Asbestos is a mineral fiber. There are several types of asbestos fibers that are dangerous if inhaled into the lungs. It can be positively identified only by using a microscope. Unless a material is assumed to contained asbestos, all suspect materials must be sampled prior to disturbing them. In the past, asbestos was added to a variety of products for various reasons including to add strength to materials, to provide heat insulation, fire resistance, and adhesion to other materials.
Most products made today do not contain asbestos. Those few products made which still contain asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such. However, until the mid-1970’s, many types of building products and insulation materials used in homes, contained asbestos. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past, and can release fibers into the air if improperly disturbed include the following:
The list above does not include every product that may contain asbestos. It is intended as a general guide to show which types of materials commonly contain asbestos and thus, must be sampled and tested by a laboratory to rule out that it does not contain asbestos.
Contact Me
Mike Bruffey
Certified Asbestos Consultant
(805) 235-0582
bruffey@att.net
