Even in countries where asbestos use has been banned, like the U.K., the deadly material may be lurking in many buildings built before 1999. The British Lung Foundation has launched an asbestos awareness campaign in the U.K. called Take 5 and Stay Alive, which aims to educate people who enjoy "Do It Yourself" projects at home, and who might come into contact with asbestos through these projects.
In the U.S., asbestos may be lurking in many buildings built prior to the 1980s, when heavier restrictions were placed on asbestos use in the U.S. Asbestos has been used in a variety of construction products, including attic insulation, ceilings, cement pipes, certain types of electrical wiring, tile floors, sheetrock and many other materials. Even today, asbestos continues to be used in certain construction products, such as roofing materials.
That's why it's so important for homeowners to be aware of the dangers of asbestos in their home and to always properly test for asbestos when taking on a home renovation project, performing regular maintenance or cleaning up after severe weather. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) has an excellent diagram on their website that shows a few places asbestos might be found in your home. Check it out here.
If you think materials in your home may contain asbestos, do not disturb the asbestos –even innocently scraping it off the ceiling could send it airborne. As long as the asbestos is left alone, it is safe, but if the asbestos is disturbed (such as by scrapping it, sanding it down, drilling into it, etc.), then that asbestos can be released into the air and ingested by people. When ingested, asbestos can cause very serious –and very deadly –asbestos diseases, such as mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer.
Be sure to consult asbestos professionals to have your home tested for asbestos and the material properly abated. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has excellent resources on asbestos in the home here.
