1. What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a silicate mineral made up of tiny fibres. When it is disturbed, it produces a dust that contains asbestos fibres. Fibres breathed into the lungs can cause a range of health problems including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

2. How Can I Identify Asbestos?

Asbestos has no odor and can not be identified by visual observation. There are some common products that were produced over the years that may contain asbestos (such as 9″x9″ floor tile which contains asbestos 95% of the time). Visual inspection can not determine if there are asbestos fibers in it. Asbestos fibers are very small and some times invisible to the human eye. As a result, microscopic analysis is the only way to determine if a product contains or does not contain asbestos. Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) are the only two approved methods of analysis to determine asbestos content in a material. PLM is the US EPA accepted method. In addition, the lab performing the analysis must be an approved laboratory and participate in the National Voluntary Lab Accreditation Program (NVLAP), a certification program that evaluates analysts in determining the type and quantity of asbestos in a material.

Sampling of suspect asbestos materials must be performed by an inspector accredited by the State of North Carolina. Inspectors are trained to look for certain materials in buildings that may contain asbestos and are also trained in proper sampling techniques.

3. Does Asbestos have to be removed?

At present there is no requirement to remove asbestos materials from commercial and industrial buildings unless the identified asbestos material has deteriorated to the point that it may become air-borne and, therefore, a possible health hazard. Even in a deteriorated condition, asbestos does not have to be removed if it can be repaired or enclosed. Depending on the type of asbestos that is deteriorating (flooring, pipe insulation, etc.) repairs may include wrapping asbestos pipe insulation in polyethylene plastic, or covering flooring material with a non-asbestos flooring material. Some people prefer removal as an option, but repairing or enclosing the asbestos is usually less expensive than removal. If removal is the option of choice, caution must be used by the owner in deciding who will remove the asbestos material.

Friable asbestos is the more dangerous and the most regulated type of asbestos. Removal of friable asbestos should be performed by an asbestos contractor with a Supervisor and workers accredited by the your state.

Non-friable asbestos is asbestos where the fibers can not easily be made air-borne. An asbestos release will not result simply from touching non-friable asbestos such as floor tile. Non-friable asbestos must be beaten or broken (such as floor tile), cut or sawed (as in sheet linoleum), or sanded (as in the mastic (glue) under flooring). Non-friable asbestos can become friable and a hazard if handled improperly, but normally an asbestos contractor is not required to remove this material unless it is already in a deteriorated condition or will become friable during removal.

Non-friable asbestos may be safely removed by a homeowner or non-asbestos contractor if handled properly. This includes no sawing, cutting, or beating apart the material or using any power tools to remove it. Precautions should be taken when removing non-friable material such as keeping breakage to a minimum and keeping the material wet when disturbing it.