ECS::Asbestos - Used in the Past as a Flame Retardant

Asbestos

Asbestos (a-,"not"; sbestos-,"extinguishable"; Greek)
A fibrous material made by combining several minerals and silicates, mainly magnesium based, but sometimes using calcium or iron.

Asbestos fibers allow for poor heat conductivity, which led to their use in the past as a flame retardant. Many of the heating systems, insulations, floor and ceiling tiles of older homes, commercial and industrial facilities, and even hospitals were made with materials that included asbestos.

When these materials decompose, the fibers of asbestos become airborne and can circulate through the building via the heating and air conditioning systems. During the 1980’s the US Government mandated that asbestos be removed from public and commercial facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified asbestos as a known carcinogen.

When asbestos particles enter the lungs, the immune system reacts by surrounding the particles with macrophage. Macrophage is a type of white blood cell designed to encompass and desitegrate a foreign substance. Unfortunately, asbestos causes the macrophage to rupture upon contact with the course edges of the particle. The ruptured macrophage spills its contents into the lung which over time will lead to diseases such as asbestosis.

Asbestosis, lung cancer, pleural or peritoneal cancer, and mesothelioma are all diseases that have been linked to prolonged exposure to asbestos fibers. These fibers and ruptured macrophage can block or clog the respiratory system leading to asthma and asthma like complications. Although asbestos was found to be a catalyst for many of the health complications that erupted in the 1980's, further research found that asbestos may have been incorrectly labeled as the primary cause of the noted illnesses.

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), a term that was coined by the original founder of Enviro-CURE Services, has now been attributed to have been the cause of a majority of the illnesses that led to the asbestos scare. SBS is the contamination of an inhabitant by airborne particles that have cultured in a building. These contaminants can be mold and fungi, bacteria, viruses, or any particulate (including asbestos) that negatively affects an inhabitants health, primarily through means of inhalation.

Those most at risk of infection are: