Acupuncture Blog

Before 1980, many schools were constructed with materials that contained asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral commonly used in construction products because of its insulating and fireproofing properties. Some of the most common building materials containing asbestos that were used in schools are:

* Wall insulation * Pipe, boiler, and water heater insulation * Plaster wall coating, wallboard and joint compound * Ceiling tiles * Floor tile adhesive * Roofing shingles * Wall panerling

Asbestos consists of microscopic fibers that can cause serious diseases, such as mesothelioma (cancer in the lining of the lung, abdomen or heart), asbestosis (scarring of the lung), and lung cancer. Contained and intact asbestos does not pose a health threat. Only when asbestos is disturbed, it becomes airborne and can be inhaled. Once this happens, cancer causing fibers lodge in the body and can cause serious and incurable illnesses.

Mesothelioma, a cancer that develops in the lining of the chest, lung or abdominal cavities, is the most serious and fatal ailment linked to exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of mesothelioma can take decades from the first time of exposure to develop, making diagnosis and treatment very challenging.

Because of the nature of their work, school repair and maintenance workers are at high risk of contracting mesothelioma 10 to 40 years after initial exposure. Activities such as renovating and demolition, as well as making repairs to pipes and boilers and drilling into walls are likely to disturb asbestos containing materials and increase risk of occupational exposure.

One common example of this type of exposure is occurring at Charles Street School in Palmyra, Philadelphia. The school was originally built in 1949 and has been undergoing major renovations over the last summer. Initial funding was assigned for asbestos abatement, however did not include the asbestos that was discovered at Charles Street and two other schools.

Asbestos was discovered within the thin coating of the plaster walls at Charles Street. Instead of removal, the school decided to cover the walls with a thick coat of paint, encapsulating the asbestos. Measures such as this protect against asbestos becoming airborne until further plans for removal can be put in place.

Charles Street School will open as planned on September 14 and a plan was created in the case that repairs might need to be done to the asbestos containing sections of the school, ensuring workers take measures to prevent the asbestos from becoming friable. Friable refers to any asbestos containing material that can be easily crumbled or reduced to dust by hand pressure when dry. Any material that is friable and contains more than 1% of asbestos is required to follow federal and state regulations.

Despite wishes to be asbestos free, until time and funds are made available to make the school asbestos free, encapsulating the materials will ensure the safety of school staff and students. All contaminated areas have been cleared by certified asbestos specialists, air quality tests have come back negative, and all current employees have been offered free medical screenings. Such actions and measures should ensure the safety of all at the school until more removal can be performed next summer.