gyn_paul Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 I suspect I know the answer to this, sadly, but...is there a simple non-laboratory (i.e. inexpensive) test to detect white asbestos in a fibro-cement product ?I have some corrigated roof panels I need to remove, and I'm not sure of the age of them.p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Asbestos in fibro-ciment panels is not loose and open to the air, it is well confined within the panel itself. If you are unsure, wear a mask when moving them but there is the problem.....are you going to drive to your local tip looking like a man from the local nuclear plant or are you going to ask an approved company to take care of it?There are zillion of these panels across Europe and if the product was a danger to manhood now that we know what we know about asbestos, half of France and the UK would be a no go area.IMO safe to handle move about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 A simple test, GP is to examine a suspect sample under a reasonably good optical microscope: the various forms present with different appearances:Pics here:To be certain, samples are irradiated with Polarised Light: or examined in an Electron Microscope.Self-test kits are freely available: the sample is sent off to a lab who report.This is for UK and USA: no information on France but must be available.You are right to be very cautious: Mesothelioma is an extremely nasty disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 Self-test kits are freely available: the sample is sent off to a lab who report.However it is illegal to send a hazardous substance through many mail systems.ACMs are potentially dangerous in varying degrees for instance a damaged sheet far more hazardous. Sheet overlaps which have been rubbing on each other for eons also potentially iffy.You should maybe balance this with Canada where after a forest fire you can often see strands of asbestos just lying on the ground.Much of the airborne asbestos we see emanates from Canada initially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyn_paul Posted May 21, 2010 Author Share Posted May 21, 2010 [quote user="BIG MAC"]Self-test kits are freely available: the sample is sent off to a lab who report.However it is illegal to send a hazardous substance through many mail systems.ACMs are potentially dangerous in varying degrees for instance a damaged sheet far more hazardous. Sheet overlaps which have been rubbing on each other for eons also potentially iffy.You should maybe balance this with Canada where after a forest fire you can often see strands of asbestos just lying on the ground.Much of the airborne asbestos we see emanates from Canada initially.[/quote] Sorry BigMac : what's an ACM ? p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyn_paul Posted May 21, 2010 Author Share Posted May 21, 2010 [quote user="ericd"]Asbestos in fibro-ciment panels is not loose and open to the air, it is well confined within the panel itself. If you are unsure, wear a mask when moving them but there is the problem.....are you going to drive to your local tip looking like a man from the local nuclear plant or are you going to ask an approved company to take care of it? There are zillion of these panels across Europe and if the product was a danger to manhood now that we know what we know about asbestos, half of France and the UK would be a no go area. IMO safe to handle move about.[/quote]My only unsureness, Eric, is not whether or not the sheets contain asberstos, but the type of Asbestos. If blue or brown then I shall get a (very highly qualified) man in, and stand WELL back.It's unlikely to be the case, but I don't know when the baddies ceased to be generally available, or indeed if either type was ever used for sheeting in France.However if it's white asbestos then I don't believe it's a problem - well, certainly not when bound into a cement matrix. As you say, if it really was a problem, then the random exposure which we have all had would have finished most of us off by now.Do you remember that asbestos-based Rawlplug material we had in the 60's? You used to put a plug of the fibres into the palm of your hand, spit on it, then mould it into a paste with your thumb, thus pressing the fibres into the skin! I used it for years and seem to be still alive. p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluestick Posted May 21, 2010 Share Posted May 21, 2010 [quote user="gyn_paul"]My only unsureness, Eric, is not whether or not the sheets contain asberstos, but the type of Asbestos. [/quote]Why yu no risten cookie boy!Recognizing asbestosThe fibrous structure on a plane of fracture or on a damaged spot, will often reveal if a material which may contain asbestos is involved. What's more, asbestos was mainly used after World War II and before 1993. The period in which the material was applied, can therefore be an indication of whether asbestos could be involved. Knowledge of the products in which asbestos is often applied may also help to determine if a material could contain asbestos.A definite answer to the question if the material is truly asbestos-containing can only be given by examining it with an electron microscope. This is also the only way to determine the type of asbestos you're dealing with, and whether different types have been combined in the material. From the webref I supplied earlier...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted May 22, 2010 Share Posted May 22, 2010 How about contacting a fibro-ciment panel manufacturer and ask them the question??? as in what kind of asbestos was used as part of their raw material bill in those days.Again, i hardly think that would be the immediate death to you kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyn_paul Posted May 22, 2010 Author Share Posted May 22, 2010 [quote user="Gluestick"][quote user="gyn_paul"] My only unsureness, Eric, is not whether or not the sheets contain asberstos, but the type of Asbestos. [/quote]Why yu no risten cookie boy!Recognizing asbestosThe fibrous structure on a plane of fracture or on a damaged spot, will often reveal if a material which may contain asbestos is involved. What's more, asbestos was mainly used after World War II and before 1993. The period in which the material was applied, can therefore be an indication of whether asbestos could be involved. Knowledge of the products in which asbestos is often applied may also help to determine if a material could contain asbestos.A definite answer to the question if the material is truly asbestos-containing can only be given by examining it with an electron microscope. This is also the only way to determine the type of asbestos you're dealing with, and whether different types have been combined in the material. From the webref I supplied earlier...... [/quote]I risten goo sticky-man, bud I can no fine my erectron migostope.Bedankt voor de link naar die site: de photo's zijn erg interessant, en de tekst is verfrissende vrij van hysterie.p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG MAC Posted May 25, 2010 Share Posted May 25, 2010 Sorry BigMac : what's an ACM ?Asbestos Containing Material....In the UK it appears that the only properties unlikely to contain ACMs will be those built post Year 2000.The common adage 'asbestos cement is safe' and people merrily humphing sheets of it about seems incongrous when we look at the precautions we need to take in Industry when removing textured ARTEX type coatings...or vinyl floortiles.Yeppp they can be ACMs too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.