Health Risks Caused By Exposure to Asbestos

Asbestos refers to a commercial term that describes a particular collection of some naturally-occurring minerals in soils and rocks. These minerals are incredibly long-lasting and have remarkable heat resistance.

Asbestos properties confer value in various products, including pipe insulation, building products, erosion-resistant cement tiles used for roofing, and cement pipes utilized for water transport. You can also find these properties in friction products, including fire-resistant bricks and brake shoes.

Why asbestos is bad for your health

When materials or products that contain asbestos are damaged or disturbed, fibers get released in the air. These properties are inhalable and can lead to severe health risks once inhaled due to their bio-persistence in the human body and their physical characteristics.

Asbestos-related diseases do not affect you immediately, but they usually take longer to develop. Unfortunately, once diagnosed with these diseases, it’s usually too late to get a cure. Asbestos can lead to the following fatal and severe illnesses.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis refers to a severe lung condition that occurs after many years of high asbestos exposure. This condition can lead to shortness of breath, which is progressive and fatal, especially in severe cases.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma refers to a type of cancer that affects your lungs’ lining and the lining that surrounds your lower digestive tract. People with this rare cancer were either exposed to asbestos properties at their workplace or lived with a person who was.

Asbestos-related lung cancer

This kind of cancer is usually similar to lung cancer triggered by smoking or other causes. According to research studies, there is at least one lung cancer case for each mesothelioma death. Read on asbestos testing for more details.

Asbestos used to be a common form of insulation building material in both homes and other types of buildings, such as schools. However, modern science has found solid links between asbestos and numerous health problems ranging from cancer to lung and heart conditions. That’s why it’s important to understand the health risks of asbestos and why it should be removed if found.

Lung problems.

Perhaps the most compelling reason would be that asbestos is terrible for your lung health. Small pieces of the material often break off and float in the air for long periods of time. This means breathing in small fibers is easy and likely if asbestos is present. The result is permanent scarring of the lung tissue resulting in long-lasting damage. This also means it can become difficult to breathe for the rest of your life.

Heart Issues.

Asbestos can also cause mild to severe heart problems if not dealt with. This happens when the lung walls become inflamed due to breathing in tiny asbestos particles. The inflamed cells eventually enter the bloodstream, which circulates back to the heart. The result is a heart that cannot pump blood as effectively, leading to low blood pressure and the possibility of fainting or even death.

Pleurisy

Finally, asbestos has been known to cause pleurisy where fluid begins to build up in the lungs. This health issue can be fatal if not treated in time—that’s why it’s so important to report asbestos and have it removed from your home or building.

Please check asbestos testing to learn more.

Asbestos was one of the most commonly used materials for insulation for several decades. That is until it was discovered that it led to a number of harmful health effects.

People who worked with the material displayed cancer rates that were far in excess of the general population’s rate of cancers of a similar type.

There are several reasons why this material is as dangerous as it is. Let’s take a look and see what causes such danger from such a simple material.

Asbestos Is Made Up Of Microscopic Particles That Can Damage Your Body

When you look at this insulation material underneath a microscope, it’s clear to see how this could be damaging to the body. When magnified, there are millions of tiny strands of what almost looks like strings of razor blades.

These Particles Are Often Easily Inhaled

When the insulation is not disturbed, it doesn’t cause a problem. However, if anything happens to the insulation, these fibers easily break apart and are suspended in the air because they are very lightweight.

Then these particles are easily inhaled by people working or living in the environment.

When These Particles Are Inhaled They Could Cause Carcinogenic Effects Leading To Disease

Once these microscopic particles have been inhaled, they lead to many negative health effects. They directly damage the lining of the lungs. The particles are impossible to ever remove from the body, so any lung damage is permanent.

Over time as concentrations of these particles build up in the lungs, they also increase the likelihood of developing certain forms of cancer like mesothelioma. If you suspect there is asbestos in your home come visit the best asbestos testing center.

Asbestos is known to be a fibrous silicate mineral resistant to heat and notoriously found in ceiling tiles, insulation, floor tiles, cement siding, and many other building materials. Asbestos is a fire-resistant material that has been used in the building trade to provide cheap and fire-safe insulation. It is one of the harmless minerals as long as it stays inside the materials it is being used.

The production of Asbestos was recently banned in the united states in 1999, but however, it still exists in buildings and products that were already installed.

HOW DOES ASBESTOS WORKS?

Here we will be unlocking you to the liberal ideas you will need to test for Asbestos, but before we get into that, it is a vital thing for us to let you know where to test for Asbestos.

WHERE TO TEST FOR ASBESTOS.

Here are some of the areas where you can test for Asbestos: asbestos cement products, textured coatings, floor tiles, sprayed coatings on ceilings, walls, lagging, and guttering. There are many areas to test for Asbestos, but we are much focused on how to test for Asbestos.

TESTING FOR ASBESTOS.

If you are into testing or Asbestos, it is essential to avoid breaking a piece off to send for sampling. If you identify that only a piece is broken off naturally, then you can send it for the sampling. Sending for sampling should be carried out if there is an absence of risk of broadcasting the debris.

However, if there is a risk of dust spreading, you will have to contact UKAS accredited laboratory to collect the samples.

So, here are the steps to follow to test for Asbestos when there is no spreading of debris.

Moistening the sample

Putting the sample in a self-sealing bag

Put the sample again in another self-sealing polythene bag

Label it

Make arrangements for UKAS for analysis.

See more at asbestos testing.

How can you test for asbestos? Testing for asbestos you may need some of these things. Facemask that you can throw away. Rubber gloves plastic to cover areas coveralls to wear while working. Vacuums, garbage bags, and freezer bags with other things around the house you can use to help get the job done.

First off when testing for asbestos you will need to be covered from head to toe. And everything you will be using far as (PPE) Personal protective equipment should be disposable. Then the next thing you can do is make sure you are in a safe working environment.

What I mean by that is make sure you have no circulating air moving around that may blow dust around and all in the air. You want a controlled area that you know all of your work can be done.

Covering the floor and walls with plastic is a good idea because you will be getting the area wet. Spraying the surfaces can keep the dust and other particles out of the air. Spraying everything down is very important so you can take samples without disturbing built-up dust and mold.

The taking of samples should be done very carefully and with proper tools. There are no short cuts in asbestos disposal. While doing this particular job you will have to obey federal and state guidelines for testing and dumping os asbestos.

Finally, if you are done with the job and now it is time for the cleanup. Take all rags, bags, clothes, and tools that are not needed and dispose of them properly. To learn more about asbestos testing come visit our site.

Potential health risks of Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was a common building agent many years ago, but it has since been found to be poisonous to humans when they breath it in. It is the fibres that have been found to cause health problems for many people. Most of the fibres are washed out of the body through natural processes but some get stuck in lungs and cause multiple problems that are not discovered for years.

Asbestosis, multiple types of benign and malignant cancers including Mesothelioma, as well as other disorders such as, Pleural Disease, have been known to be caused by asbestos inhalation exposure. Asbestosis is not a form of cancer but it is a form of lung disease that occurs when scaring of the lung happens, creating an appearance that can be compared to a honeycomb. This causes the lungs to become stiff and to stop working completely. There is currently no cure for Asbestosis and death is inevitable.

Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor that forms in the linings of your lungs, heart or abdomen, when asbestos fibres have been inhaled and have stuck. This disorder cuts your life expectancy down to about twelve months due to the fact that it can potentially affect multiple locations inside of your organs.

Pleural Disease is not cancerous but with asbestos exposure, it causes the linings of the lungs as well as chest cavity to become thicker and to have fluid build up. This is not always life threatening. It can cause breathing problems in some people but some people never even know.

Most importantly, it is necessary for you to keep up with any health issues that you may experience. Be sure to contact your doctor if you know you have been exposed to asbestos and if you are experiencing any health issues. For more details read on asbestos testing.