Don't Buy All the Asbestos Testing Hype

There is considerable scientific evidence that asbestos testing and containment is not only a waste of resources, but completely unnecessary for health. An article from USA Today estimated a cost of $100 million dollars in expense for ONE life saved from diseases related to asbestos exposure. The United States has averaged five asbestos related deaths per day per year for the past three decades. That contrasts with the 331 deaths per day from simple accidents. According to the research cited, you are more likely to die from a lightning strike, than of a disease related to asbestos. And that is if you spent your entire working life in a contaminated building. The lung cancer deaths related to asbestos are a nearly insignificant amount of the total number of lung cancer deaths in the United States each year. Of the yearly average 161,000 lung cancer deaths in the country, 0.7% are asbestos related.

That's the good news if you are in a building or home with asbestos. The primary danger from the material comes from improper safety precautions taken years ago during the manufacture and mining of products with asbestos. You are exposed to asbestos everyday as the substance is a naturally occurring fiber. The amount that you could possibly breath is less risk than second hand smoke in many cases.

Doctors who study the asbestos risks are especially frustrated that asbestos spending has continued despite broad agreement among scientists that it's a waste of money. Attorneys who see an easy money trail and are quick to file lawsuits are the major reason so much money is wasted on asbestos testing. Bad advice from the Environmental Protection Agency in the early days of the asbestos scare, is also a cause. This advice came before scientists had enough evidence to judge the risks.

Even with all the evidence telling you asbestos is not dangerous in the amounts typically in homes and buildings, you may still want more information. Keep in mind that the companies involved in testing are there, not necessarily for health benefit, but to make money and protect against hyperactive lawyers and expensive lawsuits. In 1991, the Health Effects Institute, conducted the most comprehensive study on the risk of asbestos in buildings. The study was funded by the EPA and ordered by the U.S. Congress. The lifetime risk of cancer for someone who worked in a building containing asbestos was one in 250,000, according to the study. In comparison, outdoor air has enough asbestos fibers to create a one-in-25,000 lifetime risk of cancer. You are 10 times safer in a building WITH asbestos, than outside. Just another example of bureaucracy run amok. The European Commission reached a similar conclusion after reviewing risks.

With the evidence pointing against the need for asbestos testing, you still may want to be certain. General costs for asbestos testing vary, depending on the state, and the suspected location of the material. Floors and flooring tile are the easiest and least expensive areas to test. Insulation and other internal building components are the most expensive. In most cases scientists say it is MORE DANGEROUS to disrupt asbestos materials, than to leave them in their current installation. The EPA agrees with that statement, published in their Green Book on asbestos in 1990. The agencies recommendations then were to leave any installed asbestos alone, as removal could be more dangerous.

It appears from studying the evidence, that asbestos testing is another way to play upon your fear of health risks. Banks and insurance companies tread very carefully when approaching any building that may have asbestos. They do this NOT for health reasons, but for liability concerns. Ambulance chasing attorneys and courts have caused bankruptcies and stoked irrational fear on the part of consumers. You'll find many hubs and articles claiming "you must have asbestos testing." Its almost entirely designed to do one thing. Separate you from your cash.