Trace amounts are in the air we breathe every day. Most of us have asbestos fibers in our lungs. On the other hand, there's no known safe level of asbestos exposure. That's why medical, environmental health and regulatory organizations stress the need to protect health by minimizing exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. This is particularly true when asbestos fibers accumulate at elevated levels.
Elevated levels result from uncontrolled disturbances and removals of asbestos-containing materials.
Look for an asbestos marking on the product or track the product back to its manufacturer or supplier. If these approaches don't work, submit a small sample for laboratory analysis. Cost is minimal. Ask a laboratory technician to instruct you how to safely take a sample. If you decide not to check for asbestos in a suspected material, you should assume it contains asbestos and treat it accordingly.