The Dangers of Asbestos

Asbestos was a commonly used building material that was used for a lot of homes, sheds and buildings. Most people know by now the dangers of asbestos.

As it can be mixed with other items, however you may not even know that you have asbestos in your home, work or building.

There is some asbestos testing you can get done just for peace of mind.

I thought I would touch a little bit on asbestos, what it can cause and why it is extremely harmful. I’m very eco-friendly and I was concerned about the environment where I live.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous material that was very popular to be used as a building material around the 1950’s.

It has great fire protection properties and is also protective from corrosion.

Commonly there is 3 types, of asbestos. Blue asbestos (crocidolite), brown asbestos (amosite) and white asbestos (chrysotile).

Why is Asbestos harmful?

Is it a known carcinogenic that can cause harmful illnesses within your lungs and airways.

There is 4 main conditions it causes as below:

Mesothelioma

A cancer which affects the lining of the lungs (pleura) and the lining surrounding the lower digestive tract (peritoneum). It is almost exclusively related to asbestos exposure and by the time it is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal. For those diagnosed with this devastating disease, seeking legal assistance from the best mesothelioma lawyer can be a crucial step in pursuing compensation to cover medical expenses and provide financial support for their loved ones.

Asbestos-related lung cancer

Asbestos-related lung cancer is the same as (looks the same as) lung cancer caused by smoking and other causes. It is estimated that there is around one lung cancer for every mesothelioma death.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a serious scarring condition of the lung that normally occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos over many years. This condition can cause progressive shortness of breath, and in severe cases can be fatal.

Pleural thickening

Pleural thickening is generally a problem that happens after heavy asbestos exposure. The lining of the lung (pleura) thickens and swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed, and can cause shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest.

I would strongly recommend to have someone test for asbestos especially if you are moving into a new house, just to make sure that you are safe.

Can you get rid of asbestos items?

There are some companies that offer specific asbestos removal and will do this safely and take it to a licenced recycling centre to correctly dispose of it for you.

You can’t just take it to any recycling centre, you need to ensure firstly that it is double bagged (There are specific bags you can get to dispose of it) and then check the recycling centre has the licencing to remove it.

Although it has to be broken up to cause issues, it is just better to be safe than sorry.

Something to think about too – Plastic recycling is the future! Let’s make a better environment. Your actions can save the world!

*This is a collaboration post