Asbestos FAQ
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is composed long, very thin, and flexible crystals. Asbestos is both heat and fire resistant, making it useful in construction in the past. Used by man since the stone age, asbestos began to be included in homes heavily in the 19th and 20th centuries. Builders used asbestos to insulate our homes, wires, and pipes and make a myriad of other products like siding and floor tiles stronger. Though useful, asbestos is very dangerous, something not known at the time. When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, tiny fibers are released that can infiltrate our lungs.
Why is asbestos dangerous?
Asbestos fibers are strong and tiny, and can become easily airborne where they can do damage to human lungs, including cause cancer. Asbestos fibers are so lightweight that, once airborne, they can remain aloft for a long time, presenting a continued health risk. When the tiny, sharp asbestos fibers enter the lungs they get stuck and cause persistent irritation, potentially causing cancers and other serious ailments. There is no known safe level of asbestos exposure.
What are the dangers of asbestos exposure?
Asbestos exposure can lead to cancers like lung cancer and mesothelioma. Additionally, non-cancerous but very serious diseases like Asbestosis and Asbestos-Related Pleural Disease are also caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Health problems caused by asbestos exposure often occur many years or even decades after exposure. One study estimated that close to 39,000 people every year die in the United States from asbestos-related illnesses.
Are you worried about asbestos in your home or business? Get in touch with Cromwell today.
When did they stop using asbestos?
We have not stopped using asbestos. While asbestos use is generally declining, sadly, the material is stull used in some building materials and products. In fact, in the US, asbestos imports doubled in 2022 compared to 2021 — with the vast majority coming from Russia and China. Even in the US, asbestos was mined up until 2002. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t until 2024 when we finally got a ban on many asbestos-containing materials, which, unfortunately, will only be phased in over time. Even today, brand new flooring tiles and many other products may contain asbestos.
What does asbestos look like?
Asbestos cannot be identified in building materials visually and has no smell. Lab testing for asbestos is needed. Common features like ceiling texture and floor tile size do not correlate with the presence of asbestos, and many asbestos-containing materials look identical to those not containing asbestos. To see whether or not your home contains asbestos, testing is required.
What materials contain asbestos?
Asbestos can be found throughout a building. Places asbestos can be found include:
sheetrock wall
ceiling textures
inside your floor tile or building adhesive (mastic)
roofing material
fireproofing or soundproofing material sprayed on steel beams or in other areas of buildings
wrapped around pipes and ducts
wiring or fuse box
attic or wall insulation
many, many other areas of your building
Because asbestos is found everywhere in a building, it is important to test for asbestos wherever building materials are disturbed such as before any renovation or demolition project.
How to tell the difference between cellulose and asbestos insulation?
Like many asbestos and non-asbestos materials, asbestos and cellulose insulation look almost exactly the same visually. Testing for asbestos requires a trained microscopist using a microscope.
Is vermiculite insulation in my attic asbestos?
Vermiculite is a naturally-mined material that has been used for insulation. It is often loose material that looks like tiny pebbles. Vermiculite sometimes exists alongside asbestos and so some vermiculite insulation contains asbestos. You cannot tell if vermiculite has asbestos without testing, but it should be considered asbestos unless tested negative.
How to test for asbestos?
An asbestos test is conducted using a sample under a microscope. Asbestos samples must be physically removed from the site for testing, and the act of sampling can easily release dangerous asbestos fibers into the air. For this reason, all commercial projects must use licensed (AHERA or sometimes state) asbestos inspectors to test for asbestos. Residential homeowners can legally test materials in their own homes (not rentals) but, as testing for asbestos means collecting samples which disturbs materials, a licensed asbestos inspector should always be used to test for asbestos. OSHA classifies asbestos testing as a Class III activity requiring a high level of PPE and training.
Cromwell Environmental staff have the training and equipment for safe asbestos testing and removal.
What is friable or non-friable asbestos?
Friable asbestos is defined as asbestos-containing materials that are easily crushed, crumbled, or pulverized. Friable asbestos is the most dangerous as its fragile nature makes it more easily airborne, where it can get into your lungs. Non-friable asbestos is embedded in a binder which holds the asbestos in a solid matrix and is generally safer, unless it is disturbed. All asbestos, including non-friable asbestos, is dangerous when disturbed as it will become airborne. This includes construction activities, which can release friable asbestos into the air.
What are the risks of not testing or properly removing asbestos?
The risks of not testing and abating asbestos include serious legal and health consequences. Testing and abatement of asbestos is regulated by law and those ignoring the law can and do go to prison every year. The health risks of disturbing asbestos materials through testing or abatement are serious and thousands of deaths a year are attributable to asbestos, many of these deaths decades after the exposure.
How much does asbestos testing and removal cost?
Asbestos testing and removal costs vary depending on the size and scope of the project. Generally, costs associated with both asbestos testing and asbestos abatement are reasonable as the industry is mature. Call Cromwell Environmental for a free proposal for asbestos testing or asbestos abatement. We work throughout the US and Canada and can even arrange weekend and evening work for commercial facilities.