What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occuring mineral mined from the Earth called a silicate. It naturally forms long microscopic fibers which are insoluble (they don't disolve in water). After their discovery, they were used for decades in many forms of construction materials, particularly acoustic and thermal insulation, because of their excellent natural insulating features.

These mineral fibers could be found in many types of duct insulation, acoustic ("popcorn") ceilings, linoleum tiles and many other building materials. However, since the late 1970's to early 1980's, use of this compound in commercial products was outlawed because they were discovered to have significant health risks. Because most of it in insulation materials is not free to float around and be inhaled or ingested, just having it in your house does not imply that you will get asbestos disease. The people typically at greatest risk were those with large exposures to the toxic mineral such as those with occupational exposure. For example, people who worked in factories and other work locations which produced asbestos-containing products may have had large exposures over a long period of time. There is also theoretical risk when doing construction on older houses which contain building materials containing the mineral. For this reason, any suspicious materials should be tested for the presence of the mineral fibers and only removed and disposed of by specialized contractors trained in its safe abatement.

There are several health risks associated with exposure to this toxic mineral fiber. Most notably, the fibers are inhaled into the lungs where they can cause inflammation and lead to both scarring or fibrosis of the lungs and/or formation of the form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

Is there asbestos in my home? Many people are worried about the presence of this potentially harmful chemical in their home, particularly if the home was build several decades ago. As stated above, living in homes with old building materials is not necessarily a direct risk, as the fibers are contained within other materials and are not free to float around and be inhaled. However, when construction is done which may upset these fibers, they can be released into the air and settle around various surface sin the house. If you have done construction on an older house or are planning to do so, there are many companies who do environmental testing for various toxins including this one. They can analyze samples from various suspect areas of the house to identify their presence. If it is found, specialized contractors can help safely remove these and other environmental toxins.