What to Know About Asbestos in Your Home and Workplace
Asbestos is a material that's inexpensive to manufacture and possess the ability to insulate heat, protect from fire and is extremely strong. These properties make it easy to appreciate its popularity within the construction industry between the 50s and 80s. However, its ability to cause a serious health risk to us wasn't identified during this era.
Exposure to asbestos is commonly linked to the cause of Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, Asbestosis and Pleural thickening. These diseases do not take effect until many years after being exposed.
Mesothelioma is a deadly form of cancer without a cure.
Asbestosis is a breathing disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers which scar lung tissue.
Pleural thickening is a disease that relates to scarring and thickening of the area that surrounds the lung.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a material formed by using one of six rock extracted minerals. These minerals are extracted from crystals that develop on the surface of rock. The rock is mined from an underground pit. Asbestos is mined all over the world, especially in Canada, Russia and China where it's found in abundance.
Is Asbestos a Health Hazard?
The European Union and most of the world has deemed asbestos as a health danger and banned all types of asbestos. However, Canada has argued that chrysotile asbestos is safe, and continues to mine for asbestos to export to third world countries.
Research indicates that all types of asbestos either inhaled or exposed to our skin is a serious risk to our health. The asbestos that Canada mines isn't a safer type of asbestos; it's the same asbestos that is a leading cause of Mesothelioma cancer.
However, Canada binds its asbestos in an advanced matrix to prevent crumbling and large amounts of dust from being released into the air.
How to identify asbestos?
Asbestos was a popular material used in household products up until the 1980s. Most products made today don't contain asbestos and are required to be labeled as such. Prior to the 1980s, asbestos could be found in the following products:
Cement
Roofing felt
Shingles
Siding
Insulation
Floor tiles
Steam pipes
Soundproofing
Textured paints
Fireproof gloves
Stovetop pads
Ironing boards
Reduce your risk
Remember asbestos doesn't have an easy way to be identified. It requires testing by expert asbestos removal company. If you're living in an older home and you're planning on renovating, you might want to have your property examined.
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