Asbestos is mineral fiber. It can be identified only with special kind of microscope. There are a number of types of asbestos fibers. It was once added to a number of products to make them stronger and to afford heat insulation as well as fiber resistance.
How can asbestos cause health problems?
From research on those who were exposed to the substance in shipyards and factories, we find out that breathing high amounts of asbestos fibers may lead to enhanced risk of several serious diseases, such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis, each of which causes different impacts to our lungs.
The risk of lung cancer as well mesothelioma has been known to increase with the number of fibers ingested. The health risk of lung cancer from ingesting asbestos fibers is greater if you are a smoker. Those who suffer from asbestosis have usually gotten exposed to high amounts of asbestos for an extensive period. The resultant symptoms of the disease do not appear until 30 to 50 years after the initial exposure to asbestos.
Most people that got exposed to small amount of asbestos, just like we all are in daily lives, do not develop such health problems. But, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos, which may be inhaled into the lungs. These fibrous asbestos may remain there for a long period, which eventually increases the risk of diseases. Asbestos material which would crumble easily when handled, or which has been scraped, sawed, or sanded into powder, is even more likely to cause health hazard.
Where You May Find Asbestos and When It Can be Problem
Most of the products made these days do not contain asbestos. Those products that still have asbestos on them which might be inhaled are needed to be labeled so. But, until 70s, a lot of types of building products as well as insulation materials which were used in homes had asbestos on them. Common products which might have asbestos in the past, and circumstances which might release the fibers, include the followings:
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Boilers, pipes, and furnace duct, which are insulated with asbestos blanket or paper tape. Such materials may release asbestos when repaired, damaged, or removed carelessly.
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Resilient floor tiles (asphalt, vinyl asbestos, and rubber), the backing used on vinyl sheet flooring, and adhesives which were used for the installation of floor tile. In this regard, sanding tiles may release the fibers. So may sanding or scarping the back of sheet flooring when removal takes place.
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Millboard, cement sheet, and paper which is used as insulation near furnaces and woodburning stoves. Removing or repairing appliances may cause asbestos to be released. So may tearing, cutting, drilling, sanding, and sawing insulation.
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Wood stoves, coal stoves, and door gaskets used in furnaces. Worn seals may release asbestos fibers when used.
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Decorating material or soundproofing material which is sprayed on ceiling and walls. Crumbly, loose, or water-damaged compound may also release fibers. So will drilling, sanding, or scraping such material.
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Joint compounds for walls and ceilings, and textured painting. Scraping, sanding, or drilling the surfaces may cause asbestos released.