VERMICULITE & ASBESTOS
VERMICULITE & ASBESTOS
What is it? Where does it come from?
- Vermiculite is a mineral used in construction (e.g. insulation), consumer (e.g., potting soil) and industrial products (e.g., brake lining/shoe) that is not known to have any serious health effects.
- Most of the vermiculite used in the US prior to the 1990s came from one mine in Libby, Montana.
- Products from that Montana mine also contained asbestos, which contaminated the vermiculite.
- Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that occurs in nature in several forms.
What are the health effects of asbestos?
- Inhalation of asbestos can cause lung problems. Once inhaled, most asbestos remains in the lungs.
- The degree of damage asbestos may cause depends on the amount of asbestos inhaled and the duration of exposure.
- Health related effects of high exposure are slow to develop these usually take at least 10 - 20 years.
How do I know if I am at risk for asbestos-related health problems?
- Because asbestos has been used for many years, almost everyone has been exposed to it at some time. But people who worked with asbestos will have higher exposure than the general public.
- Smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer related to asbestos exposure.
- There is no simple reliable test to determine if you have been exposed to asbestos. Diagnosis of asbestos-related disease includes a history of exposure and certain lung tests.
- Children have more time to develop asbestos-related diseases after exposure because they have more years of life ahead of them than adults. X-rays of children’s lungs are not recommended because changes in the lungs take many years to develop and radiation from x-rays may be a higher exposure risk for children.
What can I do to decrease the chance of having asbestos-related health issues?
- Be kind to your lungs:
- Don’t smoke. If you smoke, stop immediately. Avoid second hand smoke.
- Talk with your doctor about getting a flu shot annually and a pneumonia vaccine.
- Avoid fumes and airborne dust or dirt.
- Avoid contact with asbestos:
- Before 1990, asbestos was used in many common building materials, including tiles and floor glue; plaster; insulation; siding; roofing and pipe wrap.
- The only way to tell if something has asbestos is to have it tested in a lab. If it is a material installed prior to 1990, assume it is an asbestos containing material.
- If you suspect asbestos, do not disturb it. If it becomes damaged, remove people from the area. For a small amount that has fallen on accessible surfaces, use wet methods to clean it up, keeping any dust down. Consult with a licensed asbestos contractor to assess the damaged areas.
- Do not attempt to clean up large amounts of material on your own. For a larger amount of damaged material that may be or contain asbestos, contact a licensed asbestos contractor.
