Cancer and Healthy

As usual, many of the "scary" things in our houses are scary because we have no background knowledge about them. One of those "things" is ASBESTOS - a mineral made of microscopic fibers.

If we are exposed to a high concentration of asbestos fibers from the air, there is a greater risk of developing asbestos-related diseases, and no safe level of exposure to asbestos has not yet been determined.

Those diseases are:

- Lung, colon and stomach cancer

- Mesothelioma - A rare form of cancer of the stomach lining and chest cavity. Fatal.

- Asbestosis - The lungs are signed with tissue, thus their capacity.

But ... with asbestos at home does not necessarily mean that we are going to get cancer - NOT FORGOTTEN - just because you have asbestos-containing material in the house does not mean that your body is contaminated, and you're going to get cancer - asbestos is not radioactive! So, please relax, look at the pictures, and let me do some explaining.

I will start with the things you should not do when dealing with asbestos-containing materials (any suspect asbestos containing material must be treated as such, unless otherwise protected by the laboratory tests):

1. Not scrape, drilling, sanding, sawing, Pause, crush injury or asbestos-containing material in any way

2. Do not use abrasive pads, brushes, powers strippers on a floor of asbestos, particularly in the dry surfaces

3. Do not try to level asbestos flooring or support by sanding the surface down

4. Not sweep / vacuum debris that may contain asbestos

5. Do not place asbestos-containing materials in your garbage can

There are different materials in our homes that may contain asbestos fibers, and that there is more chance of contamination of some than others.

And the winners (by my stats) in Chicago country:

# 1. Reinforced Asbestos floor tiles - full bouquet of colors - most popular 9 "x9" (almost 100% of people who have a high percentage of asbestos), but other sizes too. They are often used in older cellars, multi-unit buildings, and many other places - they were beeping and easy to maintain. Other materials floors reinforced with asbestos fibers sheet linoleum and glue used to secure it on the floor. Undamaged, well-protected material does not endanger the health, but it would become difficult and quite expensive to treat if we decide to remove it (assuming that a professional do it is safe for you). But wait, if it is not absolutely necessary to remove it, there is another way - it can be closed (encapsulated), and another type of flooring material installed on this surface, that will save you some money.

All maintenance of the asbestos-containing material (repair or removal) may only be performed by a professional trained in the safe handling of asbestos.

# 2. Acoustic ceiling tiles - another popular decorative element that can cellar asbestos fibers. That is especially true for the tiles permanently attached to the ceiling, and will probably not removable (suspended ceiling) tiles made of fiberglass or cellulose. The same principle applies: If it is not damaged, it will not cause any harm.

# 3. Some forms of insulation on: water pipes, hot water / steam heating pipes and air systems for the forced air ducts, furnaces and boilers insulation.

In the field of water and hot water / steam heating pipes, asbestos can be installed along the straight sections and / or elbows only - for as long as it is intact, there is no danger. However, due to condensation, leaks and physical effects, damage can occur. If you see deteriorated, flaking or powder-like material, the pipes, then you have a professional to be sampled and perform repairs or removal if necessary.

Forced system for the heating of the air ducts are of crucial importance for a very important reason - some of them have interior coated with a thin or thick asbestos-containing paper, cardboard-like paper is used as a duct wall. If this is damaged or deteriorates, the production of the air asbestos fibers, and each time you forced air system is activated, it will be distributed through your house.

To hire a duct cleaning it is prudent to ensure that no asbestos-containing material in the air!

Another potential risk with the air ducts embedded in the concrete floor slab. There are a couple types of pipes used for this purpose and one of them is called a transition Pipe ... but that more Asbestos looking for asbestos in your house, Part 2