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How to recognize asbestos in buildings: here is a visual guide to identifying asbestos in buildings. This article series 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.

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Guide to Asbestos in buildings: Asbestos Fibers, Asbestos Dust & Asbestos-Containing Materials that can be Identified by Visual Inspection

While an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy (and in some cases TEM) may be needed to identify the specific type of asbestos fiber, the percentage content of asbestos in a material, 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.

• ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings provides a detailed guide to recognizing asbestos-containing materials in buildings and links to in depth articles about individual asbestos-containing building materials
• ASBESTOS List of Asbestos-Containing Products provides our detailed list of known products in which asbestos was used
• ASBESTOS Photo Guide to Materials / Products provides a photo guide to common asbestos-containing products
• Readers should also see Insulation Material Identification Guide for advice about identifying various insulation materials found in buildings.

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 describe 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 DAMPENERS 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.

Quoting from the US EPA Basic Advice on asbestos in homes:

What if I have asbestos in my home?

The best thing to do is to leave asbestos-containing material that is in good condition alone. If unsure whether or not the material contains asbestos, you may consider hiring a professional asbestos inspector to sample and test the material for you. Before you have your house remodeled, you should find out whether asbestos-containing materials are present.

If asbestos-containing material is becoming damaged (i.e., unraveling, frayed, breaking apart) you should immediately isolate the area (keep pets and children away from the area) and refrain from disturbing the material (either by touching it or walking on it). You should then immediately contact an asbestos professional for consultation.

It is best to receive an assessment from one firm and any needed abatement from another firm to avoid any conflict of interest. In such a scenario as described above, asbestos-containing material does not necessarily need to be removed, but may rather be repaired by an asbestos professional via encapsulation or enclosure. Removal is often unnecessary.

Basic Asbestos Debris Cleanup Advice

In most cases it is safest (and least costly) to leave the asbestos-containing materials alone. For Asbestos handling regulations, see ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS and ASBESTOS REGULATION Update.

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 (see Asbestos Removal, Certification) 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.

Are 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.

For details about carbon nanotube health concerns, and health research regarding nanotechnology in industrial or research processes see Nanomaterials Hazards

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.

Certification & Licensing for Asbestos Abatement, Removal, & Cleanup Companies

As we discuss at ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Amateur, Incomplete, building owners arranging for asbestos cleanup, or any other environmental cleanup for that matter, should be sure that the company they are using is properly certified, licensed, and that the work is conducted with proper supervision and by workers who themselves are properly trained. Failure to take these precautions risks serious consequences including contamination of other building areas by asbestos dust and debris, health risks and harm to the cleanup workers themselves, and future health risks and harm to building occupants as well as potential issues should the property later be offered for sale.

Details are at ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Amateur, Incomplete and Asbestos Removal, Certification. Excerpts are below.

Watch out: in 2010 The New York Times reported [paraphrasing from that article] that over a five year period beginning in 2001 hundreds of asbestos-removal training certificates were given to people who had completed no training whatsoever. The U.S. E.P.A. reported [according to the Times] that Albania Deleon, operating Environmental Compliance Training, a certified asbestos-removal training school in Methuen, MA and the largest such asbestos cleanup training school in the state. 65 to 80 percent of those receiving certification as qualified asbestos removal experts had not received the necessary training.

Many "Graduates from Environmental Compliance Training also obtained jobs through a temporary employment agency also owned by Deleon, were sent out to perform dangerous asbestos cleanup jobs, and were paid "under the table". Deleon was convicted in 2008 of criminal charges but fled the U.S.. She was captured in the Dominican Republic in 2008.

An example of a simple asbestos test report from a certified asbestos testing lab is shown in this asbestos test result.

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  ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings

• 3/07: thanks to Gary Randolph, Ounce of Prevention Home Inspection, LLC Buffalo, NY, for attentive reading and editing suggestions. Mr. Randolph can be reached in Buffalo, NY, at (716) 636-3865 or email: gary@ouncehome.com
• 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
• "Woman Wanted by E.P.A. is Arrested", Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times, 3 November 2010 p. A 17.

List of major U.S. Asbestos Product Producers & Companies

• A.B.B. Lummus Global Inc.
• Abex Corperation,
• AC & S, Amatex Corporation,
• A. P. Green Industries,
• Armstrong World Industries,
• Babcock and Wilcox,
• Bell Asbestos Mines,
• Bestwall Gypsum
• Georgia Pacific,
• Bondex,
• Borg Warner Company,
• Celotex,
• C. E. Thurston & Sons,
• Certainteed Corportation,
• Combustion Engineering,
• Congoleum Corporation,
• Crown Cork and Seal,
• Dana Corporation,
• Eagle Picher Industries Inc.,
• Ehret Magnesia,
• E.J. Bartells Co.,
• Foseco,
• Foster Wheeler,
• Federal Mogul Corporation,
• Flexitallic Gasket Company,
• Forty Eight Insulations Inc.,
• GAF Corporation,
• Garlock,
• General Electric,
• General Motors,
• Georgia Pacific,
• Gold Bond,
• H. K. Porter Inc.,
• Harbison Walker Refractories Co.,
• Honeywell Heating,
• Ingersoll Rand,
• John Crane,
• Johns-Manville,
• J T Thorpe,
• Kaiser Aluminum,
• Keene Corporation,
• Kelly Moore Paint Co.,
• Kentile Floors,
• Lincoln Electric,
• M.H. Detrick Company,
• Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing,
• Mobil Oil Corperation,
• National Gypsum,
• Nicolet Keasby & Mattison,
• North American Refractories,
• Owens Corning Fiberglass,
• Owens Illinois,
• Pacor Incorporated,
• Pittsburgh Corning,
• Plibrico Company,
• Porter Hayden Company,
• Rapid American (this was a holding company)
• Phillip Carey Manufacturing,
• Raybestos Manhatten
• Raymark Industries,
• Rock Wool Manufacturing Co.,
• Rutland,
• Shook and Fletcher,
• Synkoloid Company,
• The Flintkote Company,
• Unarco,
• Union Carbide,
• United States Gypsum,
• Western Macarthur,
• Westinghouse Electric,
• W.R. Grace

Also see asbestos.com/companies/

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

Asbestos Hazard, Testing, Removal, References & Products

• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
• ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings How to find and recognize asbestos in buildings - visual inspection methods, list of common asbestos-containing materials
• 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 in Good Condition
• Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
• Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance, EPA340/1-90-019, December 1990, U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Stationary Source Compliance Division, Washington, DC 20460,original web source: http://www.epa.gov/region04/air/asbestos/awet.htm
• Asbestos paper duct wrap
• 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, text and images available at InspectAPedia.com).
• Asbestos Transite Chimneys, Flues, & Pipes in buildings
• Asbestos under the microscope
• Asbestos Vibration Dampers & Asbestos in the Air Handler
• Ceiling tiles: How to recognize ceiling tiles that may contain asbestos
• Examples of unusual uses of asbestos in buildings
• 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.
• Basic Information about Asbestos, US EPA, web search 08/17/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html
• "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
• Copy on file as - /hazmat/Asbestos_in_Your_Home_US_EPA.pdf - Asbestos in Your 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
• Vermiculite: Protect Your Family from Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite Insulation, U.S. EPA , web search 08/17/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/verm.html
  Web search 01/20/2011, original source: http://epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/verm_questions.html
• Proteja su familia del aislante de vermiculita contaminado con asbesto, U.S. EPA HOJA INFORMATIVA - Proteja a su familia del aislante de vermiculita contaminado con asbestos, web search 08/17/2010, original source http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/verm-ques-sp.pdf
• [copy on file as /hazmat/Vermiculite_US_EPA.pdf/ Current Best Practices for Vermiculite Attic Insulation - May 2003, U.S. EPA
• [copy on file as] /hazmat/Vermiculite_Health_Canada.pdf] Vermiculite Insulation Containing Amphibole Asbestos - September 2009, Health Canada
• Managing Asbestos in Place, How to Develop and Maintain a Building Asbestos Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Program, U.S. EPA, web search 01/20/2011, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/management_in_place.html
• Asbestos Strategies, Lessons Learned about Management and Use of Asbestos: Report of Findings and Recommendations on the Use and Management of Asbestos, 16 May 2003, US EPA, web search 01/20/2011, original source: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbstrategiesrptgetf.pdf
  prepared by the: Global Environment & Technology Foundation, 7010 Little River Turnpike, Suite. 460, Annandale VA 20003
  
• Other US EPA Publications on asbestos: web search 01/20/2011, see http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/pubs.html
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