Hi I am nearly 18 years old and when I was about 13 I fell through a garage roof and just recenlty my friend said that could be made with asbestos, he's not an expert he just presumed… :S I fell through the roof got up and got out like 10 seconds later, also cutting my finger on something.
Does this mean I am dead from less than 30 seconds of exposure, Im really scared now and death is all I can think about, can you give me advice on like treatment, how to get rid of it, who to contact etccc please!!!
1. What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur
naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers that can be
separated into thin, durable threads. These fibers are
resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct
electricity. for these reasons, asbestos has been used widely
in many industries.
Chemically, asbestos minerals are silicate compounds,
meaning they contain atoms of silicon and oxygen in their
molecular structure.
Asbestos minerals are divided into two major groups:
Serpentine asbestos and amphibole asbestos. Serpentine
asbestos includes the mineral chrysotile, which has long,
curly fibers that can be woven. Chrysotile asbestos is the
form that has been used most widely in commercial
applications. Amphibole asbestos includes the minerals
actinolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, and amosite.
Amphibole asbestos has straight, needle-like fibers that are
more brittle than those of serpentine asbestos and are more
limited in their ability to be fabricated ( 1, 2).
2. How is asbestos used?
Asbestos has been mined and used commercially in North
America since the late 1800s. its use increased greatly during
World War II ( 3, 4). Since then, asbestos has been used in
many industries. for example, the building and construction
industries have used it for strengthening cement and plastics
as well as for insulation, roofing, fireproofing, and sound
absorption. The shipbuilding industry has used asbestos to
insulate boilers, steam pipes, and hot water pipes. The
automotive industry uses asbestos in vehicle brake shoes
and clutch pads. Asbestos has also been used in ceiling and
floor tiles; paints, coatings, and adhesives; and plastics. In
addition, asbestos has been found in vermiculite-containing
garden products and some talc-containing crayons.
In the late 1970s, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) banned the use of asbestos in wallboard
patching compounds and gas fireplaces because the asbestos
fibers in these products could be released into the
environment during use. In addition, manufacturers of
electric hairdryers voluntarily stopped using asbestos in
their products in 1979. In 1989, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new uses of asbestos;
however, uses developed before 1989 are still allowed. The
EPA also established regulations that require school systems
to inspect buildings for the presence of damaged asbestos
and to eliminate or reduce asbestos exposure to occupants
by removing the asbestos or encasing it (2).
In June 2000, the CPSC concluded that the risk of children’s
exposure to asbestos fibers in crayons was extremely low
( 1). However, U.S. manufacturers of these crayons agreed to
eliminate talc from their products.
In August 2000, the EPA conducted a series of tests to
evaluate the risk for consumers of adverse health effects
associated with exposure to asbestos-contaminated
vermiculite. The EPA concluded that exposure to asbestos
from some vermiculite products poses only a minimal health
risk. The EPA recommended that consumers reduce the low
risk associated with the occasional use of vermiculite during
gardening activities by limiting the amount of dust produced
during vermiculite use. Specifically, the EPA suggested that
consumers use vermiculite outdoors or in a well-ventilated
area; keep vermiculite damp while using it; avoid bringing
dust from vermiculite into the home on clothing; and use
premixed potting soil, which is less likely to generate dust
( 2).
The regulations described above and other actions, coupled
with widespread public concern about the health hazards of
asbestos, have resulted in a significant annual decline in the
U.S. use of asbestos. Domestic consumption of asbestos
amounted to about 803,000 metric tons in 1973, but it had
dropped to about 2,400 metric tons by 2005 ( 3, 5).
3. What are the health hazards of exposure to
asbestos?
People may be exposed to asbestos in their workplace, their
communities, or their homes. if products containing
asbestos are disturbed, tiny asbestos fibers are released into
the air. When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they may get
trapped in the lungs and remain there for a long time. Over
time, these fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and
inflammation, which can affect breathing and lead to serious
health problems ( 6).
Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen (a
substance that causes cancer) by the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, the EPA, and the International
Agency for Research on Cancer ( 2, 3, 7, 8). Studies have shown
that exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of lung
cancer and mesothelioma (a relatively rare cancer of the thin
membranes that line the chest and abdomen). Although rare,
mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer associated
with asbestos exposure. In addition to lung cancer and
mesothelioma,
I might of breathed in asbestos! :'(?
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H2O is an insulator, the stuff that comes out of a tap is NOT just H2O, it has thousands of impurities in it, that do conduct electricity.