Still quite a short time ago, asbestos used to be admired for its great qualities such as resistance to heat, fire, chemicals or wear. All this made it a very popular substance.
For years it was used in creating thousands of products, from building material to clothes and toys, until about 50 years ago when it became clear that it was also poisonous. Asbestos poisoning – what is it actually? The durability of asbestos, which various industries have been making use of, is its most important plus and minus at the same time. If asbestos gets into a human body, there is no way for the body to get rid of this material.
When asbestos is part of some material, as long as it stays in it, it is harmless. It only becomes dangerous when the small needle-like fibers get airborne, which makes them likely to be inhaled. The trouble with asbestos poisoning is that its primary symptoms such as dry cough, tightness in the chest or shortness of breath are the same as the symptoms of a lot of less serious diseases. Regarding also the long latency period, it often happens that the true cause of the disease is found out only when it is too late.
Asbestos poisoning results in asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer, to introduce just the most common illnesses. The lungs of an asbestosis patient are attempting to get rid of the asbestos fibers and they produce an acid that harms the tissue which then hardens. Eventually, the capability to breath is considerably limited. Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that affects the outer lung lining. There is presently no known treatment for this disease. A person can get mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos poisoning for only a very short time or even accidentally, which is a major difference from asbestosis. More than half of the patients dying from asbestos poisoning suffer from asbestos-induced lung cancer. However, if the diagnosis is determined correctly and the patient begins the treatment early, he/she is quite likely to enjoy an active life for many years after.
Asbestos in Canada Canada used to be one of the main producers of asbestos in the world. The asbestos mines in Quebec are still functioning and Canada still supports asbestos use in less harmful variations. Until the 1980s, most business buildings, public buildings and schools had thermal, fire and sound insulation made of asbestos. The workers who were busy on installing the asbestos materials were the ones in the most serious danger, especially if they didn’t care about health and safety rules, allowed the dust to get into the atmosphere and then breathed in the toxins. Using asbestos is still legal in Canada. However, improvements have been achieved – Ontario banned using asbestos as insulation back in 1973. Local governments have made an effort to remove asbestos from public buildings, and any job including asbestos installation or removal is under very severe regulations.
Asbestos in Toronto Since 2007, Ontario has established severe rules for asbestos used in buildings. Any suspicious substances deteriorating in a building has to be submitted by the landlord for an examination. There are professional companies that can eliminate the asbestos safely, if its presence is confirmed. If it is found out that the deterioration might continue, the professionals will remove the whole impacted area, again following severe safety rules.
The most common use of asbestos in non-domestic buildings: – insulation on pipes – ceiling tiles – panels boards – cement panels – sprayed coatings on walls – asbestos ropes and cloth – textures coating The most common use of asbestos in residential homes in Toronto: – exterior surfaces: deck undersheeting, roof felt and shingles, window putty – all kinds of insulation – flooring: vinyl asbestos sheets, tiles and undersheeting – interior surface: sprayed-on acoustic ceilings, acoustic tiles – appliances: water heaters, range hoods, clothes dryers and dishwashers The problem of asbestos is still not solved. We all still recall the Sunrise Propane blast from last year. Five streets were hit by asbestos debris and 3000 people had to leave their homes until a complete and careful clear up of the area. One of the tasks for our local governments is to keep fighting against the danger posed by asbestos. But the exact range of this danger is nearly impossible to be quantified. One of the reasons why it is so difficult is the fact that only 0.5% of asbestos in material is regarded as poisonous.
So if you have any suspicion that your home might have been affected, you should ask for it to be inspected by professionals (the list of such companies in the Ontario region is easy to be found). In no case try to deal with suspect material on your own!
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