I just realized I worked with Asbestos, should I worry?
Pico D asked:
I am refinishing my basement and someone alerted me to the fact that the 150sq/ft. or so of old tiles I scraped up contained Asbestos! I worked with the stuff without a resperator or gloves, they came up pretty easily, but some of them broke apart. Should I be concerned? The damage is already done, but is this stuff (in such a small quantity) really that dangerous?
I am refinishing my basement and someone alerted me to the fact that the 150sq/ft. or so of old tiles I scraped up contained Asbestos! I worked with the stuff without a resperator or gloves, they came up pretty easily, but some of them broke apart. Should I be concerned? The damage is already done, but is this stuff (in such a small quantity) really that dangerous?
March 31st, 2010 at 4:47 am
Go and see your doctor immediately and get some specialists to remove it because they will have all the correct safety gear.
April 3rd, 2010 at 6:54 am
Well it can give you cancer… Probably see your Doctor.
April 4th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
As long as the broken pieces didn’t create dust that you breathed in. You should be fine.
April 5th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
I wonder if you would call the posion control center if they could help you.. asbestos is really dangerous…
April 6th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
It depends how long you were exposed to these items. You may want to see a doctor just to be sure.
April 10th, 2010 at 6:40 am
It is asbestos fibers that get in ones lungs that caused the problems. You probably do not have a problem.
April 12th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Hello,
Well if you are someone who cares about there health then yes it is something you should be concerned with.
Not only yourself but your family, if you have one, breathing in the dust from your project. Dust is in your clothing, hair etc..
Wish you well….
April 16th, 2010 at 1:59 am
Asbestos fibers are harmful when they are airborne and you inhale them. Otherwise they pose absolutely no threat. You could eat it for lunch, and as long as you don’t breath it, there’s no harm done.
It is unlikely that the asbestos embedded in your tile was released into the air. If you sanded it, there would be a serious threat.
April 18th, 2010 at 2:43 am
The only danger is if it becomes airborn and you breath it. If it is in large chunks(tiles) you are fine. But you will still need to clean the floor afterwards. There are companies that will do this at a price. If I was doing my own, I would wet the floor and then use a shop vac to vaccum. exhaust outside. then dispose of the liquid. Do not spray the floor, mist it. You don’t want to distrurb any dust.
April 20th, 2010 at 7:24 am
You will be okay. A one time exposure shouldn’t cause you any trouble.
April 20th, 2010 at 12:58 pm
No point in worrying – it wouldn’t change anything !
My husband used to saw the stuff up years ago without a mask .
He recently had a chest Xray – he’s fine !
Lots of people will have been exposed to it over the years and have no idea they were.
So try not to worry too much !
April 21st, 2010 at 5:13 pm
pico i slept under an asbestos roof when nothing was known about its harmful effect for 3 months. praise god i am fine ten yrs hence. Dont worry small exposure wont harm you.
April 24th, 2010 at 4:50 am
First of all, the tiles you scraped up may or may not have contained asbestos–just because they are old doesn’t guarantee that they do. However, if you don’t know exactly what type of tiles you dealt with, you have to assume that they COULD have contained asbestos.
It’s also important to know that the danger of asbestos occurs when the fibers become airborne. The fibers are tiny, easily inhaled, and abrasive, and breathing them in can damage your lungs. Your body can’t get rid of these fibers, and if they accumulate they can lead to various diseases, including cancer. I don’t think that any exposure to asbestos fibers is considered safe, but I don’t know how unsafe your exposure was. Best bet is to consult your doctor to see what he/she recommends at this point.
Here’s some basic information about dealing with asbestos, including the types of construction products it can be found in:
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For more information, check the link below for good information from the Environmentall Protection Agency.