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This page is intended to provide the public with general information concerning asbestos and where and how to get more information.  

• Asbestos and Asbestos Health Effects
• EPA's Role in Asbestos
• Roles of Other Federal Agencies in Asbestos

Asbestos and Asbestos Health Effects 

What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name given to a number of naturally occurring, fibrous silicate minerals mined for their useful properties such as thermal insulation, chemical and thermal stability, and high tensile strength. The current Federal definition of asbestos is the asbestiform varieties of: Chrysotile (serpentine); crocidolite (riebeckite); amosite (cummingtonite/grunerite); anthophyllite; tremolite; and actinolite.

What are past and present uses of asbestos?

• Cement Pipes
• Laboratory Hoods/Table Tops
• Elevator Brake Shoes
  
• Cement Wallboard
• Laboratory Gloves
• HVAC Duct Insulation
  
• Cement Siding
• Fire Blankets
• Boiler Insulation
  
• Asphalt Floor Tile
• Fire Curtains
• Breaching Insulation
  
• Vinyl Floor Tile
• Elevator Equipment Panels
• Ductwork
• Flexible Fabric Connections
  
• Vinyl Sheet Flooring
• Caulking/Putties
• Cooling Towers
  
• Flooring Backing Adhesives
• Pipe Insulation (corrugated air-cell, block, etc.)
  
• Construction Mastics (floor tile, carpet, ceiling tile, etc.)
  
• Wallboard Heating and Electrical Ducts
  
• Acoustical Plaster Joint Compounds
• Vinyl Wall Coverings
  
• Decorative Plaster Spackling Compounds
• High Temperature
  Gaskets
  
• Textured Paints/Coatings
• Roofing Shingles
• Roofing Felt
  
• Ceiling Tiles and Lay-in Panels
• Base Flashing
• Thermal Paper Products
  
• Spray-Applied Insulation
• Fire Doors
• Electrical Cloth
  
• Blown-in Insulation
• Electrical Panel Partitions
• Fireproofing Materials
  
• Taping Compounds (thermal)
• Packing Materials (for wall/floor penetrations)
  
• Electric Wiring Insulation
• Chalkboards

Asbestos Containing Materials - EPA Region 6 has compiled a list of suspected asbestos containing materials

What are the health effects of asbestos exposure?

Exposure to airborne friable asbestos may result in a potential health risk because persons breathing the air may breathe in asbestos fibers. Continued exposure can increase the amount of fibers that remain in the lung. Fibers embedded in lung tissue over time may cause serious lung diseases including: asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma.

• Asbestosis – Asbestosis is a serious, progressive, long-term non-cancer disease of the lungs. It is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers that irritate lung tissues and cause the tissues to scar. The scarring makes it hard for oxygen to get into the blood. Symptoms of asbestosis include shortness of breath and a dry, crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling. There is no effective treatment for asbestosis.
  
  
• Lung Cancer – Lung cancer causes the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure. People who work in the mining, milling, manufacturing of asbestos, and those who use asbestos and its products are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and a change in breathing. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent chest pains, hoarseness, and anemia. People who have been exposed to asbestos and also are exposed to some other cancer-causing product, such as cigarette smoke, have a greater risk of developing lung cancer than people who have only been exposed to asbestos.
  
  
• Mesothelioma – Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining (membrane) of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart and almost all cases are linked to exposure to asbestos. This disease may not show up until many years after asbestos exposure. This is why great efforts are being made to prevent school children from being exposed.

If you feel you may have been exposed to airborne asbestos fibers, you should consider consulting a physician with expertise in pulmonary abnormalities.

What is EPA's Role in Asbestos?

Office of Research and Development (ORD)

• EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)  - IRIS is a database of human health effects that may result from exposure to various substances found in the environment. IRIS was initially developed for EPA staff in response to a growing demand for consistent information on chemical substances for use in risk assessments, decision-making and regulatory activities. The information in IRIS is intended for those without extensive training in toxicology, but with some knowledge of health sciences.

 Superfund 

• Superfund Actions - Superfund's Site Information page allows the user to locate information on active Superfund Sites.  Sites can be located by a variety of parameters.
• Superfund's Action in Libby, MT - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 sent an Emergency Response Team to Libby, Montana in late November 1999. Region 8 also maintains a timeline of current and proposed actions for the Libby, MT site.

Office of Air Quality Planning Standards (OAQPS)

• The Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards is part of EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. Its primary mission is to preserve and improve air quality in the United States. To accomplish this, OAQPS compiles and reviews air pollution data, develops regulations to limit and reduce air pollution, assists states and local agencies with monitoring and controlling air pollution, makes information about air pollution available to the public and reports to Congress the status of air pollution and the progress made in reducing it.   
  
• EPA/OAQPS' Asbestos Health Effects

Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance

• NESHAP Applicability Determination Index is a database of interpretations of the asbestos NESHAP regulations.

EPA Region 4 NESHAP Documents 

• Asbestos NESHAP Adequately Wet Guidance
• A Guide to Normal Demolition Practices Under the Asbestos NESHAP 
• Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Waste Disposal 
• For other documents not listed here, go to Region 4 Asbestos Page

Office of Drinking Water (ODW)

• The Office of Drinking Water (ODW) regulates contaminants in drinking water.  ODW maintains an Asbestos fact sheet - Asbestos in Drinking Water  

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What Are the Roles of Other Federal Agencies in Asbestos?

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - An estimated 1.3 million employees in construction and general industry face significant asbestos exposure on the job. Heaviest exposures occur in the construction industry, particularly during the removal of asbestos during renovation or demolition.  Employees are also likely to be exposed during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials) and during automotive brake and clutch repair work. Asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard and is highly regulated. OSHA and EPA asbestos rules are intertwined. 
  • OSHA's Asbestos Fact Sheet 
  • Asbestos Advisor - The Asbestos Advisor is an interactive compliance assistance tool. Once installed on your PC, it can interview you about buildings and worksites, and the kinds of tasks workers perform there. It will produce guidance on how the asbestos standard may apply to those buildings and that work. 


• Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) - The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent federal regulatory agency that was created in 1972 by Congress in the Consumer Product Safety Act. In that law, Congress directed the Commission to "protect the public against unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated with consumer products.
  
  
• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) - ATSDR conducts health-related activities around asbestos exposure and provides informational materials and resources for individuals and health care providers who are concerned about exposure. This Web site provides the following information resources to assist concerned individuals:
  • ATSDR Public Health Statement
  • ATSDR Asbestos Health Effects 
  • TOX FAQ (September 2001)


• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related disease and injury. The Institute is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  NIOSH maintains a listing of Asbestos publications.  NIOSH's publications may be of interest to the general public but are targeted specifically to occupational safety and health issues.
  
  
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) - Founded in 1901, NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Commerce Department's Technology Administration. NIST's mission is to develop and promote measurements, standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life.  NIST maintains a listing of accredited asbestos laboratories under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program
  (NVLAP).
  • NVLAP Accredited Laboratories for the PLM Test Method
  • NVLAP Accredited Laboratories for the TEM Test Method


• Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) -  MSHA is currently developing a web site covering asbestos issues as they relate to mining activities. The mission of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is to administer the provisions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Mine Act) and to enforce compliance with mandatory safety and health standards as a means to eliminate fatal accidents; to reduce the frequency and severity of nonfatal accidents; to minimize health hazards; and to promote improved safety and health conditions in the Nation's mines. MSHA carries out the mandates of the Mine Act at all mining and mineral processing operations in the United States, regardless of size, number of employees, commodity mined, or method of extraction.