Can I See Asbestos?
Only Superman Can Fly!
… And Only Superman… Or A Microscope… Can See Asbestos
Remember when we were kids, and everybody wanted to be Superman?
Okay, remember when our parents were kids, and they wanted to be Superman?
I know I guy who, as a mere tad of a lad in the 1960s, nagged and nagged until he got a Superman costume for his birthday.
Cape and all!
As he tells it, his parents were quick to point out the tag on the cape which read, “Remember, it’s dangerous to fall from a high place. Only Superman can really fly.”
Nevertheless, the young knucklehead put on his Superman costume, climbed up on the roof of the garage, and jumped off.
“Hey,” he explains, “I understood the tag. But I figure, if I’m wearing this, I AM Superman!”
He’s lucky he didn’t break every bone in his body. In fact, if you knew the guy, you’d probably agree that he’s lucky to be alive at all.
The point is, you are NOT Superman. Neither am I (though I’ve been described as “pretty super,” a number of times, but that’s not the same thing).
We can’t fly. We are not faster than a locomotive (like there are any locomotives around anymore… so how do we know?) We can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound. And we don’t have microscopic X-ray vision.
Which brings us to our asbestos-related point.
Dangerous Asbestos Particles Are Microscopic
Over my many years as a pretty super expert in the asbestos abatement business, I’ve been asked by a few folks whether you can actually SEE asbestos in the air.
And the answer is: No, since you’re not Superman, and you don’t have microscopic X-ray vision, you can’t.
Asbestos is basically an ugly rock, and when it’s in its undisturbed form, you might be able to see it (for instance, in some of the materials in your home, such as plaster). In most places where asbestos likely lurks, such as drywall mud and flooring, you wouldn’t see obvious signs of the asbestos within.
And when disaster strikes, such as a fire or a flood, the asbestos on your property (yes, asbestos is still legal, and if you haven’t had your property checked, there’s some likelihood the ugly rock is in residence) … well, it breaks up into microscopic shards of danger.
That’s when you can’t see it (unless you’re Superman, which, to recap, you aren’t)… and that’s when it can cause you serious medical problems you can’t come back from (such as mesothelioma lung cancer).
Prolonged exposure to significant levels of microscopic asbestos particles has been shown unequivocally to cause mesothelioma, which is a deadly and incurable disease.
That’s why it’s a pretty super idea to have your property tested as soon as you can, so you know where asbestos is lurking and what you can do to avoid a problem.
If you happen to be one of those folks who’s waiting to SEE asbestos in the air before you have your property tested and abated… I have bad news. Ugly, sneaky, deadly asbestos can get you before you see it coming… because you can’t see it coming! A better idea is to have your property tested, and to have the asbestos in your home abated right away. It will cost less than you might think. And the resulting peace-of-mind might have you feeling like a Person Of Steel.
