Asbestos is a mineral that is mined from the earth. It has been very
useful as a raw material for building and manufacturing, mostly because
of its insulating and fire-retardant properties, resistance to chemicals,
high tensile strength, and low cost. But because its crystal form
is different from other minerals, being made of long, thin, fibers,
it is very dangerous to human health. The long, thin fibers are also
tiny, light, and fluffy so they can float around in the air like tiny
needles, be breathed in by humans, and work their way through lung
and other tissue, slowly damaging the body. Asbestos fibers can cause
cancer 10 to 40 years after a person breathes them in.
History of Asbestos
Although commercial production of asbestos began in the late 1800s,
its history extends back thousands of years and it has been used in
thousands of applications in millions of buildings worldwide. In the
1900s, asbestos was first used in the United States. It was most heavily
used from the 1940s to the 1970s. Most public schools and many other
public and commercial buildings contain asbestos. It is used much
less often now. However, since asbestos_related disease takes from
10 to 40 years to appear after exposure, people who were exposed to
asbestos during the peak years of its use are still getting sick.
Historical Knowledge of the Dangers
of Asbestos
The ancient Romans knew of asbestos' properties and used it in woven
form for clothing, bedding and even burial shrouds. They reported,
through Pliny the Elder and others, of the disease and death suffered
by slaves who spent their short lives weaving asbestos cloth. The
first "modern" deaths due to asbestos disease were reported at the
turn of the last century, and the asbestos and insurance industries
spent the better part of 20th century denying that asbestos was harmful
and taking every step possible to make sure the public did not discover
how lethal a product it really was.
Which Products Have Contained Asbestos?
Few products manufactured today contain asbestos, and those that
do must be clearly labeled. This is because the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) have banned most uses of asbestos, and manufacturers have voluntarily
agreed to limit its use.
Still, many old products and materials are still in use, and contain
asbestos. Also, people can become ill today from asbestos products
that they encountered many years ago. Here is a partial list of those
products.
Products That Used To or Still Contain
Asbestos:
PIPE INSULATION
Until 1973, almost all pipe insulation contained asbestos. Asbestos
pipe insulation was used in all kinds of settings, from industrial
buildings to schools to commercial buildings, and more....
The two most common types of asbestos insulation were called 85Mag
and CalSil. Both are off-white, chalky, rigid, and dusty. No other
kind of insulation looked like that. All off-white, chalky, rigid,
dusty insulation manufactured before 1973 contains asbestos.
A less-common type of asbestos insulation was called Unibestos.
It was dark grey and rigid, and looked like cardboard.
Asbestos insulation came in three main forms: half-rounds, blocks
, and mud (also called cement). All are made of the same material.
The half-rounds and blocks came in 3-foot lengths, from ½
inch up to 2 or 3 inches thick.
Lagging
Lagging is another term for pipe insulation.
85Mag
85Mag is the original pipe insulation. Before 1960, all asbestos
pipe insulation was made out of 85Mag.
85Mag was discovered by a pharmacist in the early 1900s, by accident,
when he spilled milk of magnesia onto a radiator. After the milk
of magnesia foamed up and dried, the pharmacist noticed that he
couldn't feel the heat of the radiator through it. He figured this
could be a useful property if he could just make it into a stronger
substance, so he added 15% asbestos fibers as a binder.This made
the substance hard enough to cut with a simple saw, and gave it
its name: 85Mag. It contains approximately 85% magnesia and 15%
asbestos.
The problem with 85Mag was that it didn't insulate well at temperatures
over 300-400 degrees, so eventually it was replaced by CalSil.
CalSil
CalSil was made like 85Mag, but with 85% calcium silicate and 15%
asbestos. CalSil was introduced in the 50s, and by the 60s it replaced
85Mag, except in limited applications. (85Mag was cheaper, so when
they could get away with it, people would use it.)
Unibestos
Unibestos is the trade name for a unique type of asbestos pipe
insulation made of 100% asbestos. New, it was fibrous, grey with
a slight brownish cast, and rigid. It looks like cardboard. It's
sticky and prickly to the touch, so most insulators did not like
to use it. In later years it came with a plastic cover that had
to be cut through.
Since it was made of 100% asbestos, it caused a high level of exposure
to asbestos.
Unibestos wasn't used as much as 85Mag or CalSil. It was mostly
used for extremely high temperature pipes. It was also often used
on stainless steel pipes (very widespread in the nuclear industry),
and on tracer lines in refineries, because it was available in a
smaller diameter than 85Mag or CalSil.
Any dark grey insulation in a high temperature application or on
stainless steel is Unibestos.
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ASBESTOS CLOTH
Asbestos cloth is a fire-proof cloth woven from asbestos fibers.
Although it is made of a mineral, asbestos cloth looks and feels
just like an off-white cotton tea towel. The first asbestos sicknesses
were discovered in the people who made asbestos cloth.
From ancient times until 1972, asbestos cloth was widely used.
Historical records show that asbestos cloth was used by ancient
Egyptian pharaohs. During the Middle Ages, Charlemagne, a Roman
emperor, used to impress his guests after a banquet by throwing
the table cloth into the fire to clean it. He'd leave it in awhile
to burn off all of the food scraps, then snatch it from the flames
to show that it was as good as new. This appeared to be magic, but
the secret was just that the table cloth was made of asbestos cloth.
Asbestos cloth was used in so many ways that refineries, power
plants, chemical companies, and other industries had their own supply
of it to give to workers. The workers used to take the cloth home
to their families to make clothing, mittens, and hot pads. It was
fun to use in the kitchen, because it looked and felt just like
cotton, but it wouldn't burn.
Clothing, Mittens, Theater Curtains, Hot Pads
All of the above were made from asbestos cloth until these uses
were banned in 1972.
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WELDERS' CLOTHING AND CLOTH
Welders use asbestos cloth extensively, to control sparks, to wrap
pipes when they're doing stress-relieving on pipes, and for other
uses. They also wear protective fire-proof clothing made of asbestos
cloth.
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FIREFIGHTERS' SUITS
Firefighter suits, up until the mid-1970s, were made of asbestos
cloth.
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VALVE PACKING
Valve packing is used inside valves to create a tight seal. It's
made of graphite woven into asbestos cloth and packed into the valve.
A valve is a special kind of joint or switch used where pipes come
together, to control the flow of whatever is inside the pipes. A
valve has a knob that can be screwed down to shut off the flow of
steam or fluid inside the pipe, or unscrewed to increase the flow.
There has to be something to prevent steam or fluid from leaking
around the valve knob, and that's called the packing.
In refineries, power plants, chemical companies and ships there
are valves everywhere. We're talking valves that get huge. A valve
can be any size, from tiny to many feet across. Any hot pipes, steam
piping, etc. have valves with asbestos packing in them.
Valve packing wears out over time and must be replaced, and it
is during the removal process that the highest exposure to asbestos
occurs.
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GASKETS
Gaskets are used to help seal joints in pipes, and they used to
be made of asbestos mixed with rubber. Some gaskets came pre-cut,
but usually gasket material came in large sheets, especially in
industrial and shipboard settings.
Pipefitters use gaskets a great deal. Pipes run in 8/12 foot sections,
and since life does not come in 8/12 foot sections, pipes have to
be cut and joined to fit into a building. At every joint there is
a gasket.
Asbestos exposure comes from cutting new gasket material as well
as from removing old, worn-out gaskets.
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REFRACTORIES/BOILERS
All boilers have the same purpose: to heat water for steam. In
doing so, they of course get extremely hot.
A refractory is a material that can withstand high temperatures.
Boilers need to be lined and sometimes covered with refractory materials,
so that the high heat won't destroy the boiler. Until 1972, asbestos
was used as a refractory material in boilers.
Boilers come in sizes ranging from a packaged boiler of a few feet
across to industrial boilers that are eight stories tall and hundreds
of feet long and wide, and are actually large buildings in themselves.
Asbestos Block, Cloth, and Cement in Boilers
Asbestos block is used to line the steel on the inside of boilers.
Boilers in power plants also have asbestos covering the outside.
Asbestos cloth and cement are used along with the asbestos block.
Whenever a boiler is built, repaired, or demolished, the asbestos
refractory must be cut or crushed, creating dangerous asbestos dust.
Fire brick is another type of refractory used in boilers, but it's
made of ceramic and does not contain asbestos. It can stand much
higher temperatures than asbestos.
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DRYWALL
With rare exceptions, interior walls in commercial buildings are
made out of sheets of wallboard, called drywall. Drywall generally
does not contain asbestos, but drywall mud does contain asbestos.
Drywall taping was a primary source of exposure in commercial settings
before 1973. Drywall dust was a danger to the drywall hangers who
did the taping and sanding, and any workers who were in the area
while dust was in the air. Also, anyone involved in demolition of
old drywall could be exposed to asbestos dust.
Drywall Mud
Drywall mud is a cement-like material used to smooth seams and
nail holes in drywall. Its purpose is to make the wall look perfectly
smooth. To get the smoothest surface, the mud is sanded after it
dries. Before 1973, drywall mud contained asbestos, and when sanded
it created a lot of dust that was dangerous to anyone in the area.
Topping Compound
Topping compound is a specialized kind of drywall mud used for
the very top layer, spread more finely and widely than the previous
coats, then sanded. It also was used for spray-on wall texture.
Joint Compound
Joint compound is a specialized kind of drywall mud, used for the
first and second layers, to cover large holes, seams, and cracks,
and to get a smooth surface.
All-purpose Compound
All-purpose compound is an all-purpose drywall mud, used for any
level of mudding.
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TEXTURED PAINT
Textured walls are found mostly in residential settings. A textured
wall is one that has been made not-smooth on purpose, as a style
choice. This is done with spray-on texture, also called textured
paint, which is paint with a gritty substance mixed into it.
Before 1974, all textured paints contained asbestos. When it was
sprayed on walls, there was always overspray spray that went where
it wasn't supposed to go, such as on windows or onto the floor.
Somebody had to clean up the overspray, and that person was exposed
to asbestos when they scraped, sanded, and swept up the dried textured
paint.
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CEMENT ASBESTOS
Cement asbestos was a kind of cement that contained asbestos fibers.
You could buy it in the form of pipes or boards. It caused high
exposures to asbestos to the workers who carried, cut, removed,
and built things with it.
Common cement did not ever contain asbestos. Common cement liquid
pouring was not an asbestos danger.
Transite
Transite was a trade name for a brand of cement asbestos, but the
word Transite came to be used as a generic term for all brands of
cement asbestos board. There were several other brands of cement
asbestos board in use, but any of them might have been referred
to as Transite. Even the studies of cement asbestos board are called
"Transite Studies," although they cover all brands.
Cement Asbestos Pipe
This was pipe made out of ordinary Portland cement mixed with asbestos.
The asbestos in this instance is being used as a fiber reinforcement.
It was almost always used for water transmission pipes. It looks
just like grey cement pipe.
It is from 12-18% asbestos and was a major source of asbestos exposure.
It was used from the 1960s through the 1980s, especially in California
when the state was growing like crazy.
Cement asbestos pipe was banned in California in 1986, but it's
still used in other countries, and it's still in place in many areas.
Cement Asbestos Board
This was a cement asbestos in the form of a flat 4x8 sheet. It
was made out of the same material as cement asbestos pipe. It was
used in buildings everywhere: schools built in the 1960s, refineries,
walls and roofs of large buildings, asbestos shingles on houses.
Though it has been banned, much of this cement asbestos board is
still where it was put in the first place, and can cause asbestos
exposure when buildings are demolished.
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FRICTION PRODUCTS
Friction products are brakes and other products that contain brake
pads. Asbestos friction products were used into the 1980s, and were
only discontinued because they were replaced by disk brakes. It
is still possible to get asbestos brake pads for old cars.
Brakes
Brake pads for auto or truck drum brakes are made of asbestos cloth
saturated with polymers, bound together, and formed into the right
shape. Asbestos exposure comes from cleaning old brake pad dust
out of wheel wells, and from cutting and shaping new brake pads
to fit the brake.
New autos and trucks have disk brakes which do not use pads and
do not contain asbestos.
Cranes
The way to stop a crane from going up or down is to apply brakes,
and the brakes are essentially the same as drum brakes on cars,
with brake pads made of asbestos, exposing crane operators to asbestos.
Clutches
A clutch is just a brake inside the transmission. Clutch pads get
replaced just like brake pads, but it's a more difficult job, usually
done by a mechanic rather than at home. Clutches and brakes work
the same way and cause the same kind of exposure.
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MUFFLERS
Where the muffler connects to the tail pipe, the gaskets used to
be made of asbestos. So removing and installing mufflers caused
asbestos exposure.
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ELECTRIC PRODUCTS
Before the 1970s, wire, cable, appliances, and arc panels were
made with asbestos.
Electric Wire and Cable
Electric wire and cable used to be covered in cloth, with a fibrous
off-white material underneath, surrounding copper wire. Later, the
cloth was replaced with a plastic cover. Asbestos exposure comes
from stripping the wire to join it to something. Electricians and
home appliance repairman sometimes got a dangerous level of exposure
in this way.
Restaurant Equipment
Commercial ovens in the 1950s and 1960s were lined with asbestos
board and had asbestos wiring.
Old Appliances
All appliances in the 1950s and 1960s had asbestos wiring. Ranges,
ovens, and stoves were filled with asbestos. All home appliances
were filled with it: electric fry pans, electric can openers, toasters.
Old appliances with cloth wiring on them almost all contain asbestos.
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ARC PANELS
Arc panels are found in large buildings, where electricity comes
in from the outside to be distributed around the building. At the
point of entry of the electricity, there's a large hand-operated
circuit breaker; when you operate it a spark occurs. If there's
nothing behind it to protect the wall or the equipment, it will
start a fire. So there is usually an off-white ceramic-looking material
there called an arc break or arc panel.
Arc panels are made of asbestos. They get dirty, and electricians
get exposed to asbestos when they use a wire brush to clean them.
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CEILING SPRAY
Ceiling spray is what gives some ceilings a bumpy texture. Until
about 1976, it contained 3-12% asbestos. People who applied ceiling
spray could get exposed to asbestos because the asbestos becomes
airborne and instantly dries, and can be inhaled. Cleanup also exposes
workers to asbestos. Spraying on the ceiling texture makes a big
mess, because the spray gets on the floor and other places where
it is not wanted. Once it dries it has to be scraped off. This creates
dust which can be inhaled.
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CEILING TILE
Ceiling tiles rarely contain asbestos, except in schools and federal
buildings where they have special fire ratings.
Sound-deadening Board
Sound-deadening boards do contain asbestos.
Ceiling Tile Dust
Workers who install computer cables, telephone wires, or pipes
in a finished building get exposed to asbestos dust that has settled
on top of the ceiling tiles over time. Brushing, dusting, and disturbing
this dust creates a whole new set of problems.
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FIREPROOFING SPRAY
In 1961 in Las Vegas, a huge fire at the MGM Hotel melted the steel
beams. The hotel collapsed, killing 80 people and causing new regulations
requiring all steel beams to be fireproofed.
Until recently, the fireproofing spray had 1-15% asbestos in it.
It is still there, covering the steel beams in all buildings built
after 1961.
Fireproofing Dust in Utility Rooms
Spray fireproofing is still a major source of the contamination
of utility rooms. In most commercial buildings, rooms where the
electrical equipment was located were spray fireproofed. The fireproofing
still releases asbestos. It's an ongoing release that affects people
who work in utility rooms.
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FLOOR TILE
Most 9" or 12" square floor tiles from the late '40s through the
'70s, and some in the '80s, contained asbestos. While sheet-style
floor coverings did not contain asbestos, their paper backing did.
Also, the glues used to hold down floor coverings contained asbestos.
Handling it alone is not an exposure. Exposure came during installation
and especially during removal, when it would be scraped and sanded
vigorously.
Vinyl Asbestos Tile
Also known as VAT, it is all 5-10% asbestos. VAT is found everywhere.
It comes in squares and all the patterns are copyrighted, so if
you have a picture of the tile, you can figure out which company
made it.
Floor Tile Mastics (Glue)
The glue used to hold down floor tile also contained asbestos.
Linoleum
Linoleum is a generic term used for all kinds of floor coverings
that came in sheets. True linoleum contains no asbestos, and neither
did vinyl sheet goods, but all had a paper backing that was made
of asbestos cloth.
Sheet Goods
Most sheet vinyl and linoleum, especially in commercial applications,
came with a paper back on it as a fire protection. That's asbestos
cloth. Because there's oils in linoleum and vinyl that make it flammable,
the paper backing is there to reduce its flammability.
It feels like a felty paper or cardboard.
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STUCCO
Stucco was applied to houses using a gun. Until of late '70s, it
was made of ordinary Portland cement with a small amount, usually
5% or less, asbestos. If you're the applicator, mixing it is an
exposure. But for others, the major exposure is the cleanup. There's
overspray that has to be chipped away. Plumbers have to chip it
away all the time to run their pipes through the outside of a house.
This is a big residential exposure.
Stucco is used on both the inside and outside of large commercial
buildings
Decorative Brick Mortar
Another place you'll find stucco, or plastic gun cement, is in
residential decorative brick, where you see the brick come up from
2-3 feet around the bottom of the house. The mortar there is usually
plastic gun cement. Because it troweled on so nicely and was easier
to control, the masons used it.
Plastic Gun Cement
Another name for stucco or decorative brick mortar.
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OTHER ASBESTOS PRODUCTS
We can't possibly list every product that contained asbestos, but
here are a few more examples.
Kent Cigarettes Filters
From 1952-6, Kent made cigarettes filters out of asbestos. They
called these filters the "Kent Micronite Filter."
Jewelry-making Supplies
Molds for gold and silver and abrasive products to polish the stone
all used to contain asbestos.
Nose Cones on Missiles
Nose cones on missiles were made out of layers of asbestos cloth
embedded in resin, built up, heated, and melted together. Workers
used lathes to smooth and shape the nose cones, creating clouds
of dangerous dust in a room where hundreds of people worked together.
False Teeth Molds
The molds used by dentists to create false teeth contained asbestos.
Play dough
Crayola crayons used to contain asbestos. Luckily, Play dough stayed
moist and held in the asbestos, so it did not create dust that could
endanger children using it. They could eat it, but eating asbestos
doesn't generally hurt you. But it could have exposed workers to
dust during the manufacturing process.
Crayolas
Crayola crayons used to contain asbestos. Luckily, similarly to
Play dough, the asbestos was embedded in wax, so did not pose much
of a danger to anyone using the crayons. But it could have exposed
workers to dust during the manufacturing process.
Theater Curtains
All theater curtains have to be fire rated. Prior to the 1970s,
all were made of asbestos.
Fake Snow
Fake snow, both for movies and Christmas trees, used to be made
of asbestos. It was used in movie lots and by theater companies.
They also sold it commercially, so you could take asbestos and sprinkle
it on your Christmas tree at home.
Hair Dryers
Blow dryers in the 1960s and 1970s had asbestos inside them. They
were referred to by the Consumer Product Safety Commission as "asbestos
blowguns."
Bakelite
Bakelite is a plastic-like product that was used for electrical
equipment, cooking pot handles, and other uses. It can be up to
50% asbestos.
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Contact Us
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with an asbestos related
illness and would like more information concerning your legal rights,
please contact us. You may submit our online case evaluation
or call us at 1-800-718-4658 for an immediate free evaluation
of your potential case.
