Asbestos Risks Revealed

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. It is found in many areas around the world including the United States, South Africa, Russia, and Canada.

The word "asbestos" has its derivations in a Greek word that means "indestructible" or "inextinguishable."

Throughout much of history this mineral has been used in many commercial applications. That's because asbestos fibers are flexible, strong, and very resistant to chemicals, heat, and corrosion.

Asbestos is quite inexpensive. It's also an excellent insulator. It is also very flexible and pliable. It can be woven, spun, or bonded into other materials. It can also be pressed and made into paper products.

Because it has been used for so many years, asbestos can now be found in more than 3,000 commercial products.

However, when people are exposed to it they are subject to considerable health risks.

Asbestos is made up of long fibers that are composed of thousands of even smaller fibers. These fibers are made up of microscopic filaments. When these microscopic fibers become airborne they can float in the air for many hours.

If these filaments become airborne they can easily be inhaled.

The major health risk that is associated with asbestos comes as a result of inhaling these fibers. Once that has happened, the fibers often penetrate the victim's body tissues. Over time they can cause irritation and scarring. Debilitating and fatal diseases often result from the constant irritation.

On a positive note, if it remains intact and undisturbed, there is little chance that it will become airborne. As such it remains a minimal health risk. In other words, just because you find it present does not mean that it may be endangering the health of the people who are nearby.

In addition, if asbestos containing materials (ACMs) are properly managed, the release of these particles into the air can be minimized or prevented. This would potentially reduce the risk of acquiring an asbestos-related disease to a relatively negligible level.

However, if ACMs become damaged, or if they are disturbed (or if they deteriorate and become friable) then they can become serious health hazards.

One of the asbestos-related challenges that many people face is that the presence of this mineral is rarely noted on a product's label. And manufacturers may not readily admit that they have used it in the manufacture of their products.

You can't visually see asbestos. You need to look under a microscope to determine its presence.

The only way anyone can readily identify whether or not it is in a product sample is via laboratory analysis.

Anyone who is considering buying an older home needs to be certain that he or she is not exposing their family to asbestos and potentially deadly asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.

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