The most important thing about asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral composed of naturally flexible fibers that are resistant to heat, electricity, and corrosion. These properties make the mineral useful. However, exposure to asbestos is highly toxic.
Asbestos has been widely used in construction as an effective insulator and can be added to cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other materials to make them stronger. But when asbestos dust is inhaled or ingested, the fibers can become permanently trapped in the body. Asbestos fibers trapped for decades can cause inflammation, scarring and ultimately genetic damage.
Exposure to asbestos can cause cancer and other health problems. A rare and aggressive cancer called mesothelioma is caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. Asbestos also causes a progressive lung disease called asbestosis. The mineral's carcinogenic properties make asbestos dangerous.
Any building or material manufactured or renovated before 1990 may contain asbestos. Therefore, there is an increased risk of encountering asbestos in pre-1990 properties.
Currently over 50 countries ban the use of asbestos but it is still widely used in some countries like India, China, Russia and Indonesia.
Where is asbestos found?
Over the past century, asbestos has been incorporated into many different products, including pipe jackets, ceiling tiles and water pipes. Workers have come into contact with asbestos in several stages:
- Mining, transportation, longshoremen
- Manufacture of products containing asbestos and their installation in buildings and ships (especially lagging hot water systems)
- Construction work, including the use of building materials, but especially work such as repair, maintenance and renovation
- Working in areas where crumbling asbestos has been released into the work environment, such as E.g. teachers, doctors, office workers and so on.
Some people are exposed to asbestos through so-called para-occupational exposures, such as wives and daughters cleaning the overalls of men who worked with asbestos, or children playing in asbestos-contaminated places, either near factories or where it is has been dumped illegally.
Where does asbestos come from?
Asbestos was primarily used as a building material between the 1930s and 1980s. It has been banned in Switzerland since 1989. Although asbestos comes from all over the world, the main exporters are Russia, Kazakhstan and China. The toxic mineral was once mined across North America.
Asbestos can be found in large deposits or as impurities in other minerals such as talc and vermiculite. Chrysotile asbestos is usually found as veins in serpentine rock. While most commercial asbestos deposits contain 5% to 6% asbestos, some deposits, such as the Coalinga deposit in California, contain 50% or more asbestos.
Asbestos in the home
Many people sign a lease before reading the fine print, but as we become more aware of the potential asbestos-related risks in older buildings, what are our rights when it comes to asbestos in homes and rental units?
Because of asbestos in homes and rentals, many older buildings are now undergoing asbestos remediation, which removes known, unstable asbestos to prevent hazards across the board. These works are generally carried out in a controlled manner by asbestos professionals in order to minimize disruption and damage.
Landlords must provide habitable premises. So if you are concerned that asbestos is present in your building - e.g. a cracked ceiling or floor tile - your landlord is responsible for setting the conditions. Your landlord must carry out the necessary tests with an asbestos specialist, send samples to a laboratory and repair or remove the product if it is unstable. In addition, if your landlord wants to renovate the property you live in, you have the right to ask if they hire an asbestos removal company and to request a copy of this documentation.
The best way to be sure that there is asbestos in your home is to have an asbestos analysis carried out as soon as possible to get the problem under control as quickly as possible. Because this is a matter of life and death.
Further information in English can be found at https://www.asbestos.com
