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Have You Got an Old House? Learn About Asbestos Dangers
Wed 29 Apr 2009 - 13:24
Have You Got an Old House? Learn About Asbestos Dangers
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bill_Bradley]Bill Bradley
This is the second of this series of five articles.
(1. Have You Got an Old House? Learn About Asbestos.
(2. Have You Got an Old House? Learn About Asbestos dangers.
(3. Have You Got an Old House? Learn About Asbestos Containing Materials
(4. Have You Got an Old House? Learn About How To Identify Asbestos.
(5. Have You Got an Old House? Learn About How To Manage Asbestos.
You may ask after reading the previous article "why are we still not using asbestos containing materials then"?
Anyone who lives in a western country and who reads newspapers or watches the TV news will know of the law suits, massive payouts, and the untold misery and suffering of thousands of workers and their families who were exposed to asbestos in their workplaces for many years.
What you may not know is the fact that many of those workplaces produced products that are found in many family homes, so while the trade unions and victims rights organizations have won many battles for the earlier victims of this appalling substance the asbestos danger still exists for many ordinary home owners.
Both the Greeks and Romans knew of the health problems. "A sickness in the lungs" in the material workers, was noted by the Roman scholar Pliny The Elder.
Even though the dangers were well known, (the first case of a disease linked directly to asbestos was recorded in 1924 in the UK, and the disease was named asbestosis. ), it was not until the late1980,s that it it's use in building materials was phased out and it was totally banned from sale in Australia at the end of 2003.
In the 1960's and 1970's there were vague warnings about using masks etc. and for the most part we used them, but again they were not as good and as cheap as modern masks.
The manufacturers of these products knew well the toxicity of their products, even as early as the 50's and 60's but for their own reasons they chose to ignore or to play down the asbestos dangers contained in
What are the specific dangers relating to asbestos containing materials in the home?
Most sources seem to agree that all cases of illness caused by asbestos have been linked to the act of breathing in asbestos fibres or dust.
It is undisputed that this can and has caused severe health problems and death many times
At the present time (2009) the main illnesses linked to asbestos are;-
- asbestosis, asbestos related lung cancer,
- mesothelioma
- pleural plaque.
It is also generally accepted by medical researchers that people who have been exposed to asbestos fibres have a greater risk of contracting other diseases of the lungs, (like cancer caused by cigarette smoke), than people who have not been exposed.
People with very little exposure to asbestos like worker's families have also been known to suffer from asbestos related diseases.
What are the risks of living in a home that contains asbestos cement type products. AC sheeting, AC siding etc.
Quite simply my view is that I would not be unduly worried for myself and my family living in a home that was clad externally or internally with any of those products. PROVIDED THAT:-
They are undamaged
In good condition and preferably painted or otherwise sealed.
AC sheeting is a very stable and durable product, any contamination from it must come from breathing in the AC dust.
Sooner or later though I would take steps to renovate at least the inside of the house, by removing or covering up the offending sheet materials.
Asbestos cement materials are stable if it they are undisturbed and not subjected to extreme weathering.
To protect against weathering which eventually would release fibers into the atmosphere I would keep the external surfaces painted and well maintained.
Bill Bradley is a retired builder-general contractor with 50 years experience in the home building industry. Bill who was a licensed asbestos removalist has written more about asbestos on his [http://www.builderbill-diy-help.com/asbestos.html]own website that he has built to help home owners and the DIY
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Bradley http://EzineArticles.com/?Have-You-Got-an-Old-House?-Learn-About-Asbestos-Dangers&id=2274795
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