Why Asbestos Testing Is So Important
We hear about asbestos testing and wonder why it is so important? You will even find some writers and bloggers try to convince you there are no dangers related to asbestos exposure. But no matter how the data is spun or twisted danger exists and asbestos testing is very important any way you look at it.
By zeroing in on the U.S. alone estimates of the death rate caused by mesothelioma is more than ten thousand people every year. Exposure to asbestos causes thousands of people to suffer from many other diseases that are non-fatal.
We hear the word almost every day (mesothelioma) sure cancer and death come to mind but many wonder what it is. The organs are all protected by a membrane called (mesothelium). The thin membrane covers organs such as the heart, lungs and abdomen. The disease mesothelioma attacks the mesothelium.
Asbestos dangers are everywhere but some of the worst offenders occur in everyday working environments. Carpenters, electricians, ship building, plumbers, insulation workers and asbestos abatement teams. Workers from all the different environments leave the work sites with the asbestos fibers on their clothing and indirectly expose their families and others they come in contact with.
One of the major reasons that some believe the dangers are not real is because symptoms of exposure may not appear for 20 to 50 years after exposure. So sometimes the connection is not made between asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. Once diagnosed the survival rate is 2 years or less.
In the U.S. some recent studies confirmed more than 28 million pounds of asbestos are still used to make many things. Commonly used in ship manufacturing and construction processes because of its insulating properties. You would not believe the large numbers of people live as close as 2640 feet from sites the mine asbestos and use it in manufacturing processes.
Asbestos testing is of major importance because of the possibility of exposure. The asbestos fibers are invisible so there is no way other than testing to verify the possibility of exposure. There is also no way of knowing if materials used in construction contain asbestos simply by looking at it. It is possible to safely collect asbestos samples but they must be sent to a certified testing facility to verify.
Asbestos samples must be collected and submitted to a facility for asbestos testing. Professional qualified people can safely perform the asbestos sampling. There are do-it-yourself asbestos testing kits that will instruct you how to perform the sampling safely yourself.
Asbestos insulating properties are regarded as the best in the world so for many years it was used for insulating everything you can think of going back 4000 years. Not much was done about the dangers until the late 1970s. The used of the mineral was banned for use in construction and other materials. Asbestos is the name given to six types of naturally occurring fibers. The major problem is the fibers are microscopic and easily become airborne. The danger occurs when inhaled.
The EPA requires the PLM method of asbestos testing which is performed with very powerful microscopes. The PLM method is (polarized light microscopy) analysis. This type of asbestos testing verifies the type and the amount of asbestos contained in the samples submitter for testing.
Asbestos testing laboratories get their accreditation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. They have set up the accreditation program that labs must comply with to do asbestos testing. Directory of Accredited Laboratories for testing can be found at: http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/scopes/plmtm.htm
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