Many asbestos-containing products have been removed from the market, yet some remain. For maximum safety, it is wise to hire an asbestos inspection, sampling, and handling professional to perform these duties.   Asbestos fibers can easily disintegrate when disturbed, and when inhaled can damage the lungs significantly. Although asbestos is no longer used as part of new building products, it could still be present in buildings where it was previously installed. If its causes then you can hire the asbestos removalists in Melbourne for the best services. Testing samples to see whether they contain asbestos is the best way to determine their presence.

What is Asbestos?

  Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals found in nature that are durable and resistant to fire, heat, and chemicals.   Asbestos forms long thin strong fibers which are easily separated for commercial applications and offer many advantages for construction applications. Asbestos’ properties include high tensile strength, low friction coefficient, nonconductivity of electricity as well as corrosion and fireproof properties which allow it to be added as fireproofing agents in products like insulation materials or automobile brake pads and building materials.   People may become exposed to asbestos through handling or dismantling products containing it and inhaling fine fibers released when disturbed material breaks down or disturbs. Unfortunately, our bodies cannot break down these fine fibers, causing long-term health complications like lung cancer, asbestosis (a scarring of lung tissue), and mesothelioma (cancer of chest cavity lining). You can click here to learn more.   As these diseases can be so dangerous, preventing exposure is of critical importance. Although asbestos is no longer used as part of new building products, it could still be present in buildings where it was previously installed.   Testing samples to see whether they contain asbestos is the best way to determine their presence.    

How Can Asbestos Enter and Leave My Body?

  Asbestos enters the environment through the weathering of natural mineral deposits and wear and disturbance of asbestos-containing materials (ACM).   Non-friable ACM, such as floor tiles, exterior siding, cement roofing products, and insulation do not easily release fibers into the air; however, friable materials that crumble under hand pressure (such as spray-applied fireproofing and insulating products) release asbestos fibers into the air that can be inhaled, providing potentially fatal exposure.   Asbestos fibers that enter the lungs may damage alveoli and cause shortness of breath and coughing, with severity depending on the amount and type of asbestos inhaled. Although body defense mechanisms usually clear most fibers out, others bypass these barriers and remain lodged deep within lung passageways for extended periods.   Mucociliary clearance ensures that most ingested asbestos fibrils are safely expelled through feces, while some fibers can travel into the peritoneal cavity and into lung cells, where they then follow lymphatic drainage patterns before finally exiting via urine elimination.  

How Can Asbestos Damage My Lungs?

  The lungs are the body’s main respiratory system.   Beginning with main airways called bronchi that branch out into smaller passageways called bronchioles before eventually leading to small air sacs known as alveoli where oxygen exchange takes place for carbon dioxide exchange.   Asbestos exposure may lead to scar tissue formation within these passageways and compromise lung functioning resulting in asbestosis, making normal functioning more challenging for the lungs.   Asbestos when disturbed releases tiny fibers into the air that float and attach themselves to clothing. If inhaled, these fibres damage the lungs over time causing long-term lung damage that can result in various diseases including pleural effusions (fluid build-up between the chest wall and lung), asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma.   Numerous asbestos-related diseases take time to develop, sometimes years. This period is known as the latency period. Certain asbestos diseases like pleural thickening and pleurisy can cause inflammation of the lung’s lining and lead to pain; others such as mesothelioma and lung cancer result from abnormal cell growth within the lungs.    

How Can Asbestos Cause Diseases?

  Asbestos inhalation can result in various illnesses. Their impact depends on the type, duration, and intensity of exposure; some symptoms may take years or decades to manifest after exposure, and therefore victims of asbestos abuse are often misdiagnosed.   Asbestos-related diseases can strike anywhere in the body – from the lungs to the abdomen and heart.   Mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure, is by far the most serious illness caused by it: it’s a malignant tumor of the mesothelium that spreads throughout organs and tissues and may even prove fatal without prompt treatment.   Asbestos was used extensively throughout history for insulation, fireproof materials, acoustic ceiling tiles, floor and wall tile installations, textured paint products, textured fabrics, and heat-resistant fabrics – to name just a few products that contained it.   Asbestos deposits such as chrysotile are still mined today for use in certain construction projects; however, health professionals caution that no form of asbestos should be considered safe. Unfortunately, only limited deposits remain, while more dangerous forms have long been mined out.  

What Can I Do to Prevent Asbestos Exposure?

  Although asbestos no longer appears in many products and construction materials, those working in certain occupations remain at heightened risk of exposure to this deadly material.   People working in industries like asbestos mining, shipbuilding, production, and construction face an elevated risk.   Miners, construction workers, electricians, firefighters, and asbestos abatement technicians are at an increased risk for exposure.   While asbestos poses serious health risks with exposure, and researchers have demonstrated this through long-term studies, even short-term exposure can cause illness – so those exposed should receive regular medical check-ups from doctors as soon as they suspect exposure and keep track of any symptoms they experience.   People exposed to asbestos should wear a dust mask to lower their risk of inhaling its dangerous fibers, while workers exposed directly should also launder any contaminated work clothes before leaving the job site and shower upon their return home.   Anyone concerned they may have been exposed to asbestos should have their home thoroughly inspected. Professionals can ensure that your asbestos removal Brisbane is met by conducting proper testing and removal practices. Because this material can be so disastrous to human health, it is essential to take contamination seriously.   Intact asbestos material poses no danger; however, when touched or disturbed its fibres can release into the air and pose a danger. People renovating their homes should avoid drilling into, sawing through, cutting up, or sawing through materials known or suspected to contain asbestos.