Asbestos Identification in Buildings: How to find & identify asbestos-containing materials InspectAPedia® -
How to recognize asbestos materials in buildings
Photographs of asbestos in building products
List of asbestos-containing building materials
Non-asbestos materials sometimes mistaken for asbestos
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This document assists building buyers, owners or inspectors who need to identify asbestos materials (or probable-asbestos) in buildings by simple
visual inspection. In the website sections listed below, we provide photographs and descriptive text of asbestos insulation and other asbestos-containing products
to permit identification of definite, probable, or possible asbestos materials in buildings.
While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy may be needed to identify the specific type of
asbestos fiber, or to identify the presence of asbestos in air or dust samples, many asbestos-containing building products
not only are obvious and easy to recognize, but since there were not other look-alike products that were not asbestos, a visual identification of this material can be virtually a certainty in many cases.
Guide to Asbestos Fibers, Asbestos Dust, & Other Indoor Particle Concerns
ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGSprovides a detailed guide to recognizing asbestos-containing materials in buildings and links to in depth articles about individual asbestos-containing building materials
Asbestos fibers and dust are not the only indoor air quality particle that is a potential concern in buildings. We have written about the possible irritating and perhaps health concerns associated with fiberglass insulation dust and fragments in buildings at
Allergens: how to identify common indoor allergens & mold by visual inspection,
Fiberglass Hazards in Indoor Air, Dust, HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation,
Mold Related Illness: a detailed guide,
Pet Allergens,
Cat Allergies & Cat Dander, and insect fragments and fecals are common indoor dust concerns which we've written about at
Building Inspection & Test Procedures for Pet Allergens where we discuss these topics along with diagnosing and curing building odors, smells, and stains.
Also see
Asbestos HVAC Ducts a field identification guide to
visual detection of asbestos in and on heating and cooling system ducts and flue vents,
and
VIBRATION DAMPERS for asbestos fabric
vibration dampers on air handling equipment.
For more microscopic photographs of asbestos-containing dust, also see Micro-Photographs of Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the
9/11/01 attack. Links to U.S. government and other authoritative research and advice are included.
Basic asbestos safety advice
The US EPA indicates that not all asbestos-containing products are dangerous. A health risk exists only when asbestos fibers are released from a product [into the air where they are inhaled for example]. Products that are friable (easily crumbled or made into dust that is easily airborne) are more dangerous than products in which binders immobilize the asbestos fibers.
EPA also indicates that not everyone exposed to asbestos will develop an asbestos-related illness or disease. Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos do not develop asbestos-related health problems. Cigarette smokers are at much higher risk of asbestos-related disease.
Basic Asbestos Debris Cleanup Advice
In most cases it is safest (and least costly) to leave the asbestos-containing materials alone.
Friable, damaged asbestos materials in a living area or such materials located where the asbestos is likely to be carried to an occupied space need professional asbestos remediation.
If you are cleaning-up in a building area where asbestos products may have been dislodged, such as a basement where asbestos pipe insulation has fallen to the floor, the US EPA recommends avoiding causing airborne dust and debris - a condition that could be harmful.
If hiring a contractor to remove asbestos, the US EPA guidelines for asbestos removal, for protection of the rest of the building, for proper asbestos waste disposal, and any other local or state environmental regulations must be followed. In most areas contractors must be specially licensed to test or remove asbestos from buildings. In some areas it may be legal for a building owner or another contractor to remove asbestos, though still it must be disposed-of legally.
Do not run a vacuum cleaner or dry-sweep up asbestos debris that has fallen to the floor - you'll simply cause it to become airborne - a potentially harmful condition. Professional asbestos abatement contractors use a combination of wet mopping and HEPA vacuuming to clean up asbestos from building surfaces.
Do not disturb asbestos or asbestos-suspect material if you do not absolutely have to do so
Seal the work area off from the rest of the building if asbestos material has to be disturbed. Simple poly plastic sheeting and duct tape may suffice, but be sure the duct tape is adhered continuously to the plastic edges and that it binds securely - else it may be necessary to secure the plastic using nailed-furring strips. You don't want your containment barrier to fall down in the middle of a cleanup project. Use an air-lock and change footwear or take similar precautions so that you do not bring asbestos debris into other building areas on your shoes or clothing.
Wear an approved respirator, protective clothing, gloves, hat, goggles, that can be disposed-of after the cleanup.
Wet the asbestos with a hand sprayer when moving it;
Drill or cut only if it is absolutely necessary, then do it outside (and having wet the material)
Demolition of asbestos materials during removal should remove the asbestos in the largest feasible pieces, not in many small pieces.
Bag the removed asbestos in sealed plastic bags and (according to the EPA) dispose of it in an approved land-fill (check with your community building department and your state environmental regulatory association)
Perform a final cleanup of the work area using wet mops, sponges, disposable rags/ wipes. Do not track wet asbestos-contaminated water into other building areas.
-- US EPA. Our list of asbestos information articles is just below.
Carbon Nanotube Health Risks Similar to Asbestos?
We are monitoring studies of possible health risks from other products containing carbon nanotubes. The New York Times reported that to date no illnesses have been reported concerning nanotube-containing articles and that current popular consumer products such as tennis rackets that contain nanotubes are of little risk to consumers. But because nanotube-based fibers are very small, they could pose a health risk.
Consumer caution (not fear) are advised. Carbon nanotubes include bundles of fibers that are similar to but more uniform than naturally-occurring asbestos fibers. The Times article "In Study, Researchers Find Nanotubes May Pose Health Risks Similar to Asbestos", New York Times 21 May 2008 p. A-22, reported on an article published at the website of the journal Nature Nanotechnology on 5/21/08.
Another article published at by the same journal stated: "The toxicity of carbon nanotubes is the subject of ongoing debate. A preliminary study using a small number of mice shows that they may be safe, but the results should be treated with caution." The article also indicated an urgent need for a framework for to assessment of risks of carbon nanotubes on human health for methods of reliable risk assessment of nanotube materials.
As we learned from the history of asbestos-related illness and mesothelioma, the greatest risk, if one is ultimately demonstrated at all for nanotube materials, will probably be for people employed in factories producing carbon nanotube materials. See "Nanotoxicology: Are carbon nanotubes safe?", Yuliang Zhao, Gengmei Xing, Zhifang Chai,Nature Nanotechnology3, 191 - 192 (01 Apr 2008)
In fact, nanotube technology is being investigated in the health field as a possible medical procedure to fight cancer. Another nanotechnology research article summarized that "single-walled carbon nanotubes can now effectively target tumors in mice, which suggests that nanotubes could form the basis of a safe drug-delivery system for cancer [treatment]." See "Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology tackles tumours", Yuanfang Liu, Haifang Wang, Nature Nanotechnology2, 20 - 21 (01 Jan 2007) See www.nature.com for access to these articles.
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Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
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06/07: thanks for photographs of transite asbestos heating ducts, courtesy of Thomas Hauswirth, Managing Member of Beacon Fine Home Inspections, LLC and (in 2007) Vice President, Connecticut Association of Home Inspectors
Ph. 860-526-3355 Fax 860-526-2942 beaconinspections@sbcglobal.net
Fiberglass: Indoor Air Quality Investigations: Health Concerns About Airborne Fiberglass: Fiberglass in Indoor Air from HVAC ducts, and Building Insulation
Enviro-Scare: Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack: the lower floors of this building contained spray-on fire-proofing asbestos materials.
Asbestos Information Links: Asbestos Detection, Testing, Recognition, Hazards, Field Photos, and Information Sources, including
health-related links such as legal services and information about mesothelioma and other cancers.
Asbestos Identification and Testing References
Asbestos Identification, Walter C.McCrone, McCrone Research Institute, Chicago, IL.1987 ISBN 0-904962-11-3. Dr. McCrone literally "wrote the book" on asbestos identification procedures which formed
the basis for current work by asbestos identification laboratories.
Stanton, .F., et al., National Bureau of Standards Special Publication 506: 143-151
Pott, F., Staub-Reinhalf Luft 38, 486-490 (1978) cited by McCrone
Asbestos products and their history and use in various building materials such as asphalt and vinyl flooring includes discussion which draws on Asbestos, Its Industrial Applications, D.V. Rosato, engineering consultant, Newton, MA, Reinhold Publishing, 1959 Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 59-12535 (out of print).
"Handling Asbestos-Containing roofing material - an update", Carl Good, NRCA Associate Executive Director, Professional Roofing, February 1992, p. 38-43
EPA Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings, NIAST, National Institute on Abatement Sciences & Technology, [republishing EPA public documents] 1985 ed., Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
"Asbestos in the Home," U.S. EPA, Exposure Evaluation Division, Office of Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington,D.C. 20460
For more information about fiberglass as an indoor air quality concern see:
InspectAPedia® Home & Site Map - Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice: In-depth research & advice on diagnosing, testing, correcting, & preventing building defects & indoor environmental hazards. Unbiased information, no conflicts of interest.
The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems
Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.
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