Asbestos, a mineral known for its resistance to fire and heat and its durablity, was widely used in residential and commercial construction for most of the 20th century. Besides insulation and roofing asbestos was also used in siding, ceiling and flooring materials in residential and commercial properties.
I remember that my mother had potholders and a hot pad made from asbestos. As kids we entertained ourselves on a cold, sunny day by bending the hot pad and watching the tiny, tiny fibers spray in the sunlight. Back then who knew the danger?
A recent law, the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama on 2-17-09 gives homeowners tax incentives to reduce their exposure to asbestos by making green modifications to older homes that contain asbestos. Homeowners can use environmentally sustainable forms of insulation such as cotton fiber, lycene foam or cellulose to replace the asbestos insulation.
Other Green measures that qualify for tax credits under this act include
- Sealing cracks and ducts to reduce heat loss
- Adding insulation to walls & ceiling
- Installing new energy efficient windows & doors
Fortunately neither my sisters, brother or I suffered long term side effects of playing with asbestos as kids. At least not yet. As we now know long term exposure to asbestos either in your home or work place can lead to a rare cancer called Mesothelioma. The symptoms of this disease do not show up until 20, 30 or even 40+ years later. People who worked in shipyards, power plants, chemical plants and as auto mechanics as well as many military veterans may have been exposed to excessive amounts of asbestos through their jobs.
More than 300 products used by the military from 1930 through the mid 1970's contained asbestos. Every navy ship & shipyard used asbestos containing materials. Updating the US Navy fleet with "Greener' ships is a more expensive and long term project. Even today there are still a number of Navy ships that contain asbestos embedded in older construction materials.
This issue worries me more than playing with asbestos as a child as my husband, a US Navy veteran, who spent the better half of his 27 years aboard those older ships.
Hubby still loves the water and proudly wear the US Navy cap
For more information read:
Thanks to the Mesothelioma Center for providing material for this article.
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Mary, Asbestos is a big concern here in NY. It was recently uncovered in a school and the janitor finally reported it. The school officials had not "mentioned" it to the parents and there was an outrage. It can be serious and I'm glad you didn't suffer any effects.