Asbestos poses a great risk not only to you but to your family members as well. Studies have shown that this substance is carcinogenic and if inhaled may cause serious asbestos-related diseases and in worst case scenarios might eventually lead to death.  That is why it is very important for you to know asbestos identification in order to avoid exposure to the said substance.

What is Asbestos?

Before we begin to foray into asbestos identification we need to understand what it is first. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that form into fibers. These fibers are then bundled together to create threads which are resistant to chemicals and heat and are unable to conduct electricity. Hence, they were quite popular among manufacturers around the 19th century due to those same reasons.

Identifying asbestos

Asbestos identification isn’t exactly something you’ll be able to do after reading this article. Well, at least not something you’d be able to do accurately. You see, asbestos identification requires years of experience. There are many factors to consider when you are identifying this kind of substance. And even if you are highly qualified you’d still need to have the sample analyzed for accuracy. So that’s why we will only talk about the important things you need to know to help you out in asbestos identification.

Asbestos seen with the naked eye

The first thing we need to when identifying asbestos is to make an assessment of the material with our eyes. And for you to be able to do this there are a number of factors that need to be considered.


Factors

  • The buildings age needs to be considered since asbestos was widely used in the 19th century then older buildings are most likely to contain these kinds of materials.
  • Another factor to be concerned about would be the type of product and its usage. Take for example, insulation for the pipes would most likely contain asbestos. More so if that pipe was installed 50 years ago.
  • In addition, the location of the material is something to take into consideration since it’s a factor that can really help in asbestos identification. A broiler room for example, would have a higher chance of still containing asbestos.

Visual Identification

  • Armosite - This type of asbestos fiber is made from iron and magnesium and may be brown or gray in color
  • Chrysotile – The fibers of this asbestos has a curly look to it and is made from magnesium silicate. It’s also important to note that most products using asbestos out there contain this kind of asbestos.
  • Crocidolite – This type of asbestos fiber is made from iron magnesium silicate and has a bluish color to it.

Analysis of the sample

Once you suspect an area of the building to have asbestos the next step would be to call a lab and have them send their people to take a sample. Of course you would have to pay for them to do that. If you want to avoid the extra cost you can certainly take the sample yourself. It is very important though that you wear an OroNasal mask to make sure not a speck of asbestos fiber gets inhaled. After that you need to dampen the suspected material so that the fibers and dust stick together. Now you’re ready to take the sample and send it to a lab for analysis.

Lastly, it is strongly recommended to hire a professional asbestos testing company instead of doing the testing yourself. There is a safety concern and secondly, the professionals will have the experience and adequate gear to carry out the job in timely fashion and without generating a potential hazard by handling the asbestos containing material.