People who are aware of the harmful asbestos action to lungs and other organs usually concern when see some buildings under construction, because asbestos is still widely used in building materials. A lot of comparatively safe forms of using asbestos were invented, but this doesn’t exclude the chances for being exposed to asbestos in the places where you expect this least. For instance, at home.
As a rule, asbestos is present in ceiling or floor tiles, in insulation, roof shingles, pipe joints, interlayer between sheetrock and many other parts of the building. This material was widely used in buildings constructed in 70s – 80s years of the last century. These are comparatively young buildings that stay in use nowadays. The fact that asbestos is present in your walls doesn’t mean it will damage the health of your family. It becomes dangerous only in airborne form. If it is properly isolated and unable to spread fibers into the air, it is considered to be safe. But there is also a risk of being exposed to asbestos in some accidental cases. For instance, the insulation of boilers or pipes is damaged within time, it can break and spread asbestos dust into the air. A fire in the house can release a lot of fibers too. When the walls, ceiling of floor is drilled for some purpose, the asbestos dust is also spread around. Moreover, asbestos is contained in the cement coating of pipes that transport water underground. Within the time the coating tears out, releasing dangerous fibers into environment.
The efficient way to check the home area for the presence of asbestos in the air is polarized light microscopy (PLM). There is a range of certified laboratories that can perform such tests. The laboratory expert collects the samples of materials that potentially contain asbestos and checks them all in the laboratory. Another popular method of such analysis is transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Performing such analysis requires laboratory equipment and proper qualification. That is why it is not possible to check the home without a specialist in this area.
Detecting asbestos in the material doesn’t mean that it must be removed by something safer. If it is in a good condition and doesn’t have any breakages, it is not dangerous. But there must be regular checks performed to control the process. Also in some cases it is more reasonable to isolate asbestos materials instead of removing them. The walls or ceiling can be covered by special encapsulants. They are usually liquids that create a barrier for asbestos to release into the air from the inside. They work well for solid surfaces without breakages. However, it doesn’t work, if the walls are damaged. Such encapsulants have temporary effect and should be renewed regularly.
The only way to remove asbestos completely is to replace materials that contain it by asbestos-free materials. After this work is done, the air around should be tested for the presence of asbestos dust. Only if there is no dust found, you can be sure in zero chance for being exposed to asbestos. There are certified specialists who know how to perform such works safely. Require a certificate when hiring personnel for such house repair.
The procedure for removing asbestos from house buildings is rather high cost, but it is obviously required for living safe from asbestos-related diseases. They have long latent period, and feeling good for years and even decades doesn’t mean that there is no asbestos around. If your building was constructed in 70s – 80s of the last century, make sure it is safe by checking it for asbestos.