Asbestos Frequently Asked Questions

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Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. It is mined and milled from rock and is thin and strong. Chrysotile (white asbestos), Amosite (brown asbestos), and Crocidolite (blue asbestos), are the most common types of asbestos used in manufacturing. Rarer forms are pliable and cylindrical and are often arranged in bundles, whereas Amosite and Crocidolite fibers appear to look like tiny needles.

There have been more cases of Mesothelioma and cancer found in people working with Crocidolite than any other type of asbestos. However, all forms of asbestos, except Chrysolite, are of the same mineralogical family called Amphiboles. Even though there appear to be fewer incidences of disease in workers who deal only with Chrysolite, all asbestos forms are believed to carry similar risks.

It has been estimated that 3,000 different types of commercial products contain asbestos. In homes built prior to 1978, asbestos is most commonly found as thermal insulation on boilers and pipes. Unfortunately, it can also be found in many other household materials, which include:

• Attic insulation (blown in and sometimes vermiculite insulation.)
• Vinyl floor tiles (usually 9" X 9" tiles contain asbestos, but all tile should be tested to be sure.)
• Textured ceilings
• Glue that attaches floor tiles to concrete or wood (also called "mastic")
• Some forms of linoleum
• Window caulking or glazing
• Roofing materials
• HVAC duct insulation (usually found in corrugated or flat paper form)
• Siding material
• Plaster
• Fiber cement siding
• Corrugated heavy duty panels
• Boiler lagging
• Hot water pipe insulation

Asbestos can enter the environment from natural mineral deposits which have been exposed to the weather, and fiber releases arising from the application, disturbances and removal of asbestos-containing materials (ACM). Asbestos may be found in products such as floor tiles, roof shingles, exterior siding, cement, automotive brakes, acoustical and structural insulation, etc. Asbestos fibers can be released into the air when ACM becomes damaged. If friable ACM (material that can be crumbled by hand pressure) is disturbed and becomes airborne, an inhalation hazard may result. Asbestos fibers in non-friable ACM (i.e. floor tiles, sidings, laboratory desktops, etc.) are so tightly bound in the material that they are in, that they do not easily release fibers. However, if the material is abraded, sanded or sawed, the material can easily be rendered friable.

Inhalation - Breathing air which has asbestos fibers in it, is the primary route of damaging exposure. Some of the asbestos fibers reaching are eliminated in exhaled air and others are coughed up from the lungs with mucous. The fibers reaching the deepest air passages of the lungs can produce the greatest damage.

Ingestion - The digestive system can be exposed to asbestos fibers from drinking water and mucous cleared from the lungs. A small number of fibers may penetrate the cells that line the digestive system, but only a few will reach the bloodstream. These fibers will be released in the urine.

Through the Skin - Asbestos fibers contacting the skin rarely pass through the skin into the body.

It is important to note that not everyone who is exposed to asbestos develops an asbestos-related disease. There are however health effects related to asbestos exposure primarily from long-term studies of people exposed to large quantities of asbestos. These asbestos-related diseases include the following:

• Asbestosis
• Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma
• Pleural Plaques

The health effects from oral asbestos exposure are unclear. In some areas where the residents are exposed to asbestos fibers in the drinking water, cancers of the esophagus, stomach, and intestine may be a greater concern.