A lot has been said of asbestos exposure at work. It is also necessary to examine asbestos exposure that may occur at home; this may either be in the form of dust brought home in the workmen’s clothes, shoes, skin and hair, or in some other ways discussed below.
Asbestos Residential Exposure
Exposure to and consequent inhalation of asbestos dust may occur in the home during renovation or repairs as homes built prior to 1970 used material that contained asbestos. These could be in the form of joint compounds, wallboards, gaskets, fireproofing, pipe covering, cements, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, boiler insulation, and a whole host of other products. Asbestos fibers get released into the atmosphere when any of these are tampered with during repairs or replacement. The resultant health hazard would show up 50 to 70 years later in the form of mesothelioma cancer or any other asbestos related disease.
Asbestos Popcorn Ceilings
Homes built after 1950 often had acoustic ceilings, also known as popcorn ceilings. These were popular owing to ease of applicability, noise damping effect, and a number of cosmetic reasons. The presence of asbestos in this type of ceiling has identified it as a health hazard that could lead to the deadly mesothelioma disease. Other building materials of the time like cement, roofing, tiling, insulation, and paint also contained asbestos in them. Realizing the risks of the asbestos products is necessary when dealing with the prospect of getting rid of them during renovation; airborne asbestos fibers when inhaled act as carcinogenic substances and pose a potential threat later in life.
Ceramics Pottery Clay Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure may occur from pottery made with asbestos and clay. Clay is made by mixing dry clay with water to which talcs are added. These talcs contain fibrous asbestos or asbestos-like materials. Working this clay by hand or on a potter’s wheel poses the same health hazard as the exposure that causes the deadly lung cancer, mesothelioma. With a long gestation period being typical of the malady, the danger of the inhaled asbestos fibers may go unnoticed till the first mesothelioma symptoms appear after 50 to 70 years have elapsed.
Asbestos Exposure in Remodeling or Demolition
Each person who is part of the team engaged in remodeling or demolition work related to buildings made before 1970 is at risk of exposure to asbestos fibers. These may be insulators, cement workers, sheet metal workers, plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, and drywall installers, as well as roofers, tile setters, and flooring installers. Any task like replacing, repairing, sawing, or cutting tiles or shingles can release asbestos fibers into the air that these workers will breath in leading to carcinogenic effects in the body that may be manifest as mesothelioma after 50 to 70 years.
Asbestos Exposure from Car Brakes
Brake pads and linings, clutch facings, and various gaskets used in cars are known to contain asbestos. While newly produced products do not have this dangerous component, a huge number of brakes and clutches found on cars, trucks, and on auto parts shelves still contain dangerous levels of the material. And since it is not possible to tell one apart from the other, the best way is to behave as if all brakes and clutches contained asbestos. With wear and tear from usage, asbestos–containing dust from brake and clutch is released and trapped within the housing; this will be inhaled by the person during repair and replacement work and vacuuming or using compressed air will further spread the asbestos dust. Even hitting a brake drum with a hammer can release fibers. Use of special equipment to reduce asbestos exposure is recommended such as:
- Use of a transparent enclosure around the brake system
- Clean up with a vacuum that has a HEPA or High Efficiency Particulate Air filter
- Use of low–pressure spray equipment to wet down the brake assembly and collecting the runoff in a basin
- Disposal of asbestos brake and clutch dust in sealed, labeled, impermeable containers.
Asbestos Exposure from Tile and Flooring
Up until the mid 1980s, most floor tiles contained asbestos for its durability and cost effectiveness. Residents of houses with vinyl-asbestos floor tiles were not at risk so long as the tiles were not broken and asbestos fibers allowed to contaminate the air. Any renovation or repair needs to be undertaken with care such as:
- Wear a respirator and an air filter (HEPA filter)
- Do not sand asbestos floor tiles
- Do not use power tools that may cause asbestos fibers to be released into the air
- Soak the entire floor with plenty water for at least 30 minutes before removing the tiles so that fibers get wet and do not float in air
- Do not use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust; use a soaking wet mop
- Dispose all broken tiles and other material in sealed and appropriately labeled polythene bags
Asbestos Exposure from Paint
Federal rules make it clear that paint is an ACM (Asbestos-Containing Material) only if it totals more than 1% of the total content of the product. It has been proved that painters are 20% more at risk of cancer than the public at large; this includes house painters and artistic painters too. Industrial paints usually contain toxic chemical substances like petroleum solvents, toluene, xylene, ketones, alcohols, esters, and glycol ethers. Asbestos was used as paint "filler" and as an ingredient in textured and "fireproof" paints. Painters were also exposed to asbestos through spackling and taping compounds, asbestos cement siding, and on the ship where asbestos was applied in abundance below decks owing to its fire retardant property. Great care has to be taken not to release asbestos dust into the atmosphere when reworking on paint done prior to 1980s.
Asbestos Exposure Insulation
Most homes used asbestos for insulation prior to 1980s due to its fire retardant and high insulation capabilities. Health hazards of exposure to asbestos dust and fibers that may be released into the air during renovation or repair are deadly and hence the following measures are recommended:
- Retrieving items from the attic may disturb the insulation, so avoid storage in attics
- Access the attic with a respirator mask and walk on boards to minimize disturbance of the insulation
- Prevent children from going into the attic
- Appoint trained and qualified asbestos removal professionals to handle the insulation removal, if it needs to be removed; NEVER attempt to remove the insulation yourself
- Ensure that all cracks and holes in the walls with insulation and ceilings of the rooms below the insulation are sealed to prevent dust going through
Asbestos Exposure from Concrete
In days of old, asbestos was mixed with concrete to make a material that was lighter and easier to use than regular concrete. This was used to surface roofs and other places. The hazards it poses in renovation and demolition include the possibility of contracting malignant mesothelioma due to presence of asbestos fibers that surface after a gestation period of 50 or more years.
