When asbestos is left undisturbed it does not pose a health risk . During renovation or demolition , however , it ’ s common for old , brittle asbestos products to release tiny fibers . These tasteless , odorless fibers can remain suspended in the air and enter your lungs when you inhale . And once inhaled , asbestos stays there forever .
Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers can cause serious health issues including asbestosis , lung cancer , mesothelioma , and pleural disease . And there is no safe minimum level of exposure to asbestos . An estimated 10,000 cases of asbestos‐related disease occur each year in the U . S . as a result of past exposures . It can take 20‐40 years for some of these diseases to manifest , so we are currently seeing the results of exposures from the 1980s and 1990s now . Also of note : Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma .
The only way to be sure whether a material contains asbestos is to have it tested by a qualified laboratory .
Most regulations around demolition and abatement are determined by the state and overseen by the Asbestos Control Program . The DEP and EPA do not regulate asbestos in single‐family residents , but public building projects may be subject to National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants ( NESHAP ) regulations .
So how do you , as a homeowner , protect yourself from asbestos risk ? Simple : You may want to have your home inspected for asbestos‐containing materials by a trained and accredited asbestos professional if :
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You are planning to remodel your home , which can disturb building materials Your home has damaged building materials ( such as crumbling drywall or insulation that is falling apart )
For more detailed information , check out the EPA website , which has a tremendous amount of asbestos‐related resources at www . epa . gov / asbestos .
Are You at Risk of Radon Exposure ?
Radon ‐ a colorless , odorless , tasteless radioactive gas ‐ has the distinction of being the leading cause of lung cancer deaths nationally among nonsmokers , killing 21,000 people every year .
It ’ s a real problem in Pennsylvania , where a whopping 40 percent of homes have concentrations above the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s action guideline of 4 picocuries per liter .