What you need to know about asbestos

6/22/2020 (Permalink)

3 common asbestos include: chrysotile, crocidolite, and amosite

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral substance that can be pulled into a fluffy consistency. Asbestos fibers are soft and flexible yet resistant to heat, electricity and chemical corrosion. Pure asbestos is an effective insulator and can be mixed in to cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other materials to make them strong. 

These qualities once made asbestos very viable, but unfortunately, they also make asbestos highly toxic.

Asbestos hazards may occur during manufacturing of asbestos-containing products; performing brake or clutch repairs, renovating or demolishing buildings; or cleanup from those activities. Asbestos workers have increased  changes of getting two principal types of cancer: cancer of the lung tissue and mesothelioma.

Some materials are presumed to contain asbestos if installed before 1981: thermal system insulation, roofing and siding shingles, vinyl floor tiles, plaster, cement, putties, ceiling tiles and spray coatings, industrial pipe wrapping, etc. 

Testing for asbestos also need to be perform on commercial buildings.