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Asbestos is really dangerous if inhaled as dust, and can cause serious lung damage.

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Q: What is the downside to asbestos insulation?
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Is there really asbestos in insulation?

Currently it is illegal to add insulation to a home with more than a very small percentage of asbestos. Exposure to these small quantities of asbestos typically do not cause harm and are considered to be safe. Older homes may have asbestos insulation that needs to be removed as these older forms of insulation do present certain health risks.


What can replace asbestos?

since asbestos was used for very different purposes, its replacement materials are different, depending on the use. For example, calcium silicate replaces asbestos in boiler insulation, but not in brake pads.


Why Asbestos Testing Is Vitally Important?

If you live in an older house or work in an older building, there could be a chance that the type of insulation that was used in the walls and ceiling was asbestos. About fifty years ago, contractors thought that asbestos was the cheapest and most effective insulation on the market, and it was. However, it was the side effects that were quite disturbing once asbestos was widely used in houses and businesses all over the country. Asbestos was directly linked to respiratory disease and lung cancer after prolonged exposure. When this conclusion was discovered, people did their best to rid all houses and buildings of the dangerous insulation. However, because it was so widely used, it was almost impossible to get it all. This is why asbestos testing might be your safest bet in order to find out whether or not your home or business has the dangerous insulation. Asbestos testing is something professionals can do to find out whether or not the insulation in your home could be putting you and your family at risk. This is especially important if you are planning on doing some remodeling. When you remodel, you will kick up whatever is in the walls or ceiling. If that happens to be asbestos, even if you are not effected immediately, over time your lungs will become weaker and you might suffer from more frequent respiratory illnesses. This is why you have to be aware of what is in the walls and ceiling of your home. Asbestos was so widely used that it could still be in the homes of many people worldwide. Getting asbestos testing to find out if you need to do some asbestos removal in your home is one of the safest and best things to do if you even think there is a chance that it was used as insulation in your home. Putting it off will only further threaten your health and the health of anyone that enters your house. The process of removing asbestos can be completed by professionals so that the particles can be contained properly. In completing this task, you will be assuring yourself that your house is completely safe all the time.


What element is fire resistant it's material no longer used due to its carcinogenicity?

Asbestos (particularly blue asbestos)


What is the symbol of asbestos?

There is no international symbol for asbestos.

Related questions

Does insulation have asbestos?

Some, but not all, forms of insulation used to contain asbestos. Insulation applied new now does not contain asbestos.


Does gysum insulation contain asbestos?

Gypsum insulation made prior to the 1970s included asbestos as a means of providing increased physical strength and insulation capacity to the product. Gypsum insulation made after the 1980s generally did not contain asbestos.


How do you identify asbestos insulation?

The only way to reliably identify asbestos-containing insulation is to have a small sample analysed by a qualified laboratory.


Is there really asbestos in insulation?

Currently it is illegal to add insulation to a home with more than a very small percentage of asbestos. Exposure to these small quantities of asbestos typically do not cause harm and are considered to be safe. Older homes may have asbestos insulation that needs to be removed as these older forms of insulation do present certain health risks.


Is there asbestos in electrical wire installation?

Yes, some wire insulation has asbestos.


Does any masonite insulation contain asbestos?

No, masonite does not contain any asbestos.


Does Johns-Manville spintex long fiber rock wool insulation contain asbestos?

Rock wool insulation was a substitute for asbestos insulation. You bought one or the other, not both.


What does asbestos insulation look like?

Asbestos insulation has no characteristics that make it look any different from other forms of insulation intended for the same application. The only way to know for certain whether insulation contains asbestos is to have a sample analysed in a qualified laboratory. Insulation on pipes and boilers is often white and chalky in appearance. Other forms of insulation have different appearances.


How dangerous is vermiculite plus asbestos insulation?

Vermiculite insulation containing asbestos is about as dangerous as any other type of insulation that contains asbestos. If it becomes airborne and people breath in the fibers, their risk of contracting an asbestos related disease increases. The amount of increased risk depends on how much asbestos is in the insulation, how much becomes airborne, how long the people are exposed to the airborne fibers, and whether they smoke tobacco products.


Does Johns-Mansville Sure Felt insulation contain asbestos?

No modern insulation product sold in North America or the European Union contains asbestos.


Does OLD Owens Corning fibreglass insulation contain asbestos?

No. Owens Corning Fiberglas insulation was made with Fiberglas providing the fibrous functions in place of asbestos.


Does all vermiculite insulation contain asbestos?

No, not all vermiculite contains asbestos. You should have it tested.