asbestos contained damaged ACM.
With three young kids sitting (right now!) in a school building that was built between 1930 and 1950, when asbestos was widely in use, those two statements above are giving me pause. I understand that asbestos removal is not always the best course of action as it can create a problem where perhaps one did not exist—however, that second statement—the one indicating that approximately 66% of buildings with asbestos contain damaged asbestos—i.e., the kind that can be dangerous—is not something I’m comfortable with. And I think about the janitors and other workers in those school buildings who are more directly in contact with areas of visible insulation, for example.
Asbestos Alarm 2: Again, asbestos is in more places than you think
Back to the EPA…
One study estimated that 3,000 different types of commercial products contained asbestos.
Note, that’s not 3,000 products, that’s 3,000 types of products. The EPA includes a list of “suspect asbestos-containing products” on its site; I’ll save you the trip-here it is:
Cement Pipes
Elevator Brake Shoes
Cement Wallboard
HVAC Duct Insulation
Cement Siding
Boiler Insulation
Asphalt Floor Tile
Breaching Insulation
Vinyl Floor Tile
Ductwork Flexible Fabric Connections
Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Cooling Towers
Flooring Backing
Pipe Insulation (corrugated air-cell, block, etc.)
Construction Mastics (floor tile, carpet, ceiling tile, etc.)
Heating and Electrical Ducts
Acoustical Plaster
Electrical Panel Partitions
Decorative Plaster
Electrical Cloth
Textured Paints/Coatings
Electric Wiring Insulation
Ceiling Tiles and Lay-in Panels
Chalkboards
Spray-Applied Insulation
Roofing Shingles
Blown-in Insulation
Roofing Felt
Fireproofing Materials
Base Flashing
Taping Compounds (thermal)
Thermal Paper Products
Packing Materials (for wall/floor penetrations)
Fire Doors
High Temperature Gaskets
Caulking/Putties
Laboratory Hoods/Table Tops
Adhesives
Laboratory Gloves
Wallboard
Fire Blankets
Joint Compounds
Fire Curtains
Vinyl Wall Coverings
Elevator Equipment Panels
Spackling Compounds
Got a few of those in your home? Chances are, if your house was built in asbestos’ hey-day, you probably do—or it’s buried under a renovation somewhere.
Asbestos Alarm 3: Asbestos is not banned in the US
WHAT?? That’s right: Asbestos is not banned in the US. There are at least 40 countries with bans on asbestos. If you’re living in the US, you’re not living in one of those countries. In fact, the manufacture, importation, processing and distribution of most asbestos-containing products is still legal in the US (that’s a quote from the EPA, too).
Oh, they say it’s “regulated” but it’s not banned. And I wonder how many more studies and deaths need to occur before we reach the threshold that says, “hey, US, it’s time—put the ban on asbestos”?
Now that I’ve started digging into this topic, I’m feeling I’m on a mission–so stay tuned…
