Asbestos is the name given to a group of six different naturally occurring, fibrous minerals that have been used for decades in the development of thousands of commercial products. Asbestos minerals have separable long fibers that are strong, flexible, heat resistant, and sound absorbent. Because of these characteristics, asbestos has been used for a wide range of manufactured goods, particularly building materials such as roofing shingles, wallboard, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and cement products. Between the 1950’s and 1980’s, asbestos was used in substantial amounts of building projects, products, and materials. Therefore, most buildings constructed or renovated within this time period are extremely likely to include asbestos containing materials.

You may become exposed if asbestos fibers are released into the air by the disturbance of asbestos-containing material during building or home maintenance, repair, renovation, or demolition. In general, exposure may occur whenever the asbestos-containing material is disturbed in some way to release particles and fibers into the air.

If exposed, asbestos can have harmful effects on your health. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers for a long time may result in scar-like tissue in the lungs and in the lining that surrounds the lung. This disease is called asbestosis. Further, The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the EPA have determined that asbestos is a human carcinogen. It is known that breathing asbestos can increase the risk of cancer. The two types of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos are lung cancer and mesothelioma.