Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
and gaskets be ended by August 1993 and their distribution by 1994; and that the
manufacture, import, or processing of asbestos - containing paper products, brake
blocks and pads, and asbestos-cement pipe and shingles be ended by August 1996
and distribution ended in 1997.
∗
The CPSC has banned the use of sprayed-on
asbestos insulation, spackling compound, and fireplace logs made with asbestos.
Airborne asbestos is potentially hazardous where asbestos-containing materi-
als are loosely bound or deteriorating (friable, crumbly, or powdery when dry),
including areas subject to vibration or abrasion, permitting fibers to be released.
Control measures in buildings include removal, coating, or sealing (with butyl
rubber in inaccessible locations) the surface; enclosure to prevent escape of fibers;
surveillance; and affirmative action when the asbestos material begins to lose its
integrity.
Existing asbestos that is sound is best left undisturbed
. Schools are
required to be inspected to identify both deteriorating and solid asbestos. The
coating or sealer used must be flame resistant, and must not release toxic gases
or smoke when burned or contain asbestos. Coating or sealing must be consid-
ered an expedient requiring continual surveillance. Removal poses added risks to
renovation, demolition, and other workers and occupants; it may also cause air
pollution and dangers in handling (respirators, disposable garments, showering,
complete enclosure of work area, and wetting down are needed) and disposal.
Malignant Neoplasms (Cancer)
Cancer is any malignant growth in the body. It is an uncontrolled multiplication
of abnormal body cells. The cause of the various types of cancer is unknown,
circumstantial, or unclear except for cigarette smoking and exposure to ionizing
radiation. There does not appear to be a dosage or level of exposure to cigarette
smoking or ionizing radiation below which there is
no
risk. Viruses, genetic
background, poor health, and exposure to various agents in our air, water, food,
drugs, and cosmetics are believed to contribute to the disease. Some environ-
mental substances become carcinogenic only after metabolism within the body,
and gene-environment interactions are believed to be crucial in determining an
individual's risk to developing cancer from exposure to toxins.
Cardiovascular Diseases
The following are the major cardiovascular diseases.
Ischemic heart disease (coronary heart disease) — a deficiency of the blood
supply; the principal disease of the heart.
•
∗
The EPA ban on, e.g., pipe and pads was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th
Circuit in New Orleans. The ban on insulation, patching, and clothing remains in effect. (P. Zurer,
C&EN, October
28, 1991, p. 5. Also, EPA Asbestos Materials Bans: Clarification May 18, 1999,
EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics Web page, http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/opptintr/
asbestos/help.htm#Roles. December 2001.)
