Asbestos Articles and Information

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance

Even if asbestos is in your home, this is usually NOT a serious problem. The mere presence of asbestos in a home or a building is not hazardous. The danger is that asbestos materials may become damaged over time. Damaged asbestos may release asbestos fibers and become a health hazard.

THE BEST THING TO DO WITH ASBESTOS MATERIAL IN GOOD CONDITION IS TO LEAVE IT ALONE! Disturbing it may create a health hazard where none existed before. Read this booklet before you have any asbestos material inspected, removed, or repaired.

Note: The information in the following sections of this website are courtesy of the American Lung Association, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Asbestos Locations In The Home
  Information on here Asbestos Hazards May Be Found In The Home
  
  
• Asbestos and Your Health
  People exposed to asbestos in factories and shipyards and breathing high levels of asbestos fibers are at an increased risk of: lung cancer, mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity; and asbestosis, in which the lungs become scarred with fibrous tissue.
  
  
• What to do about Asbestos
  Information about what you should do About Asbestos In your Home?
  
  
• Asbestos Identification
  How To Identify Materials That Contain Asbestos. You can't tell whether a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it, unless it is labeled.
  
  
• Asbestos Do's and Don'ts
  Asbestos Do's And Don'ts For The Homeowner
  
  
• Asbestos Professionals
  Asbestos Professionals: Who Are They And What Can They Do?