Friable Asbestos: The Real Culprit Behind Your Symptoms

In any discussion concerning asbestos and the physical symptoms that can be developed from it we need to understand what is mean't by the term friable. Asbestos is said to be "friable" when it is dry it can be crushed or pulverized thus reducing the mineral into a powderized state. The real danger that occurs when asbestos is crushed is that it can easily become air born. Once the tiny fibers of asbestos are air born they can be inhaled into the lungs and once in the lungs the whole chain of events begins to unfold which can lead to scarring, asbestosis and even mesothelioma.

What are some examples of friable asbestos?

Some common examples of friable asbestos products would be acoustic ceiling tiles, many types of plaster and wall board, sprayed on insulation on boilder pipes, insulation inside of boilers, insulation inside of hotwater heaters and many more. These items can all be pulverized and reduced to a powder that can easily become air born. A good example of non-friable asbestos would be vinyl floor tiles and asbestos siding and some shingles. Floor tiling is a product that often contains asbestos but as long as it is not sawn, ground or sanded it remains incapsulated and consequently remains non-friable.

What should I do if I encounter a material that I suspect may contain friable asbestos?

The first thing that you should do if you suspect the presence of asbestos is to have a sample of the product tested at an EPA approved asbestos lab. Once you have sent in your sample and it has been found to contain asbestos you should then use this same site to locate a professional asbestos abatement company. This is no job for the unlearned or naive. Once a material is determined to be friable it is labeled as regulated asbestos containing material (RACM). The safest way to deal with it is to let the professionals handle the removal. The cost of inhaling friable asbestos fibers is too high to take chances with your health. It is worth a little extra money to avoid serious asbestos symptoms.

Friable Asbestos and Non-Friable Asbestos

There are two major types of asbestos materials, defined according to the ease of reducing the materials down to basic fibers. The first type of material is known as friable asbestos. Like chalk or clay, these pieces of asbestos cannot withstand much force at all before falling apart. On the other hand, non-friable asbestos, occasionally referred to as encapsulated asbestos, requires a significant amount of damage to the material to prove dangerous.

Friable asbestos proves such a major threat due to its ability to release massive amounts of asbestos fibers into the air when breaking apart. These fibers can enter into the lungs when a person breathes them in, as they can linger in the air like dust or smoke. As a consequence of breathing in these fibers, the damage to the lungs can grow over time to a highly lethal form of cancer known as mesothelioma.

Although many forms of reducible asbestos have been removed from buildings as a major safety precaution, asbestos remains a part of certain products. Included inside boards and roofing materials, asbestos remains useful for its fire resistance. However, this non-friable asbestos is not at all safe. If placed under certain types of stress that can deteriorate the structure of the encapsulated asbestos, including water and humidity damages, fibers may be released into the air. Strong vibrations, often causing grinding, can also have this effect on otherwise safe materials.

The Environmental Protection Agency has noted that there are no safe levels of asbestos exposure. In the rare cases when non-friable asbestos becomes damaged, the released fibers may still trigger serious health concerns for individuals exposed to those materials.

friable asbestos

Although you may think that asbestos is an inherently dangerous product, it can be very helpful as an insulator as well. The degree of hazard surrounding asbestos depends on whether or not it is friable. This affects the amount of asbestos that you are likely to inhale or ingest, when it can cause cancer in your body.

Asbestos is a silicate mineral known for its ability to insulating against heat, flame, electricity, chemicals, and biodegradation. Additionally, asbestos flakes into microscopic fibers that have high tensile strength and flexibility. Thus, it is easily added to a wide variety of materials that necessitate insulating properties.

However, it's also the ability to flake into tiny fibers that makes asbestos so dangerous. Asbestos products that can release the carcinogen into the air are determined to be "friable." On the other hand, products which have asbestos sealed tightly so that it is unable to be released into the air are called "non-friable." While the use of this material is primarily banned, some non-friable containers of asbestos are still allowed.

The problem with asbestos fibers is that our bodies are unable to break down and digest or process them. Thus, our tissues form nodules around the fibers that can later turn into cancerous tumors, or they can contribute to problems such as pleural effusions. Indeed, when asbestos is present in the skin, it forms lumps called asbestos warts.

While non-friable asbestos is considered to be safer than friable asbestos, the former can still break down due to age or wear and tear, enabling it to become present in the air. Thus, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, enacted legislation regarding asbestos, it took into account the potential dangers of even non-friable asbestos.

The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) regulates asbestos in the air. It states that both non-friable and friable asbestos can become weakened by forces of nature or other such friction, resulting in the release of carcinogenic fibers. Thus, even if your home contains non-friable asbestos, renovations or remodeling can release dangerous fibers.

Thus, if you suspect that you have asbestos in your home, you should not disturb the material so that you do not accidentally release the fibers into the air. You must get a professional asbestos removal service to take the material out, and you should not remodel your home if you believe that asbestos may be present. For some people who are especially sensitive to this material, a single exposure can result in an asbestos-related disease.

If you or someone you know has developed mesothelioma or other health issues due to asbestos exposure, you should speak to an attorney about your rights to possible financial compensation.