Asbestos

Asbestos By: Hannah Barber

What is Asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally occuring material. It can be pulled into a fluffy consistency and was once used as an insulator in buildings. However, it is a very toxic material that causes lung cancer.

How long has Asbestos been a pollutant? Before 1970, asbestos was a major empire in the construction of buildings. In 1970, the Clean Air Act was signed by President Nixon classifying asbestos as toxic material. However, asbestos is not completely banned as a whole in the United States today, the uses for it that can harm humans have been banned.

Countries Asbestos is banned

Harmful Effects? ● Humans ○ Asbestos can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma. ● Animals ○ Asbestos can also cause mesothelioma in pets ● Plants ○ Asbestos can not be absorbed into plants.

Effects on ecosystem Asbestos has a negative effect on the environment because it can also travel through a water supply. Additionally, asbestos does not absorb into the soil so it sits on the surface.

Effect aesthetic value? Since asbestos is known as a toxic material, it is often not seen in homes or building anymore. If there happened to be a home or building with asbestos, people will often steer away from buying because of the cost to remove asbestos.

Solutions Have asbestos completely removed from a home or building by an experienced team and they will dispose of the material properly.

Clean up They called in an army of men decked out in Tyvek suits to seal off the asbestos-contaminated rooms, rig a vacuum system to capture floating fibers, and then scrape it off, double bag it, and haul it to a landfill licensed to handle asbestos.

Sources https://www.asbestos.com/asbestos/ https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma-lawyer/legislation/ban/ https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/us-federal-bans-asbestos https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/asbestos/effects.html https://mesothelioma.net/pets-asbestos-exposure-mesothelioma/ https://www.asbestos.com/news/2016/09/14/new-study-asbestos-fibers-move-soil/ https://www.asbestos.com/blog/2018/06/28/asbestos-bioaccumulation-food-chain/ http://www.greenne.com/the-environmental-impact-of-asbestos/ https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/cleaning-lead-asbestos-and-other-hazards

Sources continued http://www.greenne.com/the-environmental-impact-of-asbestos/ https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/cleaning-lead-asbestos-and-other-hazards