Asbestos Removal and Sealing
Reducing exposure to asbestos by repairing damaged material will involve covering the material or sealing it. Sealing is commonly used for pipe, furnace, and boiler insulation. The sealing process either coats the material, reducing fiber release, or binds the fibers together. A covering can be used instead of sealant, also preventing the release of fibers. Both these methods are relatively cheap when compared with removal, but future removal may still be necessary. Another technology used in reducing exposure to asbestos is personal protective equipment. Respirators with HEPA filters should be worn when working with asbestos, in addition to other controls.
Removal is the most expensive method of dealing with asbestos, and it also has the greatest risk involved, due to the large number of fibers that may possibly released in removing it. The most common way to reduce asbestos emissions during renovation, demolition, cutting or stripping of asbestos material is to use a wetting agent throughout to keep asbestos from becoming airborne. It is important that the material is adequately wet to prevent release. There are different wetting techniques for different types of material. The material should be sealed in containers after removal. A HEPA filter vacuum is essential for cleaning. It is important to never use a vacuum without HEPA filter; it will just spread the asbestos. Portable air ventilation systems can be used to protect workers from asbestos. Enclosure equipment is often used when working on brakes, to separate the worker from asbestos; the wet method is also used for brakes.
Today’s technology makes it possible to monitor for asbestos, keep asbestos exposure below permissible limits, and remove the hazard. It protects the health of many people who would otherwise be exposed.
Prevention and Control Summary
- Reduce or eliminate asbestos use
- Establish a safe site for asbestos disposal
- Monitor asbestos concentration in air
- Recognize and identify high-risk areas
a. Occupational, para-occupational exposure - Post signs, inform the workers and public
a. Vicinity of asbestos-producing, -using plants - Install dust control procedure, use PPE
- If you are a smoker and think you were exposed to asbestos before, the first thing you should do is to stop smoking. This will significantly reduce your chance of having a lung cancer.
- Educate yourself and others
Organs Affected by Asbestos
The main organ affected by the toxicity of asbestos is the lung. There is still a question if asbestos causes cancer at other sites. Gastrointestinal and laryngeal cancers are possibilities, but their relationship with asbestos exposure hasn’t been established yet. There is no supporting evidence for cancer at other body sites at this time. It is known that asbestos exposure can cause visceral and parietal pleural changes in the lungs
Risk Assessment
Asbestos related health risks are well documented in epidemiological and basic science literature; but a direct correlation between a given asbestos exposures to the health hazardous outcome continues to be difficult to quantify. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has declared asbestos as a human carcinogen. Specifically, in studies of occupational exposure, inhalation of asbestos fibers has been shown to cause asbestosis (pulmonary fibrosis), pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma, and bronchial carcinoma.
What Everyone Should Know About Asbestos
Asbestos material that is ever disturbed by handling, hitting, rubbing, or exposed to airflow or extreme vibration can be hazardous. It is important to limit access to any area where there is damaged asbestos. Also, do not touch or disturb the material any further. If damaged asbestos is suspected people are educated to contact their local environmental or public health officials for the proper testing and removal procedure.
It is important for people to test for asbestos before remodeling. Unless there is specific labeling, they should know that they cannot identify asbestos by looking at it. It is recommended to have a professional test for asbestos. If sampling is not done correctly it can create a larger hazard by releasing asbestos fibers into the air. Only material that is actually going to be disturbed needs to be tested.
As you can see the most important fact stated about asbestos is to leave it alone. Precautions need to be made to avoid disturbing asbestos containing materials, and testing and removal needs to be done by professionals
