Building Materials Containing Asbestos
Asbestos Products: Risk Factors for Mesothelioma & Asbestosis
The only known cause of mesothelioma in the U.S. is previous exposure to asbestos fibers. Virtually anyone who has inhaled asbestos dust is at risk. Exposure to asbestos dust can occur at major construction job sites, in shipyards, in industry and during construction or renovation of commercial buildings. Even workers' families and friends can be at risk, as asbestos often can be carried on clothing. It is important to note that workers are not always told they are working around asbestos, and even single exposures to very low doses of fibers can result in harm.
What kinds of building materials may contain asbestos?
There are many products containing asbestos; the following list gives an idea of the widespread use of asbestos. Even more products than those listed here may contain asbestos.
| Product | Location | % Asbestos | Dates of Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing & Siding | |||
| Roofing felts | Flat, built up roofs | 10-15 | 1910-present |
| Roof felt shingles | Roofs | 1 | 1971-1974 |
| Roofing shingles | Roofs | 20-32 | ?-present |
| Roofing Tiles | Roofs | 20-30 | 1930-present |
| Siding shingles | Siding | 12-14 | ?-present |
| Clapboards | Siding | 12-15 | 1944-1945 |
| Walls & Ceilings | |||
| Sprayed coating | Ceilings, walls, and steelwork |
1-95 | 1935-1978 |
| Troweled coating | Ceilings, walls | 1-95 | 1936-1978 |
| Asbestos-cement sheet | Near heat sources such as fireplaces, boilers | 20-50 | 1930-present |
| Spackle | Walls, ceilings | 3-5 | 1930-1978 |
| Joint compounds | Walls, ceilings | 3-5 | 1945-1977 |
| Textured paints | Walls, ceilings | 4-15 | ?-1978 |
| Millboard, rollboard | Walls, commercial buildings | 80-85 | 1925-? |
| Vinyl wallpaper | Walls | 6-8 | ? |
| Insulation board | Walls | 30 | ? |
| Floors | |||
| Vinyl-asbestos tile | Floors | 21 | 1950-1980? |
| Asphalt-asbestos tile | Floors | 26-33 | 1920-1980? |
| Resilient sheet flooring | Floors | 30 | 1950-1980? |
| Mastic adhesives | Sheet flooring and tile backing | 5-25 | 1945-1980? |
| Pipes & Boilers | |||
| Cement pipe and fittings | Water and sewer mains | 20-? | 1935-present |
| Block insulation | Boilers | 6-15 | 1890-1978 |
| Preformed pipe wrap | Pipes | 50 | 1926-1975 |
| Corrugated asbestos paper | Pipes, high temp., moderate temp. | 90 35-70 |
1935-1980? 1910-1980? |
| Paper tape | Furnaces, steam valves, flanges, electrical wiring | 80 | 1901-1980? |
| Putty (mudding) | Plumbing joints | 20-100 | 1900-1973 |
| Other Products | |||
| Gaskets/Packing | Pipe flanges, boiler doors, valves, pumps | 10-80 | 1900-1980s |
| Cloth/Blankets | Welding accessory, pipe insulation, curtains, clothing | 40-100 | 1900-1985 |
| Clothing (gloves, mittens, sleeves, aprons, coats, jackets, pants, hoods, spats) | Heat and fire resistant protective clothing | 40-100 | 1900-1985 |
| cement/mortar | Used as a castable insulation on furnaces, pipes, boilers, brick | 5-100 | 1900-1975 |
| metal-clad firebrick | Found in Open Health Furnaces and Basic Oxygen Furnaces | 10 | 1950-1980s |
| gunnite/fire-proofing spray | Sprayed onto furnaces as well as structural steel for fireproofing protection | 20-75 | 1900-1980s |
| hot-tops (ingot mold covers and inserts) | Used with ingot molds in the steel pouring process | 10-80 | 1960-1980 |
