Asbestos is a very dangerous material that was popular in the building industry a few decades ago. It was used mainly for its fire and heat resistant properties, but due to its fibrous nature it was linked to serious lung problems in people who were exposed to it on a regular basis.
The fibers can be easily separated into individual strands, and on top of this asbestos is brittle and when it or an item that contains it is damaged the fibers are released into the air and breathed in. The particles are minute enough to be inhaled but are too large to be expelled by the lungs themselves, this leads to an accumulation of asbestos fibers in the lungs. Once there is a high concentration of asbestos fibers in the lungs this can cause severe and fatal conditions such as cancer and asbestosis. Asbestos fibers can also remain on clothing and these can then be either inhaled or even ingested causing cancer in other parts of the body such as the stomach, liver and esophagus.
In order to avoid the health complications linked with the inhalation of asbestos fibers you will need to discover if there is asbestos in your home.
You will need to do some research into the history of your home and the kinds of building materials that were used in its construction. There were a large number of products that were used in building new homes that may or may not include asbestos and these include boilers and furnaces built pre-1978, roofing materials and walls and flooring.
If you think your home may contain asbestos then you need to act fast and employ the services of a certified asbestos removal company to handle the problem. Asbestos removal is a specialized skill and anyone who handles it must do so with the correct safety equipment and tools in order to avoid contamination.
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