ATC Environmental Monitoring -
ASBESTOS

Asbestos fibers are naturally-occurring microscopic (invisible) minerals that have been widely used in many industrial and building applications. For example, 1,000 tons of asbestos are believed to have been used in sprayed-on fireproofing in the World Trade Center, along with hundreds of thousands of square feet of asbestos-containing floor tiles.

When released from the materials that hold them, asbestos fibers can easily become airborne and remain in the air for many hours, where they can be inhaled. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illness . If asbestos fibers enter a mechanical ventilation system they can be distributed throughout the building, thereby possibly exposing building occupants.

Asbestos is a confirmed human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent). Three specific diseases - asbestosis (a fibrous scarring of the lungs), lung cancer, and mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the chest or abdominal cavity) have been linked to asbestos exposure. There is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos (or to any carcinogen). However, exposure to asbestos does not automatically result in disease. Greater risk is associated with longer durations of exposure and/or higher concentrations of asbestos. Asbestos-related diseases have long latency periods, that is, it may take from 15 to 40 years after exposure for symptoms or illness to occur.

At the request of the Parents' Association, the Board of Education's vendor, ATC Associates, Inc., is conducting indoor and outdoor asbestos sampling on a daily basis. Results are compared against EPA's AHERA (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act) clearance standard of 70 s/mm2 (structures per square milllimeter).