Understanding Asbestos: Health Risks, Causes, and Solutions

There are more than 5000 asbestos-related deaths recorded in the UK every year, according to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Contrast this statistic with the average number of UK road fatalities each year, approximately 1700, and you begin to understand the scale of the asbestos problem that the UK, and other nations worldwide face. Yet, the scope of the UK’s asbestos problem isn’t anything new. The British Medical Journal first highlighted the hazards of asbestos in 1924. That’s almost a century ago, but it was only at the turn of the millennium when using asbestos as a prominent construction material was 100% phased out. This means that people occupying many legacy buildings across the UK are at risk of lung cancer, asbestosis, and other severe health-related conditions. Let’s examine asbestos in greater detail, including defining and describing it, the impact it has on lung health, and why investing in V-TUF’s dust extractor vacuums can preserve lung and general health of anyone occupying buildings with historic asbestos present.  

What Exactly Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a term that refers to a group of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals composed of thin, needle-like fibres. There are six primary types of asbestos. These are, actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite (amphibole minerals), and chrysolite (serpentine mineral.) Chrysotile (or white asbestos) is commonplace, often found in the roofs, ceilings, walls, and flooring of legacy buildings. Manufacturers also historically used chrysotile asbestos within automotive brake linings, gaskets, boiler seals, pipe and duct lining, and some appliances. Amosite (or brown asbestos) was frequently found in cement sheets and pipe insulation. However, it can also be present in insulating boards, ceiling tiles, and thermal insulation products. Asbestos contains microscopic fibrils (fibres of less than one millimetre but with varying lengths) that can be released into the atmosphere during abrasion, friction, or even on contact. Inhalation of asbestos fibrils can have dire consequences, leading to lung conditions such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Despite being fire resistant, and an excellent thermal and electrical insulator, the adverse health effects of asbestos fibres on human health has resulted in the UK government criminalising its use, making it illegal to buy, sell, import, or export.  

Where Can You Find Asbestos

Before being criminalised, asbestos was once a very popular building material, so it’s not surprising to discover that it can be found in a multitude of areas, spanning the entire property. The HSE has highlighted some of the most common places that asbestos, or materials containing asbestos, are likely to be discovered. These include:

• Sprayed coatings: Present on steelwork, often sprayed on the underside of steelwork for protection.
• Asbestos cement: Often deeply rooted in a building’s construction, including the underside of roof panels, wall cladding, gutters, pipework, and flues.
• Loose fill insulations: Located within cavity walls, under flooring, and in roof spaces.
• Lagging: Common in components of heating systems, e.g., boilers or calorifiers, and around pipework.
• Textiles and composites: Located inside legacy fuse boxes and fire blankets and heat resistant gloves, also toilet cisterns and seats, windowsills, and bathroom panels, in addition to under tiles and inside metal cladding.
• Floor tiles: Unearthed under vinyl flooring and carpets.
• Textured coatings: Existing as part of any decorative finishes on ceilings and walls.

If you’re in any way unsure if your building has asbestos, or asbestos containing materials, you should instruct a competent, qualified asbestos surveyor to undertake an Asbestos Management Survey.

The Serious Health Issues Linked to Asbestos

According to the HSE, most people exposed to asbestos inhale loose fibres that become airborne following friction, abrasion or contact, whether through building work, natural damage, or weathering over time. When asbestos is inhaled, tiny fibres enter your air passages. Your body will naturally expel many of these fibres. For instance, coughing releases fibres contained within the layer of mucus that protects your lungs. However, some fibres can become lodged deep within your lungs and remain there for years. As you can imagine, this can significantly compromise lung health, and cause a litany of other health-related problems.

Common malignant asbestos-related diseases include:

• Lung cancer
• Laryngeal cancer
• Bile duct cancer
• Mesothelioma (pleural, peritoneal, and pericardial), a cancer that usually forms in the layers of tissue that cover lungs or other organs, including the digestive tract)
• Ovarian cancer

 

Common benign, but serious, asbestos-related maladies include:

• Asbestosis
• Collapsed lung
• Pericardial effusion (an accumulation of additional fluid in the space around the heart)
• Peritoneal effusion (ascites) (an accumulation of additional fluid in the lining of the lower abdomen (peritoneum)
• Pleural effusion (an accumulation of fluid between the lung and chest walls)
• Pleural plaques (tissue thickening in the lung lining)
• Pleural thickening (presence of expanding scar tissue in the lining of the lungs)

Both malignant and benign asbestos-related maladies are serious. For instance, despite being a rare cancer, with only 2,500 recorded diagnoses in the UK each year, 90% of Mesothelioma diagnoses are linked to asbestos exposure. Anyone concerned about asbestos exposure should visit their GP to assess the health impact of their exposure. Be mindful that asbestos cannot be removed from the lungs. Any treatment will focus on reducing further harm to the respiratory system, inhibiting the spread of, or slowing down, the progress of the disease.

According to a 2024 update on the general asbestos guidance, the presence of asbestos in an environment does not automatically result in exposure. Any adverse health effects depend on several factors, including the amount of asbestos you’re exposed to, the duration of exposure, the type of asbestos you’ve been exposed to, and exposure to other chemicals. Logically, anyone who has endured prolonged asbestos exposure, for instance, a career working in construction, will have a greater chance of developing lung health, and other problems.
 

How V-TUF Can Safeguard You Against Asbestos Exposure and Promote Lung Health

V-TUF stock a range of industrial vacuum cleaning products and dust suppression attachments that can help shield you against asbestos, safeguarding you against the perils of persistent fibril inhalation.

V-TUF MIDI HSV 21L H-Class 110v Industrial Dust Extraction Vacuum Cleaner–Asbestos & Health & Safety Version

Our brand new 110v V-TUF MIDI H-Class industrial dust extraction vacuum cleaner features HEPA filtration for extracting highly carcinogenic substances such as asbestos, formaldehyde, even mica, silicon dust, and MDF. To remain compliant and eradicate 99.995% of airborne particles, including asbestos, be sure to partner the 110v V-TUF MIDI with a H-Class Cartridge Filter. Available with or without power take-off, these industrial dust extraction vacuum cleaners are approved for H-Class dust extraction in accordance with UK health & safety laws, and can be sold with different size waste collection tanks to suit your purpose and budget.

Don’t Underestimate the Effects of Asbestos

Those exposed to asbestos have an increased risk of lung cancer, asbestosis, and other severe health afflictions that can have a devastating effect on their life. In fact, asbestos is still the number one cause of work-related deaths in the UK. People working in environments that disturb legacy building structures, such as building/construction, refurbishment, retrofitting, demolition, and installation are at the greatest risk of being exposed and should therefore take appropriate measures to ensure that they safeguard their health and well-being. One of those key measures is to ensure that you have the correct cleaning and maintenance equipment to sufficiently maintain any environment. V-TUF’s industrial dust extraction vacuum cleaners remove all harmful particulates, including asbestos fibrils, protecting the environment from the threat of particulates. To learn more about V-TUF’s range of essential industrial cleaning and maintenance products, contact us today.