Asbestos: The Facts

Asbestos used to be called the "magic mineral." The ancient Greeks marveled at its ability to keep burning without being consumed. And because asbestos is not only fire proof, but also incredibly strong, flexible and virtually indestructible, American industry used it in thousands of ways--and in thousands of building and home products.

Builders and manufacturers used asbestos in the shipbuilding industry--especially during World War II--to insulate boilers, steampipes and nuclear reactors. They also used it in homes, schools, factories and public and commercial buildings to insulate, fireproof and protect pipes, radiators, boilers and furnaces. Asbestos was also used in linoleum floor tiles and acoustical ceiling tiles. It was mixed into paint and plaster to create texture and into cement and spackle to increase strength.

And that's not all. Asbestos was also used in car brake linings, flower pots, curtains, electrical appliances, drinking water pipes--it is even found in children's play sand.

ASBESTOS EXPOSED

But it didn't take long to discover that asbestos had some more hidden--and very dangerous--qualities. The first wave of asbestos illnesses and deaths were recorded after the turn of the century among asbestos miners and textile workers weaving asbestos fibers.

As early as 1918, insurance companies stopped insuring asbestos workers. By 1950, the message was clear: Asbestos causes cancer.

The second wave of asbestos-caused disease hit the workers who installed or worked with asbestos products. Among the hardest hit were the four and one-half million men and women who worked in the shipyards during World War II. Tens of thousands of deaths and years of disabling disease resulted.

THE "INSIDE" STORY

Now we are facing the third wave of asbestos disease caused by exposure to asbestos already in place in buildings and products--and we are all at risk.

The figures are breathtaking. There are 30 million tons of asbestos in place--contaminating the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink. Half a million public and commercial buildings throughout the United States contain damaged--and potentially dangerous--asbestos. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that more than 24 million Americans have been exposed to asbestos in non-residential buildings, with another 11.7 million exposed in residential settings.

The results? Already, in New York City surveys, the x-rays of 1 out of every 6 firefighters and 1 out of every 3 school custodians show signs of asbestos exposure. Up to half a million Americans exposed to asbestos prior to 1980 have died--or will die prematurely--from asbestos-caused diseases. Almost 10,000 more will die this year--and every year this decade. Asbestos disease claims one life every hour.

A significant number of industrial workers will still be exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos in the workplace. But much of the third wave of asbestos disease will come, not from heavy exposures or from obviously dangerous jobs, but from chronic or unknowing exposure to asbestos in place in our everyday lives.

Who's at risk? Construction and maintenance workers who do demolition or rehab jobs. Plumbers and janitors fixing pipes and boiler systems. Auto mechanics working on brakes and clutches. Office workers when the wiring is installed for computers. Kids who bounce basketballs off the asbestos ceiling tiles in the school gym. Families may be exposed when they renovate their homes.

That's why it's time for us all to take another look at asbestos in our homes, schools, factories, offices and public buildings. It's time for us to expose the "inside" story, and demand an asbestos-safe environment for our families, our co-workers and our communities.

THERE'S MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Asbestos fibers occur naturally in rock and there are several different varieties. The most commonly used asbestos in the U.S. is chrysotile, a curly, flexible, white fiber.

Most asbestos fibers are microscopic--a single fiber magnified 1,000 times is barely the size of a human hair! You need an inspection and lab analysis to know for sure whether asbestos is present in building materials or products.

When asbestos is old or becomes disturbed, it flakes loose. This is known as "friable" asbestos. The fibers are released into the air, where they can linger indefinitely--and can easily be inhaled or ingested.

IT'S ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU SICK

Asbestos diseases are the kind that sneak up on you. Many show up 10 to 35 years after the first exposure to asbestos. Among the most common asbestos-caused diseases are:

• Asbestosis: scarring or fibrosis of the lung tissue (parenchyma) or the membranes (pleura) lining the lungs or chest. The scarring is the body's response to the irritation caused by asbestos fibers. In time, scarring of the lung tissue may interfere with how well the oxygen you breathe is absorbed by the bloodstream. This can cause breathing difficulties and heart strain. Death from suffocation and heart failure may result. Scarring of the lung and chest linings can reduce lung function and increase the risk of dangerous lung infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.

• Mesothelioma: Cancer in the membranes lining the lungs, chest or abdomen. It is caused almost exclusively by asbestos and is almost always fatal.

• Lung cancer and gastrointestinal cancers, including cancers of the tongue, sinuses, mouth, larynx, throat, stomach, colon, rectum, intestines, kidneys, pancreas and gall-bladder.

All varieties of asbestos cause cancer. This doesn't mean that if you breathe asbestos fibers you will get cancer--but your risk of developing serious disease increases with each exposure. And if you smoke, your chances of developing asbestos-related cancer are 50 to 90 times greater than non-smokers.

Big business would like you to believe that low levels of exposure to asbestos are not harmful. But as with most carcinogens, no amount of asbestos is safe.

BREATHING LESSONS

• Shortness of breath

• A chronic cough or change in cough pattern

• Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up from the lungs

• Pain in the chest or abdomen

• Difficulty in swallowing or prolonged hoarseness

• Significant weight loss

The key to successful treatment of asbestos-caused diseases lies in early detection and prompt aggressive treatment. If you have been exposed to asbestos (or suspect exposure), tell your doctor. A thorough physical examination, including a chest x ray and lung function tests may be recommended.

Needless to say (but we're reminding you anyway), if you smoke, quit. If you've been exposed to asbestos, this is a must. And even if your risk from asbestos is small, you'll breathe easier!

THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW!

You'll also breathe easier if you know your environment is asbestos-safe. And by now, you're probably thinking there ought to be a law to protect you and your community from asbestos hazards.

Well, there are some laws and regulations that help protect you from exposure to asbestos in your workplace, schools and community. But there are many cases where the rules do not match the risk.

As is all too often the case, the government waited a long time to acknowledge how dangerous asbestos really is. But by the mid-1970s, they couldn't avoid the issue any longer. Regulations were approved to protect workers on the job and, in the mid 1980s, laws were finally passed mandating asbestos inspections and clean-up in the nation's schools.

The responsibility for enforcing asbestos rules and regulations is divided among several government agencies.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has primary responsibility for regulating worker exposure to asbestos. OSHA's asbestos standard covers most private sector employees and many public sector workers as well. It defines what level of exposure is permissible, establishes requirements for air monitoring and work practices, demands that employers provide protections in the workplace, and mandates health monitoring of employees at risk.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also plays a key role in asbestos control.

The EPA Worker Protection Rule extends the OSHA workplace standard to state and local government employees.

The EPA also regulates asbestos emissions outside the work place and sets rules for removal and disposal of asbestos-containing materials. Its National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) governs demolition and renovation projects. Under new regulations, operators must inspect buildings for asbestos before renovation or demolition. Asbestos must usually be removed before a building is demolished--and must sometimes be removed before renovation.

In the mid-1970s the EPA banned several kinds of asbestos building materials used in insulation and fireproofing. In 1989, the agency adopted a rule to ban the manufacture, importation, processing and distribution of most asbestos-containing products by 1997. (However, regulation of asbestos in consumer products is the responsibility of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.)

EPA also has special responsibility for asbestos safety in the nation's schools. In 1986, Congress passed the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), which required that the EPA issue regulations dealing with asbestos in the nation's schools. As a result, all primary and secondary schools must conduct EPA-certified inspections, develop asbestos management plans and select appropriate responses to deal with asbestos hazards. Any asbestos abatement work must be done only by qualified professionals.

Finally, EPA regulates how many asbestos fibers are permissible in the water we drink, while The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is charged with controlling asbestos contamination in the foods we eat, as well as in drugs and cosmetics.

As you see, there are many regulations about the use of asbestos. But there's still a major loophole: The federal government has not yet adequately addressed the asbestos problem in public and commercial buildings--even though most buildings built between 1950 and 1978 contain asbestos in some form. Unlike schools, there is no federal law which requires building owners to inspect for asbestos hazards in our factories, offices, or apartments--or to take appropriate actions where asbestos is found. While some state and local governments have adopted asbestos regulations which may be more stringent than the federal standards, in many areas, identifying and correcting asbestos hazards in these buildings is strictly voluntary. We think that's not good enough.

You will find the addresses and phone numbers for OSHA, EPA and other important asbestos-related agencies and organizations in other pages.

RISKY BUSINESS

Eliminating asbestos hazards takes commitment, time and money. Rather than finding the safest and best solution, many employers and building owners want to take the quickest and cheapest way out. And the asbestos producers, along with insurance and real estate interests, want us to believe that asbestos already in place poses no health threat at all!

But they're wrong. These owners and big business interests are risking our safety to preserve their profits. The following are some guidelines to help you evaluate the decisions proposed by your boss, landlord, school board or contractor.

Unfortunately, you can't tell whether asbestos is present just by looking. If you suspect there's asbestos in your building, consult a certified inspector to take samples. Those samples must then be sent to a qualified laboratory for testing to confirm whether asbestos is present. If your home, school, office or factory contains asbestos, an asbestos abatement program should be implemented to control and/or eliminate asbestos hazards. This program should be designed in consultation with an abatement specialist.

If asbestos containing material (often referred to as "ACM"), is found, it should be removed--or an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) plan established to prevent exposure.

Removal is generally called for where asbestos is in poor condition--or likely to be disturbed by ongoing activity or renovation.

If the asbestos is in good condition--and not likely to be disturbed--there are several methods of managing it as part of an O&M plan:

1. Encapsulation means sealing the asbestos with an " encapsulate." A number of products and paints will temporarily seal in asbestos fibers to keep them from escaping into the air. However, encapsulation only works in certain situations--the asbestos still needs to be regularly inspected.

2. Enclosure is used where the asbestos material can he surrounded and enclosed, for example, encasing ducts and pipes.

3. Repair can be used in certain situations, although it is generally a temporary measure.

An O&M program also requires that asbestos containing material be monitored and maintained to prevent deterioration or damage. An O&M program must include: notification to workers, tenants and building occupants about where the asbestos is located and how to avoid disturbing it; special training for O&M supervisors and maintenance staff; and regular surveillance and air testing.

However, removal is still the only permanent solution to prevent exposure.

Remember, handling or removing asbestos is extremely dangerous. It requires protective clothing and respirators, special equipment and legally mandated disposal procedures. This is not a job for do-it-yourselfers, home improvement or inexperienced construction firms or contractors. However, your local EPA office or state or local health department should have information about qualified laboratories and certified contractors, both for inspection and removal.

BECOME AN ASBESTOS CHALLENGER

Which of these solutions should be used depends on the level of risk posed by the condition--and location--of the asbestos.

Which of these solutions will be used also depends on who makes the decision. Employer negligence, the greed of a building owner, finances--or politics--can all influence the decision.

But so can you! You, your co-workers and your neighbors can help ensure that the health of your family and community are the first priority.

To protect your family from asbestos exposure, ask whether your child's school--or your own workplace or apartment building--contains asbestos. If the building was constructed before 1978 and/or you suspect an asbestos hazard, demand an inspection. If a hazard exists, insist it is corrected quickly and safely. Don't settle for the cheap and easy half-measure; push for the best and safest solution.

And, if your school board, your boss or the local politician won't listen, organize your friends and neighbors.

Together, we can help create the asbestos-safe environment to which we are all entitled.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

There are many agencies and organizations that can help you learn more about asbestos--or meet an asbestos challenge. Please click on NEXT to go to listings that might be especially useful.

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