asbestos environment
Possible asbestos related problem… should I be concerned?
A few friends and I spent a few hours today renovating our house which involved breaking apart the ceiling tiles and old plaster in order to place and mount new sheetrock. We have no direct confirmation of asbestos in the original product, but it is highly likely being hat the house was built in 1910. We were unfortunately not smart enough to use respirators, although the area was well ventilated with fans placed in all open windows sending debris and dust away from us.
How much of a concern should we have for the few hours we spent in the environment? Would getting the material tested for presence of asbestos be useful, and what precautions and treatment should we take with our respective doctors?
Having the material tested would be a first step. If negative, you would have less worry (dust itself can be a concern). If it is asbestos, just tell your doctor what happened and the type of asbestos. Nothing is going to happen for 10-40 years (unless you have other medical conditions), so beyond regular physicals and monitoring, there is nothing to do. Your exposure was low and probably not much greater than the average person gets in their lifetime.
1 of 2: Risk based decision making introductory lecture
