The Fear Debate over Asbestos

Asbestos is known to cause asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer, but there are only certain situations when it can impose such potential health risks. If it isn’t in a friable state, it will not release asbestos fibers and therefore; will not be hazardous for health.

But just like everything else, when it comes to asbestos, there’s a lot of misinformation being masqueraded as fact on the internet. Here are some myths related to asbestos that you clear out right away:

Myth-1: Small Doses Are Safe

While asbestos does not pose any potential damage as long as it’s not tampered with, once broken, the inhaled material can have severe health risks, irrespective of the amount inhaled or ingested.

Myth-2: Only Construction Industries Are At Risk

It’s true that the highest numbers of asbestos-related diseases are recorded in the construction industry, but multiple other jobs like plumbing, shipbuilding, and carpentry may expose workers to asbestos.

A report by the World Health Organization suggests that about 125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos at their workplace.

Myth-3: Not All Types Impose Health Risks

Asbestos has six different compositions, all of which have been declared as carcinogens. White asbestos (chrysotile) is considered the least harmful as compared to other types. However, research conducted by the World Health Organization has reported chrysotile to be equally dangerous for health.

Myth-4: Moisture Is The Solution

Another prevailing myth suggests that moisturizing disturbed asbestos can prevent fibers from escaping. Except for asbestos white, all other types are hydrophobic and the fibers can easily escape into the atmosphere.

Myth-5: Just Remove It!

So you realized that you have asbestos in your homes or workplace and you decided to remove it without professional help. This is the biggest blunder that can happen while dealing with asbestos. Asbestos can be most risky during the removal process. Not only can it be inhaled by the person removing the material, but improper removal can result in contamination of air with asbestos fibers.

Calling a licensed professional can eliminate the risks associated with poor handling of asbestos.

Myth-6: One Look Is All It Takes

While many people believe that they can identify whether a product contains asbestos by merely looking at it, it’s not true. It requires proper laboratory testing and sampling to identify whether a material contains asbestos.

If you’re looking for asbestos remediation, testing or removal services in Pennsylvania, get in touch with us. Our licensed and skilled asbestos abatement staff uses the latest equipment and cutting-edge technologies for environmental assistance and remediation service.

Call us at 610-497-7162 or visit our website for details!