how dangerous is asbestos

[cyclohexane]

Just wondering...heard about its dangers in material science class not too long ago

 

[Wallydraigle]

Not very. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Gooose]

actually it can BE BAD... my grandpa did bomb testing and has this in his lungs, he now has 60% (going to be 100% soon) disability because of this stuff.

I would be careful

 

[Chronoshock]

Here is my asbestos story

My high school was horribly constructed and as a result, the ventilation system was a mess (ducts leading to no where, unconnected networks) and not only that, there was asbestos all over the place. The air quality in my school was several grades below the minimal acceptable level and many people got headaches and such from just spending a normal day there. One intake vent led to the autobody shop so the entire basement would always smell like exhaust and gasoline. They were going to rennovate the school, but because of the asbestos they couldn't do it while kids were there and so they were planning on relocating everyone (2200ish kids) to neighboring schools, demolishing the school, and building a new one right next to it. Luckily they postponed the plan past my graduation date

 

[Ryan]

It tastes good with some fava beans and a little nice Chianti

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: Wallydraigle
Not very. I wouldn't worry about it.

Eh? It is pretty dangerous stuff.

 

[vegetation]

If it sits undisturbed then it's fine. Don't mess with it. Taking it out is what's potentially very dangerous and that's why only specialized services can do it, at great cost. Not unusual for costs to be more than what the entire structure is worth.

 

[Wallydraigle]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Wallydraigle
Not very. I wouldn't worry about it.

Eh? It is pretty dangerous stuff.

Nah.

 

[JFoobar]

Originally posted by: Mill

Originally posted by: Wallydraigle
Not very. I wouldn't worry about it.

Eh? It is pretty dangerous stuff.

It is dangerous, but only as a particulate in the air. Asbestos used as insulation is compressed into exterior shingles or whatever is only dangerous when you disturb it or, in the case of shingles, would only be dangerous if cutting them without a respirator on.

 

[IGBT]

..smokers are the most culpable to it's effects because their lungs are beat up and damaged from smoke inhaling..so something like asbestos fibers air borne comes along and finishes them off. At one time cig filters were made from the stuff..something called "micronite" a fine long fiber asbestos formulated into filters.

 

[ElFenix]

because of the amount of asbestos used, it would cost more to destroy the astrodome than was paid for it

 

[aidanjm]

It's safe as long as it isn't disturbed. Removing it can be dangerous and shouldn't be attempted by you under any circumstances. You need to get professionals to remove it, they use special masks to protect themselves. I'd get it investigated.

 

[t3hmuffinman]

if it's not crumbling and you're not drinking it you should be alright.

 

[Calin]

It can provoke cancer if it is inhaled. Other forms are not so dangerous.

 

[Siddhartha]

It is not a problem if you do not disturb it.

 

[Baked]

Hmmm... yummy. I used to lick this stuff up when I was a kid.

 

[loic2003]

Speaking to an experienced builder who's working on our house:

asbestos is safe if left as it is. It can even be moved about, or removed (the building oposite us has an asbestos roof). It's only dangerous if it's broken up.

 

[J0hnny]

Yup, only if it's disturbed. If you're really desperate and want to remove asbestos w/o notifying authorities and paying an arm and a leg, wet it down first and make sure you wear a respirator (filters must be approved for asbestos).

I used to remove pipe insulation and most likely have a tiny bit of asbestos, calcium silicate, etc. in my lungs but I don't smoke, so no biggie.

 

[GambiT]

A friend of mine died from Asbestos. The year earlier, she went into the doctors because of a nagging cold/coughing. They said she had pneumonia. A year went by and she still had it. They x-ray'd her again and found that she had terminal cancer because of Asbestos at the place she had worked many years ago. She died this last fall.

 

[Mo0o]

The problem with asbestos is that your cells can't break it down so once it gets into your system it stays there.

 

[dullard]

Asbestos in buildings is extremely safe. The only proven link between asbestos and bad health is in people who worked with it 8 hours a day for many, many years. For example, miners or factory workers who used asbestos daily. And even then, the link to cancer is small. Asbestos bigger health problem is just getting stuck in your lungs and being less able to breathe - such as in the case with Gooose's grandfather. However, that can be said about most particulate matter that you breathe in daily in those types of jobs.

Overall, the whole asbestos thing is overblown by sue-happy lawyers and juries that don't fully understand the scientific evidence. I'm not saying it is 100% safe, but there is absolutely no evidence of harm from to people who don't work with it daily.

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
The problem with asbestos is that your cells can't break it down so once it gets into your system it stays there.

And the celluar stress increases the risk of cancer greatly.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

it's pretty nasty stuff. definitely don't do anything to disturb it that involves grindign, cutting, burning, or chipping. As others have said, if you must, begin by wetting it down, then if possible wrapping clear plastic sheeting around the area and taping it closed while you work from the outside. That won't work unless you're talking about pipe insulation and stuff though.

 

[JFoobar]

In my county, they just substantially relaxed the procedures for disposing of it, which in turn has resulted in substantially reduced cost for having it removed.

 

[Ranger X]

You can get Mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos but the symtoms do not appear until years after you've been exposured. I learned about this at work because apparently the old ceiling at work had a high level of asbestos so by law, they had to notify everyone in the affected areas.

Generally speaking, asbestos isn't dangerous as long as it doesn't get in the air. Just don't mess with the insulation that has traces of asbestos and you're fine.