Should I get any/all of these tested for asbestos?

GDB2222

Eldrax said:

Last couple posters, please read my initial post again  - I have already been exposed to the dust/crap from around several windows. Also I cleaned up after and we've been living in the house after for many days now. 

I did decide to order a test kit, should arrive today, but if one fibre can kill and/or any exposure will cause cancer? Then it's too late now.  

No, that’s not correct. It only takes one fibre that is lodged in the wrong place in your lungs to cause mesothelioma. You would have to be extraordinarily unlucky for the only fibre you ever breathe in to do that, though. 

Think of it like crossing the road. You can get killed the first time you cross the road, but millions of people cross every day without getting hurt. 

Section62

aoleks said:

Again, your call…

Just so you know, if there is asbestos in there and you drill in it (or saw or whatever) and it goes in your lungs, you WILL get cancer. Asbestos is not selective and since it’s not a biological organism, your immune system doesn’t do !!!!!!.

Yes, the risk is very low, though “in theory” it’s 50/50: there’s asbestos or there isn’t.

The BiB is untrue.

The pathology of asbestos exposure is not yet fully understood.  The risk factors include the type of asbestos, the amount of exposure, and others such as genetics.  Some people with relatively high levels of exposure don't get cancer.  If we understood why, then we may be a lot closer to preventing thousands of deaths per year.

In the meantime it is sensible for everyone to treat materials suspected of containing asbestos with caution, and closely follow the HSE guidance on testing and dealing with these materials.

People who have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials shouldn't assume they "WILL get cancer", as doing so may make them less cautious about taking risks in the future in the belief the damage has already been done.  Awareness is one thing, scaremongering is another.

stuart45

Asbestos fibres can build up over a number of years in people's lungs. Although the majority of cases can be traced back to known exposures, there are a few where the source of the fibres is unkown.  A lot of people have been exposed to the fibres without knowing it. Teachers and schoolchildren are one example.

GDB2222

Section62 said:

aoleks said:

Again, your call…

Just so you know, if there is asbestos in there and you drill in it (or saw or whatever) and it goes in your lungs, you WILL get cancer. Asbestos is not selective and since it’s not a biological organism, your immune system doesn’t do !!!!!!.

Yes, the risk is very low, though “in theory” it’s 50/50: there’s asbestos or there isn’t.

The BiB is untrue.

The pathology of asbestos exposure is not yet fully understood.  The risk factors include the type of asbestos, the amount of exposure, and others such as genetics.  Some people with relatively high levels of exposure don't get cancer.  If we understood why, then we may be a lot closer to preventing thousands of deaths per year.

In the meantime it is sensible for everyone to treat materials suspected of containing asbestos with caution, and closely follow the HSE guidance on testing and dealing with these materials.

People who have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials shouldn't assume they "WILL get cancer", as doing so may make them less cautious about taking risks in the future in the belief the damage has already been done.  Awareness is one thing, scaremongering is another.

 1% of deaths in this country are asbestos related. So, it’s hazardous, but there are lots of other hazards that are more likely to get you. For example, if you smoke, you are as likely to die from that as from all other causes.