When people talk about asbestos today, it’s usually in the context of asbestos removal. Unfortunately, this dangerous material can still be found in many older buildings. This article explains what asbestos is, what the dangers are, and how you can protect yourself.
What Is Asbestos?
“Asbestos” is a collective term for six different fibrous, crystallized silicate minerals. Their crystalline fibers are microscopically thin — by definition, they have a diameter of less than three micrometers.
These silicate minerals have properties that make them very useful in construction:
- They are extremely heat-resistant, withstanding temperatures up to about 1,000 °C.
- They are very durable and resist decomposition, even under many acids and most chemicals.
- Their tensile strength is even higher than that of steel wire.
- Because the fibers are so fine, asbestos is very long-lasting. The name itself comes from Greek — “asbestos” means something like “indestructible” or “everlasting.”
Asbestos-Containing Materials: Where Is Asbestos Found?
Asbestos naturally exists in the Earth’s crust, like other silicate minerals. It was mined and processed into various products.
In the 19th century, asbestos first began to be used in building materials, especially in roofs. Around 1900, an Austrian named Ludwig Hatschek patented fiber cement — which he named “Eternit” after his company — a composite made from cement mixed with fibers. Through the 1970s, asbestos fibers were commonly used in building materials such as roof shingles, corrugated sheets, façade panels, and pipes.
Asbestos was also used for insulation, as a fireproof layer behind stoves, and even sprayed onto steel structures for fire protection.
Only when evidence mounted, in the 1960s and 70s, that asbestos fibers are carcinogenic and harmful to health, did the use start to decline. In Austria, for example, asbestos production was only fully banned in 1990.
Today, asbestos may still be present in buildings that were constructed before the 1970s — unless those buildings have already been fully renovated.
How Can You Protect Yourself from Asbestos?
Asbestos fibers are dangerous because they are so tiny. When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, fibers can be released into the air. Because of their small size (less than three micrometers), when inhaled, these fibers can travel deep into the lungs. If fibers are longer than five micrometers, immune cells (macrophages) in your lungs cannot fully engulf and remove them. This can lead to serious lung conditions called asbestoses, which are life-threatening and also greatly increase the risk of lung cancer.
Therefore, the best long-term protection is prompt and proper removal of asbestos when it is found.
How Should Asbestos Be Removed?
For non-experts: do not try to remove asbestos yourself. It is essential that specially trained professionals handle asbestos removal.
The first step is to test whether a building contains asbestos. This is especially relevant for older buildings that have never been renovated. If asbestos is present, the affected area (or even the entire building) must be sealed off dust-tight during remediation to prevent fiber release to the surroundings. Residents should not stay in the building during removal.
Specialist teams will then remove the asbestos-containing materials (such as corrugated sheets, façade panels, asbestos plaster, etc.) one by one. After removal, the areas are cleaned using fiber-binding agents to ensure no stray fibers remain.
Finally, the removed asbestos waste must be disposed of safely. For example, Abfall Service Online (in Austria) provides special “plate bags” for transporting asbestos roof sheets in a sealed way, and they offer dedicated waste containers for the rest of the asbestos-containing materials. Their service illustrates how asbestos handling and disposal can be done safely, legally, and in a compliant manner.
