Asbestos refers to a group of six naturally occurring silicate minerals that are commonly comprised of very long, thin, fibrous crystals. The use of Asbestos for building and manufacturing became extremely popular in the late 19th century when it was discovered to have incredible resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage, as well as high sound absorption and tensile strength.
Asbestos is now considered to be highly toxic, causing serious lung disease and cancer. It’s use is totally banned in Europe, but in spite of a serious attempt on the part of the EPA to ban Asbestos use in 1989, it is still added to a variety of building materials, such as roofing, vinyl tile and imported cement pipe and corrugated sheeting.
Structures built prior to 1975 are of particular concern, since before that date Asbestos was used in a wide variety of building materials including, but not limited to, insulation, gypsum wallboard, joint compounds, patching and spackling compounds, sheet vinyl, textured acoustic ceiling tiles, and roof shingles.
ADS Services specializes in the abatement and remediation of asbestos from occupied buildings, industrial and manufacturing facilities, power plants, and other facilities where priority must be given to maintaining ongoing operations. We create a detailed protocol that takes into consideration the client’s concerns and daily schedule. Assessment of every project is based on the most cost effective and efficient levels in the industry with priority being placed on minimizing downtime and inconvenience to occupants.
Asbestos Abatement & Disposal
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Asbestos
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asbestos (from Greek for "unquenchable") is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals exploited commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their asbestiform habit, long, (1:20) thin fibrous crystals. The inhalation of asbestos fibres can cause serious illnesses, including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma (a type of malignant neoplasm dependent mostly from exposure to asbestos),[citation needed] and asbestosis (a type of pneumoconiosis). Since 1 January 2005 the European Union has banned all types of utilization of asbestos and extraction, manufacture and processing of asbestos products.
For environmental samples, one must normally resort to electron microscopy for positive identification. However today gravimetric and PCM/PLM techniques are employed, which cannot readily identify the smallest, most hazardous, fibers. These techniques being limited to PM10 particulate size evaluation which completely ignores ultrafine particles (UFPs).
Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century because of its resistance to heat, electrical and chemical damage, sound absorption and tensile strength. When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibres are often mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats. Asbestos was used in some products for its heat resistance, and in the past was used on electric oven and hotplate wiring for its electrical insulation at elevated temperature, and in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals.
Asbestos abatement
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Many buildings contain asbestos, which was used in spray-applied flame retardant, thermal system insulation, and in a variety of other materials. Asbestos was sometimes "flocked" above false ceilings, inside technical ducts, and in many other small spaces where firefighters would have difficulty gaining access. Structural components like asbestos panels were also used. In residences, asbestos was often a component of a type of flocked acoustic ceiling called "popcorn ceiling" or "cottage cheese ceiling", until its production was banned in the U.S. in 1978. However, the ban allowed installers to use up remaining stocks, so houses built as late as 1986 could still have asbestos in their acoustic ceilings. The only way to be sure is to remove a sample and have it tested by a competent laboratory.
Rationale
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Depending on how and where asbestos was applied, it might not pose any risk to most users of the building. If the fibers cannot become dislodged, they cannot be inhaled, and thus the asbestos poses no risk. However, some methods of applying asbestos, particularly flocking, allow asbestos fibers to gradually drop off into the air. Asbestos poses hazards to maintenance personnel who have to drill holes in walls for installation of cables or pipes. Even if the workers are protected, such maintenance operation may release fibers into the air, which may be inhaled by others. Interventions in areas where asbestos is present often have to follow stringent procedures. When asbestos fibers can easily be made into airborne dust, the material is known as friable. For example, a "popcorn ceiling" is extremely friable, whereas asbestos floor tile is considered non-friable.
Removal procedures
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If removal is to be performed when users are still present in the building, it is usually necessary to relocate some users temporarily. Typically, the part of the building from which asbestos is being removed has to be sealed off in order to prevent contamination of the other areas. Methods of sealing off an area often include the use of Polyethylene film, duct tape and negative air pressure machines which are fitted with HEPA filters. The idea is that the contained area is pulling fresh air in as to not allow asbestos fibers into the surrounding environment.
Only a special vacuum cleaner that's designed for asbestos containment (class H) can be safely used when cleaning up during and after asbestos removal. Ordinary vacuum cleaners cannot be used, even those fitted with a HEPA filter. An ordinary vacuum cleaner will expel the asbestos fibres into the room air.
If the building is closed to normal users, it may be necessary to seal it off from outside atmosphere so that no accessible air is contaminated. Examples of asbestos removal enterprises include the Jussieu Campus (begun circa 1996 and still going on as of 2005) and the Tour Montparnasse (in 2005, projected duration was three years if the tower was emptied of its users, and ten years if it were not).
An asbestos-containing building that is to be torn down may have to be sealed, and to have its asbestos safely removed before ordinary demolition can be performed. The asbestos removal may take longer and cost more than the actual demolition. For example, the former seat of parliament of East Germany, the Palast der Republik, was stripped of most of its asbestos between 1998 and 2001, before it was finally demolished starting in 2006.
Resources
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· Asbestos
· Mesothelioma
· Asbestosis
· Asbestine
· Asbestos and the law
· Fibro
· Fireproofing
· List of minerals
· Vermiculite
· Wittenoom, former asbestos mining town
· Asbestos Project Monitor
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Additional information about asbestos abatement is available from the following organizations:
· Asbestos Information Association, 1745 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 509, Arlington, Virginia 22202, (703) 979-1150.
· Building Owners and Managers Association, 1259 Eye Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 289-7000.
· Environmental Policy Advisory Committee, National Realty Committee, 1250 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 630, Washington, D.C. 20036
· National Institute of Building Sciences, 1015 15th Street, N.W., Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 289-7800.
· National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, (800) 356-4674.
· Safe Buildings Alliance, 655 15th Street, N.W., Suite 1200, Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 879-5120.
· United States Environmental Protection Agency, 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460, (202) 382-3949.
See Also
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