For years now, we talk about asbestos and how exposure to this kind of material damages health. Much has been said about this silent killer that it has infected tens and dozens of workers across Australia who suffers the consequences of asbestos exposure. Asbestos, in fact, is a carcinogen.
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Asbestos is a dangerous substance
When we talk about asbestos, we refer to a component made up of tiny fibers. If the material used contains asbestos, particularly the friable one, these fibers can be disturbed more easily and can be inhaled, reaching deep into the lung alveoli just because they are very thin.
Asbestos is therefore dangerous when fibers are inhaled, even for a short time. There is, however, no scientific evidence demonstrating a risk associated with radiation or toxic gases.
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Asbestos is still a threat
The use of this substance in Australia has been illegal since 2003, however asbestos is still a danger to workers’ health. In Australia, asbestos was imported and used until 1990. Therefore, this very dangerous material is still present in many buildings.
As previously noted, asbestos is one of the constituent elements of some popular building materials. The most dangerous ones are the friable ones because, in this case, it can become airborne easily.
Cement asbestos, for example, is very compact and therefore less dangerous, while the risk increases considerably in an environment where asbestos-containing materials are produced or where the asbestos material is in bad condition. The risk of exposure is also associated with poor maintenance, damage, or abrasion of asbestos-containing materials, such as roofing or asbestos cement sheeting.
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Asbestos causes deadly diseases
Prolonged exposure to asbestos can cause deadly diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancers.
- Asbestosis: Asbestosis is a pulmonary disease that causes the thickening and hardening of the pulmonary tissues. It is a disease caused by a rather long exposure to asbestos, about 10/15 years, and affects mainly workers involved in the production of asbestos materials in the industrial settings.
- Lung cancer: Exposure to asbestos is one of many risk factors of lung cancer. There is no need for a long contact with the substance and the illness can emerge even after many years, even in some cases.
- Mesothelioma: In fact, mesothelioma is a carcinoma that affects the pleura, or the linings of the lungs. The peculiarity of this disease is that rare cases are always related to exposure to asbestos, even before more than 25 years. There are cases where the disease has appeared after 40 years of exposure and even in this case, there is no need for a high dose of microscopic asbestos fibers to develop the disease.
| Summary about asbestos
· Asbestos fibers, if inhaled, are hazardous to health. · Asbestos is potentially present in all buildings built before the 1990s. · Before beginning work on refurbishing or renovating a building, it is important to ascertain whether there is asbestos and consult an expert if necessary. |
As previously mentioned, as long as it is solidly embedded in other building materials, asbestos is not a threat. But it becomes if its fibers are dispersed in the air and inhaled, following renovations, maintenance or restoration of a building. To protect yourself and others, you absolutely need to know where he is hiding. Only in this way, by doing an Asbestos testing Melbourne ( https://www.asbestoswatchmelbourne.com.au/asbestos-testing-melbourne/ ) , you can protect yourself and your family from the danger of this deadly substance.
Where does it usually hide?
In general, it can be said that the presence of asbestos is possible in all buildings built before 1990. Here is a list of materials and structures that usually contain asbestos:
- Flooring for floors, walls, and ceilings.
- Roofs, facades, and windows.
- Electrical insulations.
- Heating systems
So, how does an asbestos testing Melbourne works?
Generally, you can check for signs of asbestos materials on your own, but the testing process should be done by a licensed removalist using special equipment. If the presence of asbestos is confirmed, hire a removalist to remove the materials that contain it to ensure people’s safety.
Visual inspection
A visual inspection is usually not enough to determine if a material contains asbestos or not. Usually, samples from the suspected material have to be sent to an accredited laboratory for further analysis.
Laboratory testing
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Polarised Light Microscopy (PLM) are two common methods of analysis. Hiring a professional to do an asbestos testing Melbourne can minimise the risk of exposure for you and also your family.
If asbestos is confirmed, what should I do then?
The method used to eliminate asbestos depends on the condition of the material, where the asbestos is found, and also whether it is friable or non-friable. Friable asbestos can usually be crumbled easily and reduced to a powder, thus can become airborne quite easily. While non-friable asbestos is often tightly bound with another material and the fibres cannot easily become airborne unless they are cut, sawed, or sanded.
If the asbestos material is in good condition, then it may not be as dangerous at this time. However, you should monitor the material often to see signs of damage or deterioration.
In some cases, repair or encapsulation can be chosen rather than removal. These two methods can be a temporary solution for some problems caused by asbestos. They can work all right for materials that have not been damaged, but they can do more harm than good if the asbestos material is damaged.
Asbestos removal is the final and only permanent solution for asbestos problem in the house. However, improper removal procedures can disturb asbestos materials further and make the fibers become airborne. This is why it is very important to hire a professional removalist to do the removal process.
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