anyone know anything about asbestos? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: engineheat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2021, 03:19:01 pm
content: I believe my floor has vinyl/asphalt tiles that contains asbestos. There was a golf ball sized "pot-hole" on the ground. I further damaged it by rolling over it with an office chair wheel, and led to some small pieces to fall off. But this only happened a few times. Aside from that, we did regular wet mopping over the floor.Yes, I know it wasn’t good, but “non-friable” ACM (asbestos containing material) don't tend to release a lot of fiber when you damage it right? as opposed to say, friable ones like popcorn ceiling or insulation. I just hope that even when I crumbled it with my office chair, most asbestos were still bound up in the flooring material. Maybe some fiber got released but at least I didn't put my nose up to it and snuff it.Thinking of this from a theoretical standpoint, I guess if I had my windows open and there were air flow, the air current would dominate the movement of the fibers and very little would get to my nose (I was sitting on the chair when this happened). If I had my windows shut, I would how likely it would be for the fibers to diffuse through air and reach my nose. The fibers can be microscopic so I don't know how much gravity would work in my favor...How worried should I be? Oh well, we are all exposed to small amount of asbestos in everyday life so perhaps this isn't something to worry about?Thanks

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 13, 2021, 03:48:08 pm
content: Rather than ask how worried you should be, why not deal with it using professionals? No?https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family-exposures-asbestos#whattodo

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2021, 02:21:05 pm
content: I don't think you should be worried at all... it's almost certainly going to be chrysotile (white asbestos) and the amount is tiny. I would seal the hole with something to prevent it from breaking any more.

author: DrG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2021, 04:16:32 pm
content: Why take the risk of false assurance by anonymous posters on an electronics forum?While Chrysotile is reported to be the most commonly encountered form of asbestoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysotileit poses serious health risks when dispersed in the air. For posters to evaluate the composition, quantity of exposure, and related health risks for you and others is, IMO, ill-advised.You know that the tile has been damaged and there has been some dispersal of whatever its contents"There was a golf ball sized "pot-hole" on the ground. I further damaged it by rolling over it with an office chair wheel, and led to some small pieces to fall off. But this only happened a few times. Aside from that, we did regular wet mopping over the floor."You believe it contains asbestos - not sure why you believe that but, clearly, it is not uncommon for some tiles to contain asbestos.Yes, there are sites that discuss identifying such tiles, e.g.,https://inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos-Floor-Tile-Identification.php.But, you can easily get a test kit, where you carefully place a sample and send it to a lab that should use standardized test methods to determine if it contains asbestos. Here is an example and it looks like the cost is about $50 UShttps://www.homedepot.com/p/PRO-LAB-Asbestos-Test-Kit-AS108/202731785You would not have posted if you did not already have some worries.

author: GlennSprigg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2021, 01:02:22 pm
content: WHAT HAS THIS GOT OT DO WITH ELECTRONICS!!! (Sorry...)

author: GlennSprigg
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 15, 2021, 01:22:10 pm
content: Seriously though... Every 3 or 4 months here, we have free curbside pickup of general waste, which ison top of he normal weekly rubbish pickup. Their stipulation is that you can not put out general Buildingwaste, to stop that 'Avenue' being abused. However, often people have old fencing panels that 'look' likeasbestos, but they are NOT. They refuse to pick them up...