Asbestos In Buildings : Are You Endangered?

Still quite a short time ago, asbestos used to be applauded for its great qualities such as resistance to heat, fire, chemicals or wear. All this made it a very desirable substance.

For a long time, people used to create a lot of things out of asbestos, such as building material, clothes or toys. But then, some 50 years ago, it was found out that it was poisonous. What is asbestos poisoning? The durability of asbestos, which many industries have been making use of, is its most important plus and minus at the same time. In case asbestos gets into a human body, there is no means for the body to get rid of this substance.

When asbestos is part of some material, as long as it stays in it, it is not dangerous. The real danger comes from inhaling the tiny needle-like asbestos fibers, when they get airborne. The trouble with asbestos poisoning is that its first symptoms such as dry cough, tightness in the chest or shortness of breath match the symptoms of a lot of less serious diseases. Unfortunately, asbestos poisoning has also quite a long latency period. Therefore the true cause of the patient's problems is often found out too late.

The most often illnesses that have been connected to asbestos poisoning are asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. The lungs of an asbestosis patient are attempting to dissolve the asbestos fibers and they create an acid that harms the tissue which then hardens. Eventually, breathing becomes very difficult for the patient. Mesothelioma is a sort of cancer that affects the outer lung lining. There is presently no known cure for this disease. A person can get mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos poisoning for just a very brief time or even accidentally, which is a major difference from asbestosis. Asbestos-induced lung cancer has been responsible for more than 50 percent of all deaths brought about by asbestos poisoning. However, an early and correct diagnosis and prompt start of the treatment can bring the patient many years of active life.

Asbestos in Canada: Canada, being once one of the most important asbestos producers in the world, still supports its use in its less dangerous forms. The asbestos mines in Quebec are still in use. Until the 1980s, asbestos had been commonly used in most office buildings, public buildings and schools, usually for thermal, fire and sound insulation. The people who were most 'at risk' were mainly the workers installing asbestos materials, especially in cases where health and safety rules were ignored. Then the dust from the installation process could escape into the air and people were breathing in the poisonous toxins. The use of asbestos still hasn't been forbidden in Canada. However, improvements have been made - Ontario banned using asbestos as insulation back in 1973. Asbestos has been mainly removed from public buildings as a result of an effort by the local governments. There are also very severe rules for any work involving asbestos installation or removal.

Asbestos in Toronto: What concerns asbestos in buildings, Ontario has very severe rules, especially since 2007. If a landlord finds any strange substance deteriorating in the building he owns, he has to present it for examination. In case it is found out that asbestos is really present, it has to be removed without delay by a certified company. If there is any risk of continuous deterioration, the whole impacted area has to be removed, again according to strict safety rules.

The most common use of asbestos in non-domestic buildings: - insulation on pipes - ceiling tiles - panels boards - cement panels - sprayed coatings on walls - asbestos ropes and cloth - textures coating The most common use of asbestos in residential homes in Toronto: - exterior surfaces: deck undersheeting, roof felt and shingles, window putty - all kinds of insulation - flooring: vinyl asbestos sheets, tiles and undersheeting - interior surface: sprayed-on acoustic ceilings, acoustic tiles - appliances: water heaters, range hoods, clothes dryers and dishwashers Asbestos is still not a solved problem. The Sunrise Propane blast which took place last year is still in our memories. Five streets were hit by asbestos debris and 3000 inhabitants had to leave their homes until a complete and careful clear up of the region. One of the tasks for our local governments is to keep struggling against the danger posed by asbestos. But the exact extent of this danger is almost impossible to be quantified. One of the reasons why it is so difficult is the fact that just 0.5% of asbestos in material is considered as poisonous.

Therefore, whenever you have even the smallest suspicion that your property may be affected, ask for a home inspection by a qualified professional (you can easily find list of companies doing it in Toronto area). Anyway, people should never try to deal with the suspect material on their own!