Was Your Home Built with Asbestos or Other Hazardous Materials?

Today, many people think the use of asbestos has been banned, but that is not exactly the case.  In 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule banning most asbestos-containing products in the United States. However, the rule was vacated and remanded by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1991. As a result, most of the original ban on the manufacture, importation, processing or distribution in commerce for most of the asbestos-containing product categories originally covered in the 1989 final rule was overturned.
 
Asbestos is a mineral fiber that that was used in many building materials in the past.  People can be exposed to asbestos fibers through inhalation or ingestion from asbestos-containing materials that have become friable or are disturbed during renovation, remodeling and demolition activities.  Asbestos is most likely found in homes and buildings constructed between approximately the 1930’s through the 1970’s.  It was used in everything from roofing and siding to insulation, flooring and textured paints and painting compounds.  In fact, some reports indicate it was used in over 3,000 materials by the 1970’s.
 
“The only way to be sure whether a material contains asbestos is to have it tested by a qualified laboratory,” said Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc., the largest asbestos testing laboratory in North America.  “There are asbestos inspectors that can be hired to inspect a home or building, assess conditions, take samples of suspected materials for testing, and advise about what corrections are needed. If repair or removal of asbestos materials is chosen, inspectors can ensure the corrective-action contractor has followed proper procedures, including proper clean up, and can monitor the air for asbestos fibers.”
 
EMSL recently sponsored a video about asbestos that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/IsOXocny4fc.
 
To learn more about EMSL’s asbestos, lead and other hazardous material and indoor air quality testing services, please visit www.AsbestosTestingLab.com or www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com .
 
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public.  The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies. 
 

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) (856) 303-2503

Contact via E-mail