Asbestos is naturally occurring in the environment and is the name given to six different types of fibrous minerals:

• Amosite
• Chrysotile
• Crocidolite
• Tremolite
• Actinolite
• Anthophyllite

Asbestos fibres do not have any detectable taste or odour. The fibres do not evaporate in air or dissolve in water. They are resistant to heat, fire, chemical and biological degradation. Due to these characteristics, asbestos has been mined for use in a wide range of manufactured products, mostly in building materials and heat resistant fabrics.

The simplest answer: nothing. If you try to remove the asbestos on your own, you risk releasing harmful asbestos fibers into the air. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to call a knowledgeable professional, like the experts at JJP Environmental, to manage the removal of asbestos. Our professionals can safely and quickly assess the gravity of the problem. A pre-demolition asbestos assessment survey, sampling, and testing must be completed safely prior to conducting any renovation projects, restoration services, repairs to building materials, and/or complete demolition. These activities may disrupt and release asbestos fibres into the surrounding environment. The purpose of collecting building materials is to identify whether or not asbestos is present within the material. If asbestos is identified, then removal must be completed as per provincial regulations. Air monitoring during removal of asbestos is required. At JJP Environmental, we understand that dealing with a problem of this magnitude is no easy feat, which is why we put special care into planning out the process.

The simplest answer: nothing. If you try to remove the asbestos on your own, you risk releasing harmful asbestos fibers into the air. The best thing to do in a situation like this is to call a knowledgeable professional, like the experts at JJP Environmental, to manage the removal of asbestos. Our professionals can safely and quickly assess the gravity of the problem. A pre-demolition asbestos assessment survey, sampling, and testing must be completed safely prior to conducting any renovation projects, restoration services, repairs to building materials, and/or complete demolition. These activities may disrupt and release asbestos fibres into the surrounding environment. The purpose of collecting building materials is to identify whether or not asbestos is present within the material. If asbestos is identified, then removal must be completed as per provincial regulations. Air monitoring during removal of asbestos is required. At JJP Environmental, we understand that dealing with a problem of this magnitude is no easy feat, which is why we put special care into planning out the process.

Asbestos exposure in adults and children can occur if fibres are inhaled into the lungs. Some of the asbestos fibres will be deposited in the air passages and on the cells that make up the lungs. Most fibres are removed from the lungs by being carried away or coughed up in a layer of mucus to the throat, where they are swallowed into the stomach. Fibres that are deposited in the deepest parts of the lungs are removed more slowly. Asbestos fibres could also be ingested (either in water, or those that are moved to throat from lungs).

Lung disease is the most common type of health effects from asbestos exposure. The level of asbestos in air that lead to lung disease depends on (1) how long person is exposed (2) how long it has been since exposure started (3) whether person smokes cigarettes. Cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure increase chances of lung cancer. Workers who repeatedly breathe in asbestos fibres may develop slow build-up of scar-like tissue in the lungs and in the membrane that surrounds the lungs. This scar-like tissue does not operate (expand and contract) like normal lung tissue and so breathing becomes difficult. Blood flow to the lung may also be decreased, and this causes the heart to enlarge. This disease is called Asbestosis. People with asbestosis have shortness of breath, often accompanied by a cough. Asbestos exposure can lead to two principal types of cancer: cancer of the lung tissue itself and mesothelioma, a cancer of the thin membrane that surrounds the lung and other internal organs. Mesothelioma does not develop immediately following exposure to asbestos, but appear only after a number of years.