Asbestos Inspection and Testing

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral fiber that can be found in some rocks and soil. It is highly fire-resistant and is an excellent thermal and electrical insulator so it was widely used in construction for much of the 20th century.

As scientists and healthcare experts learned more about its adverse health effects — including links to several diseases and some cancers — in the 1970s, its use was widely discontinued. However, many modern buildings constructed before the 1980s contain some form of asbestos and pose a risk to the health of their occupants.

Today, asbestos is most commonly found in:

  • Floor tile

  • Ceiling tile

  • Popcorn ceilings

  • Piping insulation

  • HVAC ducts

  • Roof shingles

  • Siding

  • Attic insulation

  • Boiler insulation

Did you know? Archaeological studies have found evidence of asbestos being used as far back as the Stone Age, when it was used to strengthen ceramic pots.

How to Identify Asbestos

The first step to addressing this potentially dangerous material from your home or business is to properly identify it. The only way to identify asbestos is through a professional inspection by a licensed inspector like the experts at Thunder Bay Environmental Services, LLC and professional lab testing. Microscopic asbestos fibers have no smell or taste, but can be captured and identified in samples of air, building materials, soil and water.

If you have reason to believe that there may be asbestos in or around your home, contact Thunder Bay Environmental Services, LLC at (989) 590-9520 to learn about options for identifying and resolving any hazardous materials.

Asbestos Expsosure

Some types of asbestos are “friable” and can easily crumble or be broken by hand, like old asbestos pipe insulation. When broken, these materials release toxic dust into the air. Other asbestos materials can be “nonfriable” and are more durable, like asbestos cement slabs and vinyl asbestos tiles. These materials typically keep asbestos fibers trapped, but sawing, scraping, or smashing these materials may release toxic fibers.

No amount of asbestos is considered safe and the more asbestos you are exposed to, the more likely you are to get a serious, asbestos-related disease including asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. Asbestos exposure may also increase your risk for cancers of the digestive system, including colon cancer. Asbestos fibers can also be spread from one site to another, such as to loved ones from your clothing worn in an asbestos-contaminated environment.

Before beginning any demolition project, have a certified professional like Thunder Bay Environmental Services, LLC test any suspected materials or areas for asbestos contamination.

Removal and Abatement

There are a number of ways to deal with asbestos in residential and commercial buildings to protect the health of residents and visitors. In some cases, asbestos can be enclosed to ensure it remains solid and undamaged, preventing the spread of toxic fibers into the air. In other cases, careful removal and disposal of any hazardous materials is necessary. Contact a certified professional like Thunder Bay Environmental Services, LLC to learn more about your options.