Asbestos Found in Electric Wiring Insulation

Asbestos was once considered the ideal material for Electric Wiring Insulation because it possessed singular fire-retardant and heat-retardant properties. Electric wiring insulation can be found all over a building, and every inch of electrical wiring is insulated with asbestos-containing material. This is especially true for houses built before 1980.

Although the fact had come to the knowledge of the management and decision makers of many industries engaged in manufacturing asbestos-related products, it was only in the 1980s that the matter came into the public domain and the use of the product was banned in the general public interest. What this actually means is that a lot of the suffering that ensued owing to asbestos exposure could have been avoided had people only overlooked personal benefit in the early years.

Asbestos Exposure from Electric Wiring Insulation

The population most at risk from asbestos exposure included the people who worked with electric wiring insulation in the heyday of asbestos use, those who live with asbestos-laden electric wiring insulation in their homes and offices, and those who are engaged in renovation work in such buildings. It is an established fact that asbestos exposure leads to long-term health problems such as mesothelioma, a type of cancer that commonly affects the pleura (the lining of the lungs), or the lining of the abdomen or heart. Once the asbestos fibers enter the body, they remain festering for many, many years and cause irritation and inflammation that eventually turns malignant. The infected person becomes aware only after symptoms appear like breathlessness, loss of weight, weakness, and others appear and tests reveal the cancer that is generally in the last stages. No cure for the disease exists and only palliative measures are adopted.

Electric Wiring Insulation Containing Asbestos Fibers

Moreover, it is not certain how much exposure, minimal or prolonged, causes the malady. Some patients have reported very little asbestos exposure, while those with massive exposure have no adverse effect. But who is to say what will happen as the years pass because the disease has an unpredictably long gestation period; it may rear its ugly head at any point in time.

While nothing can erase what has already happened, care can be taken when handling the material during renovations. Precautions such as wearing the right gear at the job, such as respirators and disposable overalls for the men at work and disposal of debris according to EPA guidelines are an absolute necessity to avoid being infected.