![]() 12,13 Non-fibrous and non-asbestos material made up the rest of the material measured. Two consulting companies tested the apartment ceiling material in her apartment, garbage, and the hallway, finding asbestos in concentrations from 2 to 6% of the bulk material making up the dust created in the apartment. The subject’s first exposure was during the 1980s when she moved into the apartment. She moved out of the contaminated apartment in late 2012. The maintenance crew disposed of the damaged material in the hall in front of her apartment without sealing it. The repairs of the damaged ceiling included sanding the acoustic ceiling creating large amounts of asbestos dust in the apartment. In total, water damage was reported for more than 18 years She described it as “a wool like substance” that got on her clothes, carpeting, and all over the entire apartment due to the landlord’s attempts to repair the ceilings and the walls. This dust coated the entire apartment, including clothing, countertops, tables, lamps, couches, etc. The damaged acoustic ceiling would dry in areas, crumbling and creating dust. This intrusion included water leakage from apartments above hers that damaged her acoustic ceiling, leading to visible white dust on flat surfaces and on her clothing. Water intrusion damaged the ceiling, causing it to crumble, sag, and buckle. There were episodes of water intrusion beginning in 1993 and lasting on and off up until 2011. The subject lived in an apartment containing an acoustic ceiling starting in 1982. 11 Textured ceilings remain common in residential construction built before 1978 or the early 1980s. ![]() Dating back to 1973, the EPA has regulated spray-applied asbestos materials through the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants but the existing inventories of suppliers and installers were exempt. Asbestos containing textured ceiling is a friable material, making it susceptible to fiber release during any disturbance. 10 These ceilings were standard for bedroom and residential hallway ceilings because of its bright, white appearance, noise reduction qualities, and ability to hide imperfections. Asbestos containing textured ceiling materials (acoustic, popcorn, cottage cheese or more, accurately, stucco ceiling), is a term for a spray-on or paint-on ceiling treatment used from 1945 to 1980 in US residential construction. 9 Non-friable asbestos must be mechanically impacted (power tools such as sanders, drills, chippers, saws, etc.) to release fibers. 8 Working with friable asbestos products requires strict control measures to prevent releasing fibers into the air. Friable indicates that a material can be reduced to powder by hand pressure, during which fibers are released. We will demonstrate that exposure and subsequent disease were the result of inadequate risk avoidance and management procedures.Īsbestos containing textured ceiling materialsĪsbestos can be friable and non-friable. This paper presents a case study of a woman with lung cancer and asbestosis as a result of exposure to spray-applied acoustic ceilings. 6,7 If asbestos is present, it must be sealed or removed to prevent harmful exposure. 1 The EPA and OSHA require building owners to inspect their properties for the presence of asbestos before construction, renovation, and demolition activities. ![]() 4,5 The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Mine Safety and Health Administration have enacted laws and regulations for asbestos in the USA. 2,3 Asbestos is a potent carcinogen that causes all types of cancer including lung cancer and mesothelioma. The best way to prevent exposure is to prevent asbestos fibers from becoming airborne, or by wearing proper protection equipment. Exposure to asbestos occurs when respirable fibers are released into the air and inhaled. The use of asbestos and asbestos products has declined in the USA in recent years due to the risks of exposure for workers and others in close proximity. Asbestos was also used as a component of spray applied textured ceilings. 1 These qualities made asbestos minerals attractive to use in hundreds of building materials (pipe insulation, shingles, floor tile, mastics, roofing, structural steel fireproofing, etc.). Asbestos describes a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals with tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to heat and chemical degradation.
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