Today, we fully understand the importance of removing lead-based paints whenever they are found in commercial or residential spaces. This toxin has been associated with many serious health risks, including:

• Slower growth and development in babies
• Nervous system and kidney damage in children
• Higher rates of reproductive complications in adults

Because they love to put fingers and objects in their mouth, babies are especially susceptible to lead poisoning. This makes lead testing all the more important if you have little ones around any old and potentially harmful paint. If you are pregnant, the presence of contaminated paint could harm your baby’s development.

Homes constructed prior to 1950 are the most likely to contain lead paint. Homes built before 1977 are somewhat less likely to be affected, but they still remain good candidates for testing. The shocking thing is that even a home built in the last few years may be endangered if it is in the wrong location.

If your property is located in close proximity to freeways and major roadways, it is possible for leaded gasoline exhaust to collect in dangerous amounts. Your soil may have abnormally high lead content that would lead to health risks.

Asbestos Abatement, Inc. has RRP certification that makes us a great choice for any Denver lead removal needs. We handle projects on all types of properties and buildings. If you suspect lead poisoning is affecting you, please contact us right away to learn more about the services we provide.

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Before I met Frank, my knowledge of mesothelioma was restricted to the half-minute ad spots between old Jeopardy reruns that all seemed to be bought by hordes of law firms with tough-sounding names. Frank and I always watched Jeopardy together in his assisted living community and he always knew the answers to the most obscure trivia, a glint in his eye when he knew the Final Jeopardy answer I didn’t. Mesothelioma was to me, before the diagnosis, just another long word; another disease that seemed so foreign and ethereal. After the diagnosis, it was the scariest word in my vocabulary.

Frank had been complaining of tightness and difficulty breathing for weeks, but I figured it was just the cold snap we were having. Frank’s children were grown and lived across the country, so I took him to the hospital and we watched Trebek shake the hands of the winning contestant on the silent monitor as we waited for his doctor to give him his examination. Later that night, Frank called me to tell me the doctor had ordered an x-ray. I was surprised but Frank, with his characteristic Navy gruffness, said he wasn’t worried and asked if I’d give him a ride.

I was in class when I got the call. Frank would never call me during class saying, “You need to be in class in case you get a clue you can use in Jeopardy”, laughing with his eyes. I instantly knew something was the matter. He sounded so distant, so small. He said the doctor had seen something in his lungs, that they’d scheduled a biopsy for later that week, and if I would mind giving him a ride. The next few days were a blur. I thought the not knowing was the worst part, I know that it killed him to be so out of the loop. Honestly, it was not.

When Frank spoke the words, “pleural mesothelioma” I was relieved. Finally, we had an answer and could begin to tackle the disease. That night I did what any good Jeopardy contestant would do, I looked up as much as I could on mesothelioma on the internet. I will never forget the way I felt that night as I read; the deeper I investigated, the deeper the pit in my stomach grew. I wanted to run, I wanted to get away somehow, it was the first time I encountered despair.

Mesothelioma is a paradox. It is an extremely rare cancer caused by an extremely common material, asbestos, naturally occurring fibrous minerals found in certain types of rock formations. Asbestos has been used by humanity for decades because it is fire resistant and impervious to the elements; the ancient Egyptians even used it to wrap their mummies. It was this same material that was in my best friends’ lungs, suffocating him as it threatened to sarcophagize him. I remember looking up the asbestos molecules and seeing what looked like a cluster of tiny crystals, beautiful and deadly barbs that I knew were responsible for Frank’s condition. My mental anguish intensified as I saw that online there were mostly only support groups for mesothelioma and not a lot of treatments.

The median 5-year survival rate of people with mesothelioma is 5% according to the NIH SEER program. I couldn’t grasp this then, and I still can’t grasp it now. How do you measure 5% of a life? If you took 5% of all the laughs he shared, 5% of all the old Navy stories he had, 5% of every Jeopardy question he answered it’s still not enough to convey the magnitude of his being. I got very sad thinking about my friend’s fate.

Then, I got angry. Why him? Where did it come from? How was he exposed?

Asbestos in the United States has a long and troubling history. Since the industrial revolution and the advent of mechanized mining of asbestos, asbestos has been used in many commercial applications like insulation for pipes, wiring, and buildings. When the United States started taking a position as a world power, it increased its dependence on this deadly material. Hundreds of tons were used to insulate ships, war planes, and command centers throughout our history of conflicts from WWI to Vietnam. Asbestos activity is not limited to our activities abroad, it has been used in roofing, housing insulation, maybe even the very ceiling tiles over your head right now.  Asbestos is everywhere and it is deadly. As for Frank, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ll never know where he was exposed. He was in Vietnam, but he also came home to work in construction, both very high risk occupational areas as far as asbestos exposure is concerned.

Frank was diagnosed with stage IV pleural mesothelioma and given only a year to live. He didn’t make it, but he fought hard. I remember when I asked him what he was going to do about it he told me he was going to play it like Final Jeopardy, “Wager big, and hope to God I know the answer.” He did wager big. He took on very heavy chemotherapy to try to kill the cancer. Towards the end of his life, through exhausting treatments, crippling nausea, and incredible wasting we would share his jell-o cups and sit in his room watching Jeopardy. As I looked over at him, too tired to get out of bed or even eat, I could still see that incredible mind at work and see that same glint in his eye as he answered Final Jeopardy. This is how I choose to remember him.

You can also read this story here: http://www.mesotheliomahelp.org/scholarship-contest/frank/

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control. “Health Effects of Asbestos.” ATSDR. Centers for Disease Control. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/asbestos/health_effects/>.

“Education.” ADAO Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org/education>.

EPA. “Asbestos.” Asbestos. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://www2.epa.gov/asbestos>.

“History of Asbestos.” Web. 06 Oct. 2014. <http://www.asbestos.com/asbestos/history/>.

The Lancet. “Asbestos-related Disease: A Preventable Burden.” Asbestos Related Disease:a Preventable Burden. The Lancet. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. <http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%252808%252961821-8/fulltext>.

National Institutes of Health. “Asbestos: MedlinePlus.” U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 07 Oct. 2014. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asbestos.html>.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Asbestos Fact Sheet. OSHA. OSHA Asbestos Fact Sheet. Web. 6 Oct. 2014. <https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3507.pdf>.

Spirtas, Robert, Roger R. Connelly, and Margaret A. Tucker. “Survival Patterns for Malignant Mesothelioma: The Seer Experience.” International Journal of Cancer 41.4 (1988): 525-30. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.

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According to the Huntington Beach Independent, at least two elementary school campuses in Huntington Beach were closed earlier this week so that asbestos testing could be performed. The newspaper reported that there are plans to carry out testing at all schools in the district.

Parents of children at the affected schools were first made aware of the issue after a district trustee filed an OSHA complaint stemming from concerns he had about the way asbestos was being removed from the schools as part of a modernization effort. Investigations are underway to determine if contractors were still removing asbestos after the school year began and children were present.

School district authorities have maintained that local schools are 100 percent safe, but parents are looking for assurances. The week before the closures, more than 100 people gathered at a community meeting to voice concerns and ask questions.

If you need asbestos testing in Denver, you can contact the experienced professionals at Asbestos Abatement, Inc. by calling 303-794-4450. We have experience testing for and removing asbestos threats in schools, offices, apartment complexes, and many other types of at-risk buildings.

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As reported by CBS4 in Denver, the Weiners were afraid to even let their family members help them move. They didn’t want to risk exposing their loved ones to a carcinogen.

After asbestos abatement services were called in, testing of the apartment building revealed that there were dangerous levels of the cancer-causing substance. It was detected in a few different units within the building, which prompted several tenants to move out.

According to the Denver Department of Environmental Health, the asbestos fibers were released as construction workers began ripping out some fiberboard from the paneling on windows. The CBS4 story says witnesses reported that the workers were not wearing protective masks at the time of the incident.

This is a very serious incident that underscores the importance of asbestos testing in Denver. Many buildings still contain this toxic and dangerous substance. Proper testing procedures can protect people like Steve, Kim, and these construction workers from unnecessary exposure.

If you own, live in, or work in a building that you fear may contain asbestos, call 303-794-4450 to speak with the professionals at Asbestos Abatement Inc.

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We believe in giving back to our community not only through our work, but also through our money, resources, and time. With this in mind, we recently made a donation to Gateway Battered Women’s Services, located in Aurora. As the only agency specifically designed to serve victims of family violence in Arapahoe County and the surrounding areas, this amazing organization is highly deserving of our support.

We were very proud to receive a letter of thanks from Jeneen D. Klippel, Director of Development and Public Relations for Gateway Battered Women’s Services. “With your involvement and assistance we will together begin to break through the barriers of domestic violence and aid in stopping this devastating crime in our communities,” she wrote. “It means a lot to Gateway to know that there are people in our community that believe in the work we do and are committed to helping our fundraising efforts.”

If you check out our “Asbestos Abatement Gives Back” section, you’ll see that Gateway is just one of the organizations with which we have a relationship. In the past, we also have provided support to Special Olympics, Taybor’s Way Foundation, and Triangle Cross Ranch.

We hope that many more people from our community follow our example by supporting Gateway and these other amazing causes. And when you need asbestos removal or testing, Denver area residents can always count on Asbestos Abatement, Inc., for quality work and impeccable customer service.

Contact us today at (303) 794-4450 to learn more about how we can assist with your specific needs.

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According to reports, the House of Representatives portion of the U.S. Capitol building was shut down early in the morning on Thursday, July 10 due to an asbestos-related incident. All House employees, including lawmakers and aides, were told not to enter the premises until further notice.

Architect of the Capitol (AOC), the office responsible for a multi-million dollar renovation of the Capitol Dome, said in a statement that there was a “potential release” of toxic material during an asbestos removal project that was underway on the fourth floor of the building. Shutting down a portion of the Capitol was necessary to give inspectors time to take samples and determine the severity of the exposure.

The removal work taking place on the fourth floor was just one of the asbestos related projects currently underway at the Capitol, according to the AOC. That such an incident took place in one of the most revered buildings in America underlines the fact that asbestos can affect anyone.

While the Capitol was quickly reopened and business was back to usual, this could have been a very serious incident. It appears the proper authorities handled the situation correctly in this case. Otherwise, many people’s lives could have been endangered and important political business could have been delayed.

If you are concerned about a potential asbestos hazard with your home or commercial property, it is highly recommended that you hire a licensed, professional team to complete the necessary testing. Selecting the right company for asbestos testing is easy. Contact the experienced and skilled team at Asbestos Abatement, Inc. for all of your asbestos removal in Denver.

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Asbestos Project – Before

Asbestos Project- After

Do you have asbestos removal needs in Denver or surrounding areas? We can help. Contact Asbestos Abatement today at 303-794-4450.

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Problem:  During an attempted home break-in, a broken sprinkler pipe caused the entire basement of this residence to be submerged with at least 4 inches of standing water.   This has caused total loss damage to three bedrooms, large living room, bathroom, laundry room and pantry.

Solution:  Asbestos Abatement, Inc.  was called to create a bid which was completed the same day, answered clients questions and was awarded the job.  AAI started the next week done in four days, although the project was anticipated to take seven days. Our final clearance samples came back below detectable limit and the homeowner was quite pleased with the expedited completion.

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Problem:  An overflowing toilet on the main level caused a portion of the ceiling to collapse in the basement bathroom resulting in additional damage to the bathroom as well as creating a minor asbestos spill.

Solution: Asbestos Abatement, Inc. was contacted by USAA on Wednesday 7/17 and we inspected the property and delivered a bid the same day.  We were awarded the job one week later on Tuesday 7/23.  All relevant paperwork and a pre-walk through of the project was conducted on Wednesday 7/24 – we started work on Thursday 7/25 and completed on Friday 7/26.  The homeowners will quite gratified that we were able to get started and completed so quickly.

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Mold spores are airborne and can also produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that irritate the eyes, nose and throat. In the home or workplace they can sometimes be seen upon visual inspection, but are often hidden in walls, carpets, behind bathroom tile and basements. If you are able to see mold, it may appear as discoloration, staining, or fuzzy growth. It can be any variety of the following colors: white, gray, brown, black, yellow and green.

Mold has a pungent, earthy or musty smell. If you don’t see it, but notice an unusual persistent odor, you should investigate further. Don’t forget to check under carpets, pads, furniture, in sink cabinets, and behind dressers or stored items.

Mold will not grow if moisture is not present, but keep in mind that in the right conditions, it can start to grow within only 24-48 hours. Early detection and treatment are very important for healthy indoor air and to reduce clean-up costs. Porous materials, such as drywall or carpeting, may have to be thrown away if they become contaminated.  It’s essential to fix any leaking pipes and to reduce indoor humidity levels by venting bathrooms and kitchens or running a dehumidifier.

About the Author

Founder and owner of Flood Masters, Michael began his career in the cleaning and restoration industry over 20 years ago and has been a business owner since 1988. Michael has completed hundreds of cleaning restoration projects, working with property managers, insurance agents and adjusters, plumbers, roofers and homeowners. Michael’s philosophy of taking care of customers is the foundation for Flood Masters’ customer-focused service. Michael holds numerous certificates with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). He regularly takes continuing education classes in all areas of the restoration industry.

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