Management of asbestos-containing building material

Asbestos in building materials

Until the early 1940's, asbestos was not used extensively. But after World War II and for the next thirty years, people who constructed and renovated schools and other public buildings used asbestos and asbestos-containing materials (ACM) extensively. Asbestos appealed to builders for a variety of reasons. It is strong yet flexible, and will not burn. It is a poor conductor of heat and electricity, and resists corrosion. There are few other available substances that combine the same qualities. They used ACM primarily to fireproof, insulate, soundproof, and decorate. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are asbestos containing materials in most of the nation's approximately 107,000 primary and secondary schools and 733,000 public and commercial buildings.

How many products contain asbestos?

One study estimated that 3,000 different types of commercial products contained asbestos. The amount of asbestos in each product varied from as little as one percent to as much as 100 percent. Many older plastics, paper products, brake linings, floor tiles and textile products contain asbestos, as do many heavy industrial products such as sealants, cement pipe, cement sheets, and insulation. It is still legal to manufacture, process and import most asbestos products.

 

EPA recommendation for asbestos material in buildings

EPA's advice on asbestos is neither to rip it all out in a panic nor to ignore the problem under a false presumption that asbestos is "risk free." Rather, EPA recommends a practical approach that protects public health by emphasizing that asbestos material in buildings should be identified, that it should be appropriately managed, and that those workers who may disturb it should be properly trained and protected. That has been, and continues to be, EPA's position. The following summarizes the five major facts that the Agency has presented in congressional testimony:

FACT 1—Although asbestos is hazardous, human risk of asbestos disease depends upon exposure.

FACT 2—Prevailing asbestos levels in buildings -- the levels you and I face as building occupants -- seem to be very low, based upon available data. Accordingly, the health risk we face as building occupants also appears to be very low.

FACT 3—Removal is often not a building owner's best course of action to reduce asbestos exposure. In fact, an improper removal can create a dangerous situation where none previously existed.

FACT 4—EPA only requires asbestos removal in order to prevent significant public exposure to asbestos, such as during building renovation or demolition.

FACT 5—EPA does recommend in-place management whenever asbestos is discovered. Instead of removal, a conscientious in-place management program will usually control fiber releases, particularly when the materials are not significantly damaged and are not likely to be disturbed.

Reference material

Useful background material for asbestos in buildings includes:

  • Managing Asbestos in Place. EPA guidance for developing and maintaining an operations and maintenance program for asbestos-containing materials in buildings.

  • Airborne asbestos in buildings. R.J. Lee, D.R. Van Orden, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, Volume 50, Issue 2, March 2008, Pages 218-225. The concentration of airborne asbestos in buildings nationwide was reported in this study. A total of 3978 indoor samples from 752 buildings were analyzed. Their results indicate that in-place ACM does not result in elevated airborne asbestos in building atmospheres approaching regulatory levels and that it does not result in a significantly increased risk to building occupants.

Reference material for this webpage includes the following:

  • Asbestos - General. EPA Region 6 website. Source of material for "EPA recommendation for asbestos material in buildings."