Can I see asbestos?
See All Those Asbestos Particles Floating Around?
… They’re Microscopic. So, No, You Don’t See Them.
You know, one question we hear all the time from customers and prospective customers is “How can you guys be so witty and charming, yet also so devilishly good-looking, as well as expertly professional and overall distractingly cool?”
Of course, this is an excellent question, and in response, we can only cite the blessings of a generous Heaven.
Another question people ask is “Hey, you witty, charming, good-looking, cool professionals… if I can’t SEE asbestos in the air around me, I’m good-to-go in terms of not contracting life-threatening diseases such as mesothelioma… right?”
This is a question which has only two correct responses, of course:
- What are you, daft? And
- No, not necessarily.
Of course, we never give Response #1, because we have no idea how sensitive some people are to having their general daftness pointed out, and because it’s (frankly) a bit rude.
Instead, we gently point out Response #2, even to the overwhelmingly-daft, because some people don’t know that asbestos is not something you can see.
Asbestos is a mineral – basically, an ugly rock – which was illegal in the United States for about a hot minute a generation ago. And though many daft people don’t know it, it’s actually no longer illegal in the U.S.
Sure, you can’t manufacture the stuff in our country… but you can import it from other countries, and boy, do they ever! Asbestos is found in everything from pipe insulation to makeup (yes, makeup) in America.
It’s deadly stuff, sure, but only if it becomes “disturbed.” Meaning, your popcorn ceiling (which probably is chock-full of asbestos) is not a threat to your health, unless (say) you have a burst pipe upstairs, and the water damage seeps down into the popcorn.
(There’s a phrase you don’t hear often: “water damage seeps down into the popcorn.” So, cherish that.)
If disturbed, asbestos breaks down into tiny microscopic shards which, if inhaled, can cause you to have certain medical issues which might require you to “put your affairs in order.”
For the daft among you, that means you could die from asbestos exposure. Extensive exposure to these microscopic shards can kill you (not to sound too scary).
Also, if any of your daft friends are listening in, “microscopic” means you can’t see asbestos. You only find out about it later, when your doctor is showing you x-rays, and (ideally) you would want to clear up the asbestos problem earlier than that.
So get your property tested, and engage the services of a professional asbestos abatement firm, to make sure the air in your place is squeaky-clean and asbestos free!
If you’re in certain places:
- A smoke-filled lounge (kids, you’ll need to look up what that means)
- A room where your knuckleheaded spouse lit a fire in the woodburning fireplace and forgot to open the damper (again, you may need help understanding what a woodburning fireplace is)
- A highly-polluted third-world country
… you might be able to “see the air.”
And any air you can see is NOT to be trusted, let alone inhaled, for obvious reasons.
But with asbestos particles, being microscopic and all, the trouble is you can’t see them.
The only way to find asbestos in the air is to have your property professionally tested. You can’t see it with the naked eye, or with any other naked body parts, which you should probably cover before the professional tester arrives. So call to schedule a test today! It’s the only way to be sure.
