what is asbestos ?

Asbestos: FAQ

1. What is asbestos?

Asbestos is the term used for the fibrous forms of several naturally occurring minerals.

The three main types of asbestos which have been commercially used are:

Crocidolite (blue asbestos);
Amosite (brown asbestos);
Chrysotile (white asbestos).

Asbestos was, and still is commercially mined in Canada, South Africa and Russia. The other three types of asbestos are Tremolite, Actinolite and Anthophyllite.

2. Why is it dangerous?

If you inhale asbestos fibres (which are long and thin) they can become lodged in the tissue of your chest and your body’s natural defences may not be able to easily break them down. This can lead to lung diseases (mainly cancers), particularly if you are repeatedly exposed to fibres over a number of years.

It is because fibres can remain in the lungs for so long that small, but repeated, exposures on different jobs over the years can lead to the development of an asbestos-related disease. This is why it is important to prevent or control exposure on every single job.

All three main types are dangerous, but blue and brown asbestos are known to be more dangerous than white. The different types cannot usually be identified by their colour alone.

The body naturally gets rid of any asbestos fibres taken in with food and water. Asbestos fibres cannot be absorbed through the skin.

3. If it is hazardous, why was it used?

Asbestos has been used commercially for about 150 years. It is versatile, plentiful and ideal as a fire-proofing and insulation material.

Its properties include:

mechanically very strong;
highly resistant to heat and chemical attack;
excellent insulator;
good acoustic insulator
can be woven into fabrics;
It does not rot, melt, burn or degrade.

4. Where is asbestos normally found?

Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) have been put to many uses over the past century. The commercial use of asbestos in the UK began around the end of the nineteenth century and increased gradually until World War II. Immediately after World War II, large quantities of asbestos were used, particularly for new 'system-built' buildings in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. ACMs were routinely used in the refurbishment of older buildings.

Asbestos has been the subject of gradual voluntary and formal bans since 1969. By 1999 the importation, supply and use of all forms of ACMs had been banned in the UK.

Typically locations of ACMs include:

Loose asbestos insulation
Sprayed asbestos coatings (sometimes called limpet or flock)
Thermal insulation
Asbestos Insulation Board
Rope and Gaskets
Millboard and paper
Asbestos Cement
Asbestos floor tiles, mastic and roof felt
Decorative paints and plasters

The Gallery shows photographs of ACMs and gives a more detailed description.

5. Why doesn't the University remove all asbestos from its buildings?

Asbestos products that are in good condition and not liable to damage in everyday usage are best left in situ, this is because disturbing the asbestos to remove it is likely to heighten the risk of exposure by releasing fibres into the atmosphere. Such removal, especially of large areas, has to be carried out only by licensed contractors under strictly controlled conditions. This involves the building of asbestos containment enclosures and the employing of independent analysts, this is both extremely costly and extremely disruptive to the departments concerned.

Current Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive advises that such asbestos should be left in situ, but subject to regular monitoring as to its condition, with any damage reported and repaired promptly. In other words the asbestos products within a building are managed in such a way as to ensure that the building whilst not asbestos free, is asbestos safe.

The University subscribes to this view and intends to follow these recommendations. Asbestos will only be removed if; it is damaged and repair is unlikely to render it safe, or; such repair is uneconomical, or; it is liable to be damaged under normal building usage, or; if proposed minor works are likely to damage it; or; major building refurbishment is to be undertaken.

6. What is the University doing to manage the asbestos containing materials on its sites?

The Estates and Buildings Department’s Works Division are working in close harmony with the Health and Safety Department’s Occupational Hygiene Unit to ensure that best practice is followed in all aspects of asbestos management. In many cases this ‘best practice’ is superior to, and goes further than, the requirements of the Regulations and official Guidance.

The Control of Asbestos Regulations place a duty upon employers, to manage asbestos containing materials in premises they occupy so as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that premises are asbestos safe (note not asbestos free). The University has put in place a system whereby such asbestos materials will be carefully managed and buildings maintained as asbestos safe.

An Asbestos Policy and Management Plan have been produced stating how the Estates and Buildings Department intends to manage asbestos.

The Management Plan covers all aspects of asbestos management including:

Roles and Responsibilities
Identification & location of ACMs
Priorities for Action
Management Options and Timescales
Monitoring and Reviewing the Management Plan
Asbestos register
Training
Updating the asbestos register and management plan
Emergency Procedures
Work with ACMs
Requests for Information

Funding is being allocated annually in order that a non-destructive survey of all pre 1999 buildings on University sites can be undertaken, by independent consultants, to enable the University to:

compile an online Register of such materials and their specific location, which can be referenced by contractors/staff prior to future works and for ongoing management and monitoring;
prioritise removal of such materials, if this is deemed necessary by risk assessment;

What is Asbestos?

For most individuals, especially those born in the last 40 years, the mention of asbestos conjures up thoughts of a dangerous substance that's sickened many people and caused myriad deaths around the world. That's an accurate description.

A common misconception on the part of many individuals, however, is that asbestos is a hazardous man-made substance, conjured up in factories around the world for commercial use. The truth is, however, that asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that can be found in hundreds of countries on just about every continent. As a matter of fact, asbestos is still mined in several of these countries, including Canada and Russia. Other countries have outlawed the mining of asbestos.

Asbestos is a highly-fibrous mineral with long, thin, separable fibers. The thin fibers can be spun and woven together, and possess valuable heat-resistant properties that make asbestos suitable for insulation and other such products. Indeed, for decades, asbestos was the material of choice for many industries that were manufacturing products for which heat resistance, low electrical conductivity, flexibility, and high tensile strength were essential factors. Today, there are other alternatives.

There are two kinds of asbestos. The serpentine variety is curly. Chrysotile asbestos, most commonly used for industrial purposes, is from the serpentine family. Other asbestos fibers, from the amphibole family, are very straight and needle-like. Amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite are amphibole asbestos varieties.

Currently, chrysotile asbestos is the only type mined on a wide-scale though a handful of countries continue to mine other forms. However, worldwide outrage about the use of dangerous asbestos has forced many countries to reconsider their position on mining.

Why is Asbestos a Health Concern?

Studies estimate that approximately 3,000 different types of commercial products include asbestos. In and of itself, the mineral is not harmful, as long as it's intact. However, when the asbestos in these products is damaged and the fibers become airborne, concerns begin to arise.

"Friable" asbestos - that which is dry and can be easily crumbled with the hand - is the culprit. Such asbestos is more likely to release fibers into the air. Spray-applied asbestos fireproofing, which was used in millions of buildings throughout the world, is of the friable variety. However, some non-friable asbestos can also release airborne fibers, particularly when sanded, chopped, hammered, cut, or otherwise manipulated. That's why, when demolishing a building that contains asbestos, proper removal and disposal in a designated asbestos landfill is essential before the building is torn down.

Why are Airborne Fibers Dangerous?

Inhaled asbestos fibers remain in the body and cannot be expelled. Because of this, the fibers can easily penetrate body tissues and may deposit themselves in airways and in the lung tissue. The more you're exposed, the more likely you might develop an asbestos-related disease. Most people exposed to asbestos on a very casual basis probably will not develop such a disease.

Once the fibers are lodged in the body, they will cause inflammation which may eventually result in the formation of cancerous tumors, particularly on the mesothelium - the lining of the lungs. Other affected areas may include the peritoneum - the lining of the abdomen - and the pericardium - the lining around the heart. There are various type of mesothelioma treatment options for each type.

With some recent exceptions found in workers at the World Trade Center disaster, asbestos-related diseases, such as pleural mesothelioma, usually take decades to surface. That's why current cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases involve many individuals who were employed in shipyards during World War II, performing jobs that exposed them to friable asbestos on a daily basis. Shipyard workers are among those most affected by aggressive asbestos cancer.

Is Asbestos Banned?

Contrary to what many people believe, asbestos is not and has never been banned in the United States. In 1976, Congress passed a law to regulate toxic substances (known as the Toxic Substances Control Act) but a total ban was not suggested. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized regulations to ban asbestos under the aforementioned act, but two years later, a New Orleans circuit court of appeal overturned the regulation. The result was that new uses of the dangerous mineral were banned but old ones remained.

Many other industrialized nations have banned asbestos including the European Union and a handful of other countries, such as Chile, Croatia, Australia, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia. Several countries, especially those who continue to make money from the mining of asbestos, consistently fight against asbestos bans.

A few current U.S. senators, with the assistance of asbestos watchdog groups, hope to encourage the government to reconsider a ban on all asbestos products. A new bill, called the "Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007" (S.742), was introduced by Senator Patty Murray on March 1, 2007.

Asbestos Cancer

Mesothelioma is sometimes referred to asbestos cancer. It is referred to this because the only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma in different ways depending on the variety of the malignancy.

Pleural Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Pleural mesothelioma, the most common variety, is caused by inhaled asbestos fibers which lodge themselves in the pleural lining of the lungs. Asbestos fibers, which are microscopic but durable, then irritate the inner tissue, causing the growth of harmful scar tissue and eventually mesothelioma.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Peritoneal mesothelioma is less common and doctors have not exacted relationship between the asbestos exposure and the malignancy. However, nearly all peritoneal mesothelioma patients have a history of asbestos exposure. Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the abdominal cavity, near the digestive tract. Doctors surmise that ingested asbestos fibers lodge in the outer tissue of the organs and cause a similar inflammation as in the pleura.

Pericardial Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Pericardial mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the heart and is extremely rare. Like peritoneal mesothelioma, very little is known about the relationship between the malignancy and asbestos exposure but nearly all patients have asbestos exposure history. Physicians surmise that because the cancer occurs in the heart’s lining, the asbestos fibers may impact the heart through the bloodstream.

Lung Cancer and Asbestos

Asbestos has also been linked to cancers of the lung, as opposed to the pleural lining of the lungs. These are likely the result of malfunction caused due the exposure and inhalation of asbestos fibers, which can also cause chronic respiratory conditions such as asbestosis.