BUYING OR SELLING? considering a remodeling project?

 Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber mined from soil and rock.  Dry asbestos can break down into dust, making it easy to become airborne and be inhaled.  Activities such as taking up flooring containing asbestos or scraping off the texture from your ceiling, can release fibers into the air.  Asbestos fibers are 1,200 times smaller than a human hair allowing them to get deep into the lungs.   

 Well, not really.  In 1989, the EPA issued a final rule under Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) banning most asbestos-containing products. However, in 1991, this rule was vacated and remanded by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.  Thus, most of the original ban on the manufacture, importation, processing, or distribution in commerce for the majority of the asbestos-containing products originally covered in the 1989 final rule was overturned.

 Asbestos can cause lung cancer, and a rare type of cancer known as mesothelioma, which affects the lining around the lungs and abdomen.  Mesothelioma is NOT dose related - ie: one small fiber getting into your lungs, one time can create this disease.  All the other illnesses related to asbestos are dose related.  Asbestos exposure can also cause a type of permanent lung damage known as asbestosis, which causes shortness of breath and increases the risk of serious lung infections.  These diseases generally are not diagnosed for 10-40 years after encountering (exposure to) asbestos. 

• Cement corrugated sheet
• Cement flat sheet
• Clothing
• Pipeline wrap
• Roofing felt
• Vinyl floor tile
• Cement shingles
• Millboard
• Cement pipe
• Automatic transmission components
• Clutch facings
• Friction materials
• Disk brake pads
• Drum brake linings
• Brake blocks
• Gaskets
• Non-roofing coatings
• Roof coatings

 Asbestos fibers have special characteristics.  Asbestos is used because it has tensile strength, is heat resistant and has a sound deadening quality, so it is used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation, as a fire retardant and in many vehicle parts.  Chemicals do not affect it and it does not conduct electricity.  Asbestos is also very strong.  Pound for pound, asbestos is stronger than steel.  Asbestos fibers are also very flexible, allowing them to be woven into cloth-like materials. This versatility is why industry has mined and widely used asbestos to make many different products.   

Chrysotile, sometimes called white asbestos, is composed of wavy, flexible white fibers and comprises 90 to 95 percent of the asbestos used in the U.S.

• Amosite, sometimes called brown asbestos, is composed of straight, light gray or brown fibers.
• Crocidolite, sometimes called blue asbestos, is composed of straight blue fibers.

Anthophyllite, Tremolite and Actinolite are three other types of asbestos.  They were not commonly used to manufacture products. However, Tremolite contamination has been documented in Vermiculite attic insulation, and caution should be used when dealing with this material.    

From 1938 to 1989, ore was processed at the Western Mineral Products plant located at 1720 Madison St. NE in Minneapolis, MN.
At this plant, raw Vermiculite was heated until the moisture trapped in the ore caused it to pop like popcorn. After going through this “exfoliation” process, the vermiculite was light and porous, making it suitable for insulation.
Some of the ore was left behind after it was heated. This waste material was known as “crush rock” or “stoner rock.” It was left in piles outside the plant and was free to anyone. We now know that this waste rock was contaminated with asbestos. 

Talk to a professional who can help you stay informed.