Asbestos/Vermiculite as insulation materials and health concerns

Hi! Welcome to my blog.

Today, I am going to talk about insulation materials used in Canada.

There are wide choices of insulation materials nowadays to keep your house warm during the winter and cool during the summer.

Some of them are little unsafe then other choices.

Vermiculite/Asbestos

You probably have heard of asbestos before as home insulation material, but not vermiculite.

Vermiculite and asbestos are natural minerals.

Vermiculite may contain asbestos, which is the reason why I included them together.

They were used as an insulation material in the attic to keep the house warm.

Discontinued legacy product now, but they were durable and fire resistance.

The only problem was that as time pass by, any disturbances can cause asbestos to breakdown.

Break into a particle smaller than a hair strand, so if you inhale or ingest, it can damage the lungs by scarring them.

Scarring does not form just overnight or one time exposure, but consistent exposure build up the damage serious enough to cause a cancer, specifically mesothelioma.

Now, asbestos is classified as a human carcinogenic compound.

In Canada, asbestos was fully banned and prohibited on December 30th, 2018.

Due to the known danger, the products containing asbestos were starting to get replaced in the 1990s.

This is a reason why it is good to have a house inspector who will fully check the safety of the house for you and a realtor who has the knowledge to recommend this information to you.

If you happen to have or bought the house containing asbestos, then you can hire a specialist to remove the products or leave them as is without disturbances.

Disturbances are what causes the asbestos to breakdown into a small particle.

As long as they are placed in a sealed place, then this is not a problem.

In Prince Edward Island, there are many old homes built before 1990s and if you are in doubt of asbestos products in the house, call a specialist to check for your health.

The picture above, from Health Canada, shows the product that may contain asbestos in the old homes. If you notice any house that may have asbestos, DO take a precaution.

There are many other indoor pollutants that can cause serious health hazards.

Moulds, radon, and volatile organic compounds.

More details about them can be found in the consumernotice.org website.

Our health cannot be saved if we do not do our job to keep our health safe.

Know what is around of you and protect yourself.

These are informational purpose and should not be treated as legal, medical, or professional advices. Please ask your medical doctors or local experts about their advices.

#Lastinghealthandwealth #asbestos #Lungs #health

Citations

Health Canada. (2023 Jan 24). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/asbestos-home-infographic-2018.html

Government of Canada. (2020 Nov 19). https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/canadian-environmental-protection-act-registry/prohibition-asbestos-products-regulations-questions.html

National Cancer Institute. (2021 Nov 29). https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/asbestos/asbestos-fact-sheet#what-are-the-health-hazards-of-exposure-to-asbestos

Minnesota Department of Health (2023 Apr 13). https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/asbestos/homeowner/insulation.html

ConsumerNotice.org. (2021Oct 18). https://www.consumernotice.org/environmental/indoor-air-quality/