Asbestos is quite dangerous for health, especially for people with asthma. It is usually common in old buildings, but throughout this text we are going to go more fully into the subject. We are going to discover what asbestos itself is and where it is located, we will also know the diseases it causes, how to avoid these risks and we will know if it is still used today when building buildings or not.
It wasn't until recently that asbestos was found to be dangerous to health, in fact the most dangerous types are crocidolite and amosite. For our good we must know that it is rare that there are currently buildings that incorporate them in their constructions, but we will talk about this in more detail at the end of the text.
And it is that many times we have heard about asbestos in buildings phrases like "they are going to remove the asbestos from the roof", "they are going to change the asbestos from the walls". Throughout this text we will understand what exactly they refer to and we will see photos so that we know what a raw asbestos mineral looks like.
From now on we advise that, if we have this material at home or have been in contact with it, it is best to do periodic reviews of our health, in search of possible lung cancer or another type of cancer.
What is it and where is it located?
Asbestos is a natural mineral composed of fibers that can be separated into fine filaments and is a very durable material. Its use spread as insulation, since it is not a conductor of electricity and is resistant to heat, fire and even treatment with chemical products. To make matters worse, it is used to reinforce cement and other construction materials.
It is quite dangerous for health, in fact, it has been classified as a carcinogen for quite some time. This risk comes because when construction materials erode we can inhale these tiny fibers and they cause serious long-term sequelae.
Today asbestos can be found in old buildings with this insulation system, also in brake linings, pipe linings, boilers, on ships, etc. As a general rule, buildings that are being restored for several decades are usually to remove asbestos and place another type of material.
Wikipedia
diseases it causes
Asbestos causes various diseases, including different types of cancers. We are going to say below the most common diseases caused by this natural mineral that luckily is already withdrawn. In addition, it is very difficult to escape from its adverse effects, and we will understand why we say this below.
The curious thing about asbestos is that the sequelae are long-term and slow to appear, since a person who has been in contact with this mineral does not develop diseases until after 10 years, and even 20 years in some cases. In fact, there are those who participated in the construction of some buildings and 40 years later suffered the consequences with lung cancer.
- Asbestosis, also known as asbestosis. It is a serious respiratory disease that causes scarring of the lung and is irreversible.
- Mesothelioma is a type of incurable cancer that appears in the abdominal wall in the inner layer of the chest. It is common in asbestos workers, although in general society, it is a very rare type of cancer.
- Lung cancer.
How to avoid risks
There are several ways to avoid risks, and the most obvious is not be in contact with this mineral. In fact, in the case of asbestosis, it continues to develop even after we have removed the risk from our lives. And it is that this mineral is so toxic and dangerous that not even reducing the dose of exposure, we get rid of the consequences.
To avoid risks, we can only say that it is best not to expose yourself to risk, and if we have been exposed, do periodic medical check-ups to catch lung cancer on time. Experts comment that surveillance and medical controls are the only way to reduce the risk of almost certain death from exposure to this mineral.
Other advice is not to handle the mineral, and if we have to deal with it, do it with all possible respiratory protection. It is not recommended to handle it without protection, in fact, the only people who can remove asbestos are qualified personnel with protective suits.
Is it still in use today?
Not fortunately. It began to stop using it in the 70s when there was already some evidence of its relationship in many cases of cancer due to exposure to this harmful mineral. What does remain are old buildings that have not been recently renovated and may contain this material among their construction materials.
European legislation, as we say in the following paragraphs, ended the use of this mineral throughout Europe more than a decade ago, but it does not guarantee that there are no risks. Therefore, we once again recommend exhaustive information in the case of buying a house over 50 years old or renting a flat or building that is also over 30 years old. This information is supposed to be provided to us, but just in case, we ask for it to save us respiratory problems in the not too distant future.
Legislation regarding asbestos prohibits the use of this mineral in Directive 1999/77/EC from January 1, 2005, so if we buy a house or rent an apartment before that date, we better make sure that we do not has asbestos in pipes or as insulation.
In addition, Directive 2003/18/EC also prohibits the extraction of asbestos, as well as its use in the manufacture of other products and the transformation of this mineral. And in case everything is not clear, in the other 2009 law of the European Parliament, it requires exhaustive control of safety measures and exposure to asbestos by workers.