Lung Cancer Asbestos

Asbestos Lung Cancer is a known risk when people are exposed to asbestos. Exposure to asbestos frequantly occurs within the home from old insulation on heating pipes and boilers. Just because something comes from the ground (like asbestos) you should not assume it is safe as lung cancer is a known risk.Asbestos has been known to cause asbestos related lung cancer when fibers stick inside the lungs. Fibers in the lungs cause irritation and allow cancers to grow. Lung cancer takes many years to develop and it is fatal many times. In New Jersey home inspector regulations do not require home inspectors to point out environmental hazards including those that may cause lung cancer, like asbestos. Prudent home inspectors do look to find asbestos and if material that may contain asbestos is found they alert the home buyer to the potential for lung cancer.Occupational exposure is usually more acute than residential exposure. Although small children spend little time in the work place they spend lots of time at home and have long lives ahead of them to allow lung cancer to develop. Exposure to even to low levels of asbestos should be a concern.Although excluded from our contract we tell frequantly tell clients insulation on the boiler and/or distribution piping is similar in appearance to materials known to contain asbestos and can cuase lung cancer or. We can not say the insulation is asbestos during a visual inspection. We can say there is a very high probability the material is asbestos because it is simply not possible to visually determine if the material is asbestos with absolute certainty, laboratory analysis is necessary.Since exposure to asbestos is a lung cancer risk, consultation with a licensed asbestos contractor is necessary prior to expiration of your inspection contingency to determine the proper course of action and to obtain an opinion as the necessity of air or bulk samples and the risk of lung cancer. Bulk samples are samples of the actual insulation, air samples are samples of the air in the home. Due to the age of construction, there may be other materials within the home that contain asbestos but are not identified by this inspection report. Asbestos fibers that get into the air represent a health hazard. If you suspect it the insulation might contain asbestos and place you at risk for lung cancer the next logical step is to order a lab test called a bulk sample where a section of insulation is brought back to the lab. If the sample is positive for asbestos air testing should be ordered to determine what an occupants exposure level is.It is important not to disturb asbestos or allow contacts such as plumbers to disturb it during renovations or repairs either. Asbestos removal should be performed by trained people using all the required protective gear. Amateur asbestos removal frequantly results in higher levels of asbestos than was ever in the air before. If an owner represents the asbestos was properly removed contact the municipal health and building departments to be sure the necessary and required permits were obtained.Improperly removed asbestos leaves fibers floating around in the air just about forever. Use common sense, avoid lung cancer hire a professional!