What Are Some Places You Can Find Asbestos And How To Identify It?

Introduction

Asbestos is a naturally occurring compound. It is composed of six minerals. It has soft flexible fibers that are resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion. While these properties make this mineral useful in many ways, they also make it very toxic. Trapped asbestos fibers can cause scarring, inflammation and even genetic damage. There is a rare kind of cancer called mesothelioma, which is exclusively caused by asbestos. It can also cause other types of cancer and lung diseases.

Before asbestos became well known for its toxicity, it was heavily used in buildings in commercial and residential areas. Structures erected before 2000 contain asbestos in tiles, roof shingles, pipe cements, insulation and many other materials. It was banned in 1999. Asbestos is microscopic in nature, so you will not be able to see it with your naked eye. To successfully identify it, you need to be able to know what materials and manufacturing label to look for.

But first, let us educate ourselves a little bit about asbestos.

Where Does It Come From?

Asbestos comes from many different places, but its main exporters are Russia, China and Kazakhstan. Mining companies mined this compound throughout North America. You can find this compound in large deposits alone or in combination with other minerals such as talc and vermiculite. You can also find chrysotile asbestos in the form of veins in serpentine rock. Most of the commercial deposits contain 5-6% asbestos, but Coalinga deposits in California contains up to 50% of it.

Types of asbestos

According to the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, 1986, 6 legally known types of asbestos fall into two categories. Those two categories are Amphibole and Serpentine asbestos.

Amphibole

This type of asbestos has a jagged but straight shape. It contains five sub-types that are: Crocidolite (blue asbestos), Tremolite, Amosite (brown asbestos), Actinolite and Anthophyllite.

Serpentine

This asbestos has more of curly fibers. It only has one type of asbestos called chrysolite. It is also known as white asbestos.

Where Can You Find Asbestos?

As we said earlier, residential and commercial buildings built before 2000 could have asbestos. You can find it in many common materials that are used in the building trade, such as ceilings, floor, lagging, walls, beams, columns, insulation boards, cement products, roofing felt and rope seals and gaskets, etc.

Residential and Industrial Areas

In buildings that were built before asbestos was banned, you may find asbestos in cemented roofs, wall claddings, downpipes, gutters, cement flues and water and sewer pipes. You may also find asbestos in and around heating systems such as calorifiers and the pipework. If it is in the friable form, it may be covered in a coating of paint, etc., since it crumbles and turns into powder. This form of asbestos is very dangerous since it can easily become airborne and be inhaled.

You can also find asbestos as loose and fluffy insulation material in floorboards, cavity walls and loft spaces. This type of material is also very dangerous, it contains asbestos in very pure form. Various manufacturers in the past used asbestos in decorative coatings for finishes on ceilings and walls. Though risky, this type of asbestos can be worked on by non-licensed workers.

Asbestos was also used as fireproofing material, but it also had used in partition walls, soffits, fire proofing panels in fire doors, panels below windows, lift shaft linings and ceiling tiles. Work on any type of asbestos is not danger-free, however, non-licensed workers can work on this type of asbestos if it is for a short period of time.

As if all of that was enough, it was also used as spray coating for the insulation of the underside of roofs and sides of buildings. It was also generously used for fire protection on steel, reinforced concrete columns and floor undersides. This type of materials contain up to 85% of asbestos that breaks up very easily, so it is very dangerous. Don't ever try to work on any of the materials mentioned here. Make sure that you contact the HSE-licensed contractor for that.

How to Identify Asbestos?

To identify asbestos-containing material, the following are the three ways that you can adopt.

Method 1

First thing that you can do is a web search for the manufacturer and product name. The date of manufacturing can also tell you a lot. If it was made between the 1940s and '80s, then it most likely has asbestos. In the past, asbestos sheets were joined with aluminum runners on the outside of the buildings. These sheets were also used on the inside of the building and held by nails with wooden or plastic runners. This type of structure would be a sign of asbestos.

Many asbestos materials have a dimpled pattern on the surface, so if you do see that, make sure to get it checked. Also, investigate older cement boards. They most likely have asbestos fibers running through them. Check for grey or off-white fibers in floors, walls, and ceilings. Since asbestos is not susceptible to water damage, it was also used in bathrooms and basements.

Method 2

Asbestos was used in different materials. Most of these materials might be stamped with the manufacturer’s information. You may find letters such as AC (contains asbestos) and NT (doesn’t contain asbestos). You can also scan this information and try to look it up online.

Method 3

If you are worried but not sure that the material in question has asbestos, then you can ask for help from a professional. A team will come to your place and collect samples for testing. You can easily find such companies on the internet. They will do a lab test and then let you know the results.

Conclusion

Asbestos use was once widespread in the construction industry because of its amazing ability to control heat. But the dangerous health effects later led to its banning. Most buildings built, especially in the 1940s to '80s, may contain asbestos. To identify whether there is a risk of exposure to this toxic mineral, you can adopt the three methods enlisted in this article. However, we advise you never to take matters into your own hands. Always ask for help from experts.