Could Your Favorite Outdoor Tennis Court Be an Asbestos Exposure Concern?

The Courier-Tribune recently published an article about the closure of the outdoor tennis courts at a popular park in Liberty, North Carolina. According to the report, the closure was due to the discovery of asbestos in the adhesive material that holds the clay surface to the pavement below. The material was found to contain approximately 2% asbestos. In the United States materials which contain more than 1% asbestos are generally considered to be “Asbestos Containing Materials or “ACM”.

The discovery was made after the town contacted a tennis court resurfacing company that had found asbestos issues in the past when working on courts of a similar age. In fact, just a few years before, the City of Columbus, South Carolina obtained bids to remove over 50,000 square feet of asbestos containing materials from multiple tennis courts at a park in that city. 

“In these two cases the asbestos appears to have been added to the court surfacing materials back when asbestos was a commonly used material; however, naturally occurring asbestos can also be an issue in some outdoor sporting venues and recreational facilities,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Regardless of its source, asbestos exposure can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a type of cancer that is often fatal. The only way to know if manmade materials contain asbestos or if naturally occurring asbestos may be present outdoors is to perform an asbestos test from a qualified environmental laboratory.”

One of the largest providers of asbestos testing is EMSL Analytical, Inc. Their network of laboratories in the United States and Canada can be found from coast to coast. To learn more about asbestos or other occupational, environmental, air quality, health and safety testing services, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email  info@EMSL.com

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with over 45 locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP 797, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations. In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail