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Mobile ViewENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY Aerobiology Associations AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR FILTERS, OPTIMUM INDOOR AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR Air Quality Improvement Strategies AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE AIRBORNE PARTICLE ANALYSIS METHODS AIRBORNE MOLD SPORE COUNT ACCURACY ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS ANIMAL ALLERGENS / PET DANDER ANIMAL ENTRY POINTS in BUILDINGS ANIMAL ODORS IN BUILDINGS ASBESTOS CLEANUP COMPANIES ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST ASBESTOS CLEANUP COMPANIES ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings ASBESTOS AIR DUCTS Asbestos Air Duct Vibration Dampers ASBESTOS in CARPETING, PADDING ASBESTOS CEILING TILES, Asbestos-Containing ASBESTOS DUCTS, HVAC ASBESTOS DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper ASBESTOS DUCTS, Transite Pipe ASBESTOS FIREPROOFING SPRAY-On Coatings ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE IDENTIFICATION Asbestos Floor Tile Laboratory Photos Asbestos Flooring Hazard Level of Risk Asbestos-containing Flooring Asbestos-containing Sheet Flooring How to Identify Asbestos Flooring Non-Asbestos Sheet Flooring Other Asbestos Floor Tiles Photos of Asbestos Flooring Unknown-brand 9x9 Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles Unknown-brand 12x12 Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tiles Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Dimensions Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Disposal Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Packaging ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE LAB PROCEDURES ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE PHOTO ID GUIDE FLOOR TILE HISTORY 1900-1986 Armstrong Floor Tiles Congoleum-Nairn Floor Tiles, Linoleum Ever-Wear Floor Tiles Kentile KenFlex Floor Tiles Montgomery Ward Floor Tiles Sears Roebuck Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles Self-Adhesive Stick-on Tiles, Asbestos Vinyl-Asbestos Floor Tile Photos Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tile Usage Guide Asbestos Foamed-Over ASBESTOS INSULATION ASBESTOS PAPER DUCT INSULATION ASBESTOS PIPE INSULATION ASBESTOS ROOFING, CEMENT & FIBER CEMENT Asphalt-asbestos Roofing Materials ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST Cement-asbestos roof shingles Corrugated Cement-Asbestos Roofing Environmental Issues - Asbestos Roofing/Siding Maintenance Tips for Asbestos Cement Shingles OSHA Regulations, Asbestos Roofing, Siding Power Washing Asbestos Roofing Replacements for Asbestos Cement Shingles Roof Paint, Asphalt-asbestos sealants Warranty & Class Actions, Fiber Cement Shingles Wear Signs on Cement Asbestos Shingles ASBESTOS SIDING CEMENT & FIBER CEMENT Asbestos vs. fiber-cement ASBESTOS ROOFING / SIDING DUST Maintenance & Repair Asbestos Cement Shingles OSHA Regulations, Asbestos Roofing, Siding Painting Cement Asbestos Siding Remove & Replace Asbestos Cement Shingles Re-Sale Issues - Cement Asbestos siding Siding over asbestos cement Sources of Replacements for Asbestos Cement Shingles Tools to Cut Fiber Cement Shingles Wear signs on cement asbestos walls ASBESTOS in UNUSUAL PLACES ASPHALT-ASBESTOS PAINT / SEALANT TRANSITE PIPE AIR DUCTS TRANSITE PIPE CHIMNEYS / FLUES TRANSITE PIPE WATER SUPPLY VERMICULITE INSULATION ASBESTOS FLOORING HAZARD REDUCTION Asbestos flooring health risks Friable Asbestos in Asbestos Floors Covering Asbestos Floor Tiles Disposing of Asbestos Flooring School Building Asbestos Flooring Managing Asbestos in Place ASBESTOS FLOORING REMOVAL GUIDE Floor Tile Removal Necessary? Removing Asbestos Flooring: Details ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS Update ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS, OSHA ASBESTOS PHOTO GUIDE to Materials ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Amateur, Incomplete Asbestos Removal, Certification ASBESTOS REMOVAL GUIDE, FLOORING ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Wetting Guidelines ASBESTOS RISK ASSESSMENT Asbestos risk: in Good Condition Asbestos risk: in Poor Condition Asbestos Under the Microscope ATTORNEYS and EXPERT WITNESSES BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BASEMENT MOLD BATHROOM MOLD BIBLIOGAPHY for ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS Bisphenol-A, BPA BLACK MOLD, HARMLESS COSMETIC BLACK MOLD, TOXIC & ALLERGENIC BLEACHING MOLD, Advice about BOOK MOLD, Moldy Book Cleaning BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLAMES BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE CACTUS FUNGI / MOLD Cadmium in the home CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CARBON DIOXIDE - CO2 CARBON MONOXIDE - CO Carbon Nanotube Hazards CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET TEST PROCEDURE CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY CAT DANDER in BUILDINGS Cell phone Radiation Hazards CERAMIC TILE, ASBESTOS in? CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS in WATER CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER COALSTOVE SAFETY COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS CPSC Indoor Air Pollution Book Online Copy DIRECTORY of MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS DIRECTORY of OIL TANK EXPERTS DIRT FLOOR MOLD CONTAMINATION Disinfectants Disinfecting Buildings with Bleach DRYWALL MOLD DRAFT HOODS - gas fired DRAFT MEASUREMENT, CHIMNEYS & FLUES DRAFT REGULATORS, DAMPERS, BOOSTERS DRINKING WATER Diethylstilbestrol - DES DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD EMF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS & HUMAN EXPOSURE EMF Levels of Cancer Risk EMF MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES ENVIRO-SCARE - PUBLIC FEAR CYCLES FEAR of MOLD - MYCOPHOBIA Fiberboard Insulation Sheathing Mold Fiberglass Enviro-Scare FIBERGLASS HAZARDS FIBERGLASS INSULATION FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD FIBERGLASS PARTICLE CONTAMINATION TEST FIRE DAMAGE vs MOLD DAMAGE Fireplace Inserts Fireplaces & Woodstove Contaminants FLAME COLOR, BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-mold FLOOR DAMAGE DIAGNOSIS FLOOR & SUBFLOOR MOLD, HIDDEN FLOOR TILE ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION FLOOR TILE HISTORY & INGREDIENTS FORMALDEHYDE HAZARDS FORMALDEHYDE HAZARDS FUNGICIDAL SPRAY & SEALANT USE GUIDE GAS DETECTION & MEASUREMENT GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS, TOXIC GAS EXPOSURE LIMITS & STANDARDS GAS TEST PROCEDURES GAS FIRED WATER HEATERS GAS TEST PROCEDURES GAS PIPING, VALVES, CONTROLS GLARE, Sunlight/Lighting Control HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS HEATING OIL PIPING TROUBLES HEATING OIL SLUDGE HEATING OIL TANKS HOUSE DUST ANALYSIS HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND HOME HEATING SAFETY HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS HVAC Systems INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INSULATION, ASBESTOS INSULATION MOLD INSULATION, UFFI UREA FORMALDEHYDE FOAM LAB & FIELD IAQ EQUIPMENT SOP LAB PROCEDURES MICROSCOPE TECHNIQUES LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LEAD CONTAMINATION in WATER, HOW to TEST LEAD EXPOSURE HAZARDS INDOORS LEAD IN DRINKING WATER, HOW to REDUCE LEAD PAINT REMOVAL ALTERNATIVES LEAD PIPES in BUILDINGS LEAD in ROOFING, EFFECTS LEAD TEST KIT for HOME USE LEAD WATER PIPING HAZARDS & REMEDIES LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LEED Building Designation & IAQ Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Legionella BACTERIA & HVAC Equipment LIGHTNING PROTECTION LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards METHANE GAS SOURCES MEDIA BLASTING for MOLD REMOVAL METHANE GAS SOURCES MICROSCOPE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY MILDEW in BUILDINGS ? MILDEW ERRORS - MOLD PHOTOS MILDEW REMOVAL & PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD MOLD CONSULTANTS/INSPECTORS MOLD CULTURE TEST KIT VALIDITY MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MOLD or INDOOR AIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD FAQ's MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE MOLD SAFETY WARNINGS MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS MOLD STANDARDS MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS Museum Artifact Preservation MYCOPHOBIA, STAINS MISTAKEN for MOLD MYCOTOXIN EFFECTS of MOLD EXPOSURE Nanomaterials Hazards NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE OIL, HEATING, EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS OIL HEAT ODORS OIL SPILL CLEANUP / PREVENTION OIL TANK LEAK ODORS OIL TANKS INSPECT LEAK TEST ABANDON REGS OXYGEN - O2 OZONE HAZARDS OZONE for MOLD OR ODORS PAINTS & COATINGS ODORS IN BUILDINGS PARTICLE SIZES & IAQ Particulates & Allergens Indoors Pesticide Exposure Hazards PET ALLERGEN REMEDIES Pet Dander PLASTIC CONTAINERS, TANKS, TYPES PLASTIC HEATER VENT PLASTIC ODORS-SCREENS, SIDING PLUMBING SYSTEM ODORS Pollen Photos PVC - VINYL BUILDING PRODUCTS RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION Radon Enviro-Scare ROT, FUNGUS, TERMITES SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE SAFETY HAZARDS & INSPECTIONS SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR SEPTIC METHANE GAS SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP SEWAGE & SEPTIC CONTAMINANTS SEWAGE CONTAMINATION in BUILDINGS SEWAGE PATHOGENS in SEPTIC SLUDGE SEWAGE PUMPS SEWER GAS ODORS SICK HOUSE IAQ QUESTIONNAIRE SIDING, ASBESTOS FIBER CEMENT SIDING VINYL SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES THERMAL TRACKING Indicates Heat Loss UFFI UREA FORMALDEHYDE FOAM INSULATION URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VAPOR BARRIERS & HOUSEWRAP VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING VENTILATION in BUILDINGS VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in buildings Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT WATER TEST CHOICES & WATER TEST FEES WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES Well Pollution WIND TURBINES & LIGHTNING World Trade Center Collapse Dust Photos More Information |
How to recognize asbestos in buildings: here is a visual guide to identifying asbestos in buildings. This article series assists building buyers, owners or inspectors who need to identify asbestos materials (or probable-asbestos) in buildings by simple visual inspection. In the website sections listed below, we provide photographs and descriptive text of asbestos insulation and other asbestos-containing products to permit identification of definite, probable, or possible asbestos materials in buildings. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Guide to Asbestos in buildings: Asbestos Fibers, Asbestos Dust & Asbestos-Containing Materials that can be Identified by Visual InspectionWhile an expert lab test using polarized light microscopy (and in some cases TEM) may be needed to identify the specific type of asbestos fiber, the percentage content of asbestos in a material, or to identify the presence of asbestos in air or dust samples, many asbestos-containing building products not only are obvious and easy to recognize, but since there were not other look-alike products that were not asbestos, a visual identification of this material can be virtually a certainty in many cases.
Asbestos fibers and dust are not the only indoor air quality particle that is a potential concern in buildings. We have written about the possible irritating and perhaps health concerns associated with fiberglass insulation dust and fragments in buildings
Basic asbestos safety adviceThe US EPA indicates that not all asbestos-containing products are dangerous. A health risk exists only when asbestos fibers are released from a product [into the air where they are inhaled for example]. Products that are friable (easily crumbled or made into dust that is easily airborne) are more dangerous than products in which binders immobilize the asbestos fibers. EPA also indicates that not everyone exposed to asbestos will develop an asbestos-related illness or disease. Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos do not develop asbestos-related health problems. Cigarette smokers are at much higher risk of asbestos-related disease. Quoting from the US EPA Basic Advice on asbestos in homes:
Basic Asbestos Debris Cleanup AdviceIn most cases it is safest (and least costly) to leave the asbestos-containing materials alone. For Asbestos handling regulations, see ASBESTOS MATERIAL REGULATIONS and ASBESTOS REGULATION Update. Friable, damaged asbestos materials in a living area or such materials located where the asbestos is likely to be carried to an occupied space need professional asbestos remediation. If you are cleaning-up in a building area where asbestos products may have been dislodged, such as a basement where asbestos pipe insulation has fallen to the floor, the US EPA recommends avoiding causing airborne dust and debris - a condition that could be harmful.
-- US EPA. Our list of asbestos information articles is just below. Are Carbon Nanotube Health Risks Similar to Asbestos?We are monitoring studies of possible health risks from other products containing carbon nanotubes. The New York Times reported that to date no illnesses have been reported concerning nanotube-containing articles and that current popular consumer products such as tennis rackets that contain nanotubes are of little risk to consumers. But because nanotube-based fibers are very small, they could pose a health risk. Consumer caution (not fear) are advised. Carbon nanotubes include bundles of fibers that are similar to but more uniform than naturally-occurring asbestos fibers. The Times article "In Study, Researchers Find Nanotubes May Pose Health Risks Similar to Asbestos", New York Times 21 May 2008 p. A-22, reported on an article published at the website of the journal Nature Nanotechnology on 5/21/08. For details about carbon nanotube health concerns, and health research regarding nanotechnology in industrial or research processes see Nanomaterials Hazards Also see Micro-Photographs of Dust from the World Trade Center collapse following the 9/11/01 attack. Links to U.S. government and other authoritative research and advice are included. Certification & Licensing for Asbestos Abatement, Removal, & Cleanup CompaniesAs we discuss at ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Amateur, Incomplete, building owners arranging for asbestos cleanup, or any other environmental cleanup for that matter, should be sure that the company they are using is properly certified, licensed, and that the work is conducted with proper supervision and by workers who themselves are properly trained. Failure to take these precautions risks serious consequences including contamination of other building areas by asbestos dust and debris, health risks and harm to the cleanup workers themselves, and future health risks and harm to building occupants as well as potential issues should the property later be offered for sale. Details are at ASBESTOS REMOVAL, Amateur, Incomplete and Asbestos Removal, Certification. Excerpts are below. Watch out: in 2010 The New York Times reported [paraphrasing from that article] that over a five year period beginning in 2001 hundreds of asbestos-removal training certificates were given to people who had completed no training whatsoever. The U.S. E.P.A. reported [according to the Times] that Albania Deleon, operating Environmental Compliance Training, a certified asbestos-removal training school in Methuen, MA and the largest such asbestos cleanup training school in the state. 65 to 80 percent of those receiving certification as qualified asbestos removal experts had not received the necessary training. Many "Graduates from Environmental Compliance Training also obtained jobs through a temporary employment agency also owned by Deleon, were sent out to perform dangerous asbestos cleanup jobs, and were paid "under the table". Deleon was convicted in 2008 of criminal charges but fled the U.S.. She was captured in the Dominican Republic in 2008. An example of a simple asbestos test report from a certified asbestos testing lab is shown in this asbestos test result. Frequently Asked Questions about Asbestos Identification in buildings: How to find & identify asbestos-containing materialsQuestion: Was asbestos used in mobile home metal ceilings?was any type of abestos insulation used in mobile home metal ceiling? - Morris 11/2/11 Reply:Morris, Question: Is the yellow & brown insulating board found under wall paneling in my 1950's home an asbestos insulating product?Question: I am currently renovating a home that was built in the early 1950s. The entire second floor was covered with wood paneling. Under the paneling, is 1/2 inch "board" all around the room. It's yellow on one side (smooth), and brown (paper color/looks like possible cardboard) on the other, and has a type of "fiber" content. I ripped out a hile bunch of it, and now my throat is irritated. Has anyone ever heard of/seen this product? Does anyone know if it contains asbestos? Please let me know. Jim 1/3/12 Reply:Jim, Reader followup: Thanks Dan, do you know if these products usually contained asbestos? Jim Reply: Wood-product insulating means to indicate made of wood materials. I have not found a reference indicating that manufacturers added asbestos to wood product insulating boards, though given the thousands of uses of asbestos, no one can issue a guarantee without testing. Keep in mind that dust from demolition contains a lot of very irritating materials, including the sorts of items I listed above. Question: Is the white wooly stuff insulating and labeled Eagle-Picher found in the attic of my 1947 home asbestos?
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ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings
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