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Because of its great characteristics such as resistance to heat, fire, wear or chemicals, asbestos used to be a very popular material - until a short time ago. Asbestos was used for decades to create a wide range of things, varying from building material to toys or clothes. The fact that asbestos is also poisonous became obvious just some 50 years ago. What does asbestos poisoning actually mean? Many industrial fields have been making use of asbestos mainly for its durability, which is the material's most important advantage and disadvantage at the same time. A human body has no way of getting rid of asbestos, once it happens to be present. Asbestos is quite harmless, on the condition it stays compound in the substance it is part of. What is dangerous for people is breathing in the tiny needle-like asbestos fibers, when they get airborne. The trouble with asbestos poisoning is that its first symptoms such as dry cough, tightness in the chest or shortness of breath are the same as the symptoms of many less serious diseases. Unfortunately, asbestos poisoning has also quite a long latency period. Therefore the true cause of the patient's problems is often found out too late. Asbestosis, mesothelioma or lung cancer - these are the most common sicknesses connected to asbestos poisoning. Asbestosis is caused by the lungs attempting to get rid of the asbestos fibers by making acid, scaring the tissue, causing it to harden. Eventually, the person can breath only with trouble. Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that affects the outer lung lining. There is presently no known cure for this disease. A person can get mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos poisoning for just a very brief period or even accidentally, which is a major difference from asbestosis. More than half of all deaths from asbestos poisoning was caused by asbestos-induced lung cancer. On the other hand, when treated in its early stage, patients can enjoy an active lifestyle for many years after the diagnosis. Asbestos in Canada: Canada, being once one of the leading asbestos producers in the world, still supports its use in its less dangerous forms. The asbestos mines in Quebec are still functioning. Until the 1980s, asbestos had been widely used in all office buildings, public buildings and schools, usually for thermal, fire and sound insulation. The workers who were employed on installing the asbestos materials were the ones in the most serious danger, especially if they didn't care about health and safety rules, allowed the dust to get into the atmosphere and then breathed in the toxins. Using asbestos is still legal in Canada. There are nevertheless some improvements - Ontario has made using asbestos as insulation material forbidden back in 1973. Local governments have been trying to get rid of this substance from public buildings and any work that involves either installing or removing it is governed by very strict regulations. Asbestos in Toronto: Since 2007, Ontario has introduced severe rules for asbestos used in buildings. Landlords have to deliver any strange material deteriorating in the building for examination. There are professional companies that can eliminate the asbestos safely, if its presence is confirmed. If it is found out that the deterioration might continue, the professionals will remove the whole affected area, again following severe safety rules. The most common use of asbestos in non-domestic buildings: - insulation on pipes - ceiling tiles - panels boards - cement panels - sprayed coatings on walls - asbestos ropes and cloth - textures coating The most common use of asbestos in residential homes in Toronto: - exterior surfaces: deck undersheeting, roof felt and shingles, window putty - all kinds of insulation - flooring: vinyl asbestos sheets, tiles and undersheeting - interior surface: sprayed-on acoustic ceilings, acoustic tiles - appliances: water heaters, range hoods, clothes dryers and dishwashers A sufficient solution for the whole problem of asbestos hasn't been discovered yet. A year ago, there was the Sunrise Propane blast, as most of us can still recall. The blast hit 5 streets by asbestos debris and in the time after the blast, 3000 people had to leave their houses and the whole area had to be completely cleaned up. Local governments keep fighting with the risks posed by asbestos. However, the scope of this danger is very difficult to quantify. It has been found out that just 0.5% of asbestos in material is really poisonous, so that's also why it is so difficult to trace back all the possible risks. Therefore, whenever you have even the smallest suspicion that your property may be affected, ask for a house inspection by a qualified professional (you can easily find list of companies doing it in Ontario region). Anyway, people should in no case try to deal with the suspect material on their own!
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asbestos, buildings, real estate, Canada, Toronto, danger,
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