Health Issues Related to Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was historically used in building construction as a flame-retardant and for thermal insulation, in both industrial and residential properties. However, in the year 2000, it was found that asbestos exposure could lead to severe health hazards ; its usage was banned thereafter. If your house is built before the year 2000, there might be a possibility that you’ve been exposed to asbestos. Through our expertise, we at Matrix Remediation fully understand the health risks of asbestos exposure and can ensure that asbestos can be removed from your home in the safest way possible. For your reference, here are the various health issues related to asbestos exposure, and why you should contact a professional company to have the asbestos in your home removed.

Asbestos is a group of six types of naturally occurring minerals, made of fine and durable fibres. They have fire and heat resistant properties with great malleability. Before its health risks were found, asbestos was used heavily during the industrial revolution; it could be found anywhere in oil refineries, cements, tiles, pipes, and many more. There are three different types of asbestos exposure that could lead to health hazards: occupational, secondary, and environmental . Occupational exposure occurs to those coming in contact with asbestos while on the job, typically found in blue-collar workers prior in the 1980s.  Secondary exposure occurs within family members of asbestos workers. Lastly, environmental exposure is any indirect exposure from environmental pollution, natural occurring deposits, or building materials.

Asbestos is a human carcinogen compound, and its exposure could lead to a number of health hazards. When tiny asbestos fibres are inhaled, they may get trapped in the lungs. When accumulated, they could cause scarring and inflammation of the lung tissues, leading to loss of lung functions and variety of other health complications. The most dangerous health issues are lung cancer, asbestosis, and malignant plural mesothelioma. Asbetosis is a chronic lung disease caused by widespread interstitial scarring of tissues between the alveoli called fibrosis; it could eventually lead to lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the outer lining of the lung or of the the abdominal cavity.

Other health hazards include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) such as bronchitis and emphysema, anemia, edema, persistent cough, chest pains, and many more. These health hazards accumulate overtime; they are persistent and could worsen in the long-term. The likelihood of an individual to develop asbestos related diseases depends on the exposure dose and duration, the size and shape of asbestos fibres, as well as individual factors. There are two types of asbestos separated based on their physical appearances: serpentine and amphibole . Serpentine asbestos refers to long and curly asbestos fibres while amphibole are brittle, rod-shaped fibres. All forms of asbestos are odourless and tasteless, and so, the presence of asbestos is hard to detect with visual and nasal examinations.

The presence of asbestos in your home could pose a serious health threats to you and your family. Asbestos is not only dangerous, but its presence is also almost impossible to detect easily. If you are living in an older building or home, and suspect that asbestos might be presence, it would be best to contact a professional. Asbestos removal is recommended in most circumstances. Skilled and experienced technicians are needed to provide guaranteed absolute removal under extensive health and safety measures. At Matrix Remediation, we provide complete and comprehensive asbestos removal with competitive prices and guaranteed results. Give us a call at 1-888-885-8683 or email us at info@matrixremediation.com.