#1 Asbestos Word You Don’t Want to Hear

October 28th, 2009. By AbiK

It’s not “mesothelioma“. No argument that absolutely no one wants to hear a diagnosis of asbestos mesothelioma. But there’s another asbestos-related word that’s thrown around quite a bit—and it isn’t always explained. Yet it’s the one that presents the most danger when talking about asbestos exposure: FRIABLE. Be on the lookout for it in news articles as…

Friable Asbestos

If you keep up with the news, and there’s plenty out there on asbestos, you’ll frequently see “friable” in print. Though it sounds like something combustible, or something that deserves a rightful spot on your stovetop, it actually refers to asbestos (or anything else for that matter) that is crumbling, easy to crumble or brittle.

The problem with asbestos that’s become friable is not that it’s brittle—if it’s not touched or moved or disturbed by wind, for example, it should stay relatively intact. And intact asbestos is better than asbestos on the move. Once asbestos—particularly friable asbestos—is disturbed in any way by man or by nature, its brittle fibers become airborne and, as a result, ripe for inhaling.

Asbestos-related diseases (such as lung cancer, asbestosis, asbestos mesothelioma) are the result of asbestos that’s been inhaled.

Think it’s not such a big deal anymore? Here, two recent asbestos hot spots in the news:

1. Mount Um (aka Mount Umunhum in Silicon Valley)

US Senator Barbara Boxer from California recently wrote a op-ed piece for Mercury News about the need to clean up Mount Um—a former outpost for the US military where the Almaden Air Force Station was once based and where radar was once employed to keep an eye on potential cold war adversaries. Folks in the bay area have been waiting since 1980, according to Boxer, for a clean-up of the site. It’s a slow-going process, but as Boxer writes, “toxic materials— petroleum products, solvents, PCBs, friable asbestos and deteriorating lead-based paint—are threatening to become an increasing danger to public health and the environment.” Key words: friable asbestos. Yes, the kind that goes airborne at the flick of a finger or the waft of a gentle breeze.

2. Black Butte Ranch Oregon

In this instance, the asbestos abatement had begun—but not by folks who were authorized or licensed to do it. So, according to KOHD/abcNews, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has fined Black Butte Ranch Corporation $750. It’s a small fine considering that the asbestos abatement involved removing sewer pipes that contain asbestos. As the pipes were being removed by Robinson & Owen Heavy Construction Inc (who were also fined $1,800), they were broken into smaller pieces and then loaded onto a dump truck. Problem? Friable asbestos. Breaking apart old pipes that contain asbestos is a surefire way to release asbestos fibers into the air.

Tags: Asbestos, Asbestos Mesothelioma

This was posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 12:06 pm and is filed under Asbestos Mesothelioma . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.