Asbestos is a very dangerous group of minerals which contains microscopic fibers. It was widely used in construction and building materials. As a matter of fact, these fibers can cling inside your body and cause serious illnesses such as mesothelioma and cancer.  

This mineral, asbestos, was widely used between the late ‘80s to early ‘90s. It was used to manufacture materials for several different purposes such as adhesives, hairdryers, talcum powder, fire blankets and doors, wire cables, furnaces, boilers, clutch linings, brake pads, roofing, insulation pipes and cement. It is usually found in most of the products used and locations nowadays. 

During the early period of the 20th century, the health hazards of asbestos began becoming known all over the world and some countries were starting to ban the usage of this element. However, that does not mean it is not a part of the environment anymore. Therefore, the question is, how can you identify the presence of asbestos? The following are some of the few tips you should do to identify if there is a presence of asbestos in your environment aside from asbestos testing: 

  1. Know When Was Your Place or Property Was Built

The first step is to know when your property was built. Almost all buildings and infrastructures built–in pre-80’s usually consist of great amount of asbestos fibers. Even the ones that were built later might have used old materials, making it more likely to contain asbestos than you would first expect. 

  1. Kinds of Asbestos and Their Uses

This step is to determine about the various kinds of asbestos and what they’re used to make so that you can identify what type of health risks you are about to face. And these are the most famous types: 

Tremolite  

 It is known as a contaminant in talcum powders. 

Amosite 

It is used in construction for the insulation of pipes, cement sheets and ceilings. The great news is that it is no longer mined for residential or commercial use. 

Chrysotile 

It is used in ceiling, roof, walls and floors. 

How Long Does Asbestos or Asbestos Fibers Take to Affect Your Health? 

Asbestos had always been used in automotive, shipbuilding, and construction industries until the latter period of the year 2000 until such time scientists discovered that the fibers can harm and cause severe health condition. In addition to that, it can cause scarring and inflammation of the lungs result in illnesses known as pleural disorder and asbestosis, that can potentially occur once the fibers of the asbestos cling in it. That was also one of the reasons why most of the countries prohibited the use of this element. 

Asbestosis may take years to develop and may increase the risk of mesothelioma and lung cancer development. It usually takes 20 years for signs and symptoms to start that is also the reason why most deaths from asbestosis are in the age bracket of 65 years and beyond. However, younger ones have also been diagnosed because of indirect exposure.