Asbestos is a broad term for a group of fibrous minerals that were used widely in the construction of buildings and in products. More specifically, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), asbestos was commonly used as materials, in such things as walls, floor tiles, pipes, automobile manufacturing, electrical components, cement, roofing, and more.
Unfortunately for many Americans, asbestos is also carcinogenic. Epidemiological studies have proven a definite correlation between asbestos inhalation and mesothelioma cancer, which is almost always fatal within a few short years.
For this reason, it is no longer used in the vast majority of building materials or in construction work, because of the harm it can cause to workers and individuals who will later occupy the building.
There are six different types of asbestos:
- Actinolite asbestos
- Amosite asbestos
- Anthophyllite asbestos
- Chrysotile asbestos
- Crocidolite asbestos
- Tremolite asbestos
Asbestos Can Be Dangerous
The reason asbestos was used so commonly was that asbestos is immune to corrosion, heat, and is extremely durable – essentially perfect for construction purposes.
However, the reason that asbestos is no longer used in a majority of construction jobs and products is because of the harm it causes to individuals and workers. The tiny particles that make up asbestos are absorbed through the respiratory system creating various health problems and cancers.
Medical Complications from Asbestos Exposure
Mesothelioma from asbestos exposure is a specific form of cancer. It occurs when asbestos fibers are inhaled and the thin layer of tissue that surrounds the lungs and other internal organs are damaged.
Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease where scars are formed in the respiratory system from prolonged exposure to asbestos, causing difficulties in breathing. Currently, there is no cure for asbestosis.
Lung cancer can also occur from prolonged asbestos exposure. While similar to mesothelioma, lung cancer occurs only in the lungs and tends to develop in individual masses.
Despite the dangers associated with Asbestos, many are shocked to learn that there has never been a ban on all asbestos in the United States. Others are unaware that asbestos issues often appear whenever building restoration or renovation work needs to be done.
Even building contractors often don’t know that agencies at the state and federal levels require certified inspectors to assess asbestos-containing building materials prior to any restorations, renovations, or demolitions.
Asbestos Services We Offer
At RPF Environmental, we understand the danger that asbestos still poses, and we work to ensure that asbestos is found and removed. Since 1991, RPF Environmental has been a trusted and leading provider of asbestos testing and surveying services in Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and throughout the US. We provide the following asbestos testing and surveying services:
- Asbestos assessment
- Remediation design, bid, and contract administration
- Litigation support
- Waste characterization
- Accredited laboratory analysis
- Air, water, and surface dust testing and analysis
