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Asbestos
Asbestos is any of several grayish minerals, as amphiboles (esp. actinolite) or serpentines (esp. chrysotile), that readily separate into long, threadlike fibers that do not burn or conduct heat or electricity and are often resistant to chemicals and have been implicated as causes of certain cancers, and that have been used especially formerly as fireproof insulating materials.
According to the EPA, today most products are not made with asbestos, and the few that do are required to be labeled as such. Asbestos may be found in 1970s-or-earlier-era:
- steam pipes, boilers, and furnace ducts
- resilient floor tiles, the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and adhesives used for installing floor tile
- cement sheets, millboards, and paper used as insulation around furnaces and wood-burning stoves
- door gaskets in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves
- soundproofing or decorative material sprayed on walls and ceilings
- patching and joint compounds for walls and ceilings
- asbestos cement roofing, shingles, and siding
- artificial ashes and embers for gas-fired fireplaces; fireproof gloves, stove-top pads, ironing board covers, automobile brake pads and linings, clutch facings, and gaskets
See Mary Hesdorffer, a nurse and medical liaison for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, speak about primary asbestos exposure and second-hand asbestos exposure. Also see mesothelioma survivors and their family talk about banning asbestos and filing an asbestos lawsuit.
