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Asbestos

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals whose crystals form into long, thin fibers. Its unique properties include tensile strength, flexibility, acoustical properties and resistance to fire, thermal, chemical, and electrical conditions. These properties made asbestos a very popular component in building materials in the past, and while certain applications of asbestos use in buildings have been banned, there are still over 3,000 asbestos-containing building materials that are legally available and in use in the United States.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and if inhaled can cause diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. The risk of contracting these diseases increases with the duration of exposure and is influenced by other risk factors such as smoking.

Exposure to asbestos fibers can occur when Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) are disturbed during demolition, renovation, maintenance, and repair activities. In an effort to reduce and prevent exposure, the U.S. EPA has created regulations for demolition and renovation projects for which DERM seeks compliance through plan review, document review, field inspections and outreach activities.

For more information, call 305-372-6925 or email [email protected].

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