How to Test For Asbestos

By Matt Murren

If you live in an older home (built before 1980), there may be a strong chance that you are being exposed to asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral that was once used as insulation and floor backing in homes and places of business until researchers came up with the realization that when airborne and inhaled, asbestos can be extremely hazardous to your health, causing a gamut of health problems such as breathing difficulties, asbestosis and even more severe health issues such as lung cancer and Mesothelioma. By having an asbestos test done, you can eliminate the worry of wondering whether or not you are exposing yourself or your family to this harmful chemical.

There are several different ways that you can test your home to see if you or family is being exposed to asbestos. You can contact a company who specializes in the detection, clean up and removal of asbestos. If you choose to go with one of these companies, make sure that they are licensed and bonded and come with a list of referrals to ensure that you are going with a company who puts their client's health and safety first.

If you feel up to the task, you may also test for asbestos exposure yourself with a do-it-yourself kit. You can get these from a number of sources. Many of them are mail-in tests what will provide you with all of the necessary items you need to conduct the asbestos test. You start testing for asbestos by using the proper respiratory protection such as a mask and body suit (make sure that all hair, including facial hair) is not exposed as asbestos easily clings to hair, risking further exposure. Wearing proper gloves, completely wet the sample you are going to take with a spray bottle to eliminate the chance that any part of the insulation will go airborne. Using a razor knife or chisel, section out the desired piece of wall or flooring for sampling. Make sure to get all layers of flooring or wall to ensure you gather all traces of asbestos. Then place your sample in one of the sealed bags and send to the proper location. These tests generally run approximately $30 and you will have your results in as little as two weeks time.

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Residential Asbestos - Popcorn Ceilings

By Joseph Devine

Throughout history, since the Ancient Greeks, asbestos has been loved for its durability and fire retardant properties. The Greeks used the fiber for table cloths that, when they got dirty, could just be tossed into the fire to be cleaned. With time, humans have used asbestos in a wide variety of products. In the 20th century, the uses expanded as the number of items needing to be insulated expanded as well.

In addition to its insulation properties, asbestos was used in homes not only to insulate but to make them safer in the event of a fire. In this regard, asbestos was added to insulation as well as any number of other things. By adding a fire retardant material to homes, it was thought that everyone that lived in them would be safer. One of the biggest areas for asbestos in a home was in a popcorn ceiling.

Popcorn ceilings were not really ceilings but rather a spray-on coating applied to an existing ceiling. They were excellent for covering up any blemishes in the construction. In addition, they added a sound-proofing quality to the ceiling that made it less likely for a noise in the room to carry throughout the house. In these ways, they were extremely useful.

Like all textured finishes on walls or ceilings, popcorn ceilings have their downsides. One huge downside is that they are very difficult to clean and also provide many nooks and crannies for dust and dirt to hide. The bigger, more important, downside is that they frequently contain asbestos. Not all popcorn ceilings that were applied in a roughly 30 year span contain asbestos but many do.

When the ceiling contains asbestos, it is very dangerous to put up a ceiling fan or drill anything into the ceiling. Another huge problem is that when they are cleaned, the asbestos in the ceiling easily flakes off and becomes airborne. This is because the asbestos in a popcorn ceiling is extremely friable. To say that it is friable is to say that the asbestos easily escapes the confines of whatever structure it is in. Asbestos in flooring materials is not nearly as friable as that in a ceiling.

A huge hazard arises when a family or couple or individual buys an older home with the intent of remodeling it. Many older homes in older neighborhoods have established landscaping and lots of charm making them popular for remodeling. Popcorn ceilings are not "in style" anymore for homes and so they are one of the first things that a home will have ripped out of it. This, if done improperly or without checking for asbestos first, can cause huge health hazards and expose everyone to asbestos.

The [http://www.mesolawsuit.com]mesothelioma attorneys of Williams Kherkher know what it takes to prove an asbestos exposure or mesothelioma case. They are dedicated to ensuring justice for each and every one of their clients.

Joseph Devine

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Living In Fear Of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer of the lungs and the abdominal cavities. Unlike other diseases, the cause of mesothelioma is not natural. In most of the cases, it is a cancer of lungs inflicted on the human beings by the modern economic factors, which are also credited to bring prosperity to the corporate world.

The disease has left many dead and many more fighting for the failing health. The common symptoms related to the disease are breathlessness, dry cough and pain in the respiratory tracts followed by vomiting. The prime Cause of mesothelioma is the exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is a natural fibrous material that was widely used in various industries and building materials because of its stability and heat resistant properties. However, asbestos is also a deadly contaminant and responsible for serious diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma cancers and lung cancer. Most of the diseases are caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers that could settle in the internal body organs and cause serious diseases. Mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases can lie dormant in the body for decades before diagnosis. The worst part is that after diagnosis the patient has hardly any left for fighting these diseases.

Asbestos has extensively been mined in South Africa and exported to UK & US factories for reprocessing. For many years, the industrialists enjoyed the benefits of asbestos as a cheap substitute to wood in Building Material Industry and an integral part of Brake Lining material used extensively in vehicles during the World Wars. Asbestos was also widely used as an Insulation material in the buildings and industries in the US and Europe.

The victims of mesothelioma can file lawsuits for seeking compensation against the companies responsible for asbestos exposure. They can seek compensation for medical expenses, loss of income, lost earning capacity, pain and sufferings. The family members and relatives of the people who die because of mesothelioma cancers can also file lawsuits for compensation to recover the loss of consortium care. A dozen of companies who made an exit from the business decades ago are still fighting the huge compensation bills pending against them for causing a major biological disorder. The courts have ordered huge amounts as compensation in most of the mesothelioma lawsuits.

Easy Steps to Prevent Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that attacks the body's mesothelial cells around the organs. The mesothelium provides a protective membranous lining for the internal organs and allows moving organs (i.e. the heart and the lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

The names of the three regions of mesothelial cells that provide protective coating are
1) pleura, the sac which surrounds the lungs;
2) peritoneum, the lining which protects the abdominal cavity; and
3) pericardium, the sac which surrounds the heart. Three different types of mesothelioma cancer attack these three different regions.

Pleural mesothelioma: A type of lung cancer which attacks the pleura surrounding the lungs, this is the most common type of mesothelioma, affecting approximately two-thirds of all mesothelioma patients. Symptoms include horseness, fever, blood in sputum, swollen arms and face, coughing, loss of weight, difficulty breathing, chest pain, weak muscles, and reduced tactile sensitivity. Peritoneal mesothelioma: A cancer of the abdomen which attacks the peritoneum lining the abdominal cavity. This affects approximately one-third of all mesothelioma patients. Symptoms include abdominal bloating, impaired bowl function, fever, swollen feet, and nausea.

Pericardial mesothelioma: This form of mesothelioma which attacks the pericardium surrounding the heart is extremely rare. Symptoms include chest pain, dyspnea, cough, and palpitations. Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a type of building material used in thermal insulation products and ceiling tiles. In the United States, asbestos usage peaked during the 1950s - 1970s. During the late 1960s, concerns over the health consequences of asbestos exposure began to arise, thereby decreasing the amount of asbestos manufactured in next two decades. By the 1980s, a new industry of asbestos abatement began to flourish. But according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as many as 733,000 schools and public buildings still contain asbestos.

Small asbestos fibers that enter the air do not evaporate and can remain suspended in the air for a long time. These fibers, when breathed into the body, are toxic. There are three types of asbestos exposure. Occupational asbestos exposure: People working in factories that manufacure asbestos are likely to have a high exposure to asbestos and are most at risk of developing asbestosis or mesothelioma. Paraoccupational asbestos exposure: Family members of workers exposed to asbestos in the workplace are susceptible to exposure from asbestos dust brought home by the worker on his clothes or skin. Neighborhood asbestos exposure: Those who live in the vicinity of an asbestos manufacturing plant are also at risk.

Mesothelioma is still a relatively rare form of cancer. There are an estimated 2,000 - 3,000 new cases per year in the United States. Approximately 7-13 per one million male patients with a history of asbestos exposure contract mesothelioma. Diagnosis usually occurs 20-40 years after initial exposure to asbestos.

How to Diagnose Mesothelioma:
Mesothelioma diagnosis is very important as far as an early treatment is considered. It helps with better pain management. Mesothelioma diagnosis is confusing as the symptoms mimic many lung infections. Don't sit there and keep guessing. Consult your physician.Get Mesothelioma tests done. An early initiation of treatment will help reduce the cancer pain considerably.

Valuable Imaging techniques used in Mesothelioma tests are X Ray, CT (Computerized tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positive Electron Tomography)

Invasive procedures for Tissue and fluid samples are also done. Usually invasive procedures {which invade the body} are required to make a final confirmed Mesothelioma Diagnosis (Thoracoscopy, Peritoneoscopy and Biopsy)

How is Mesothelioma Treated?
Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.

Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.

Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).

To relieve symptoms and control pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid from the chest is called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be helpful in relieving symptoms.