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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:37:10 PM EDT
I was mowing a rural property for a guy that is doing work on his house (pre-1970's), he knocked down a chimney that had a concrete asbestos (transite) liner inside it. A few weeks ago, there was a pile of chimney bricks and broken up chunks of this asbestos liner sitting next to his house in the yard, he moved them and left behind small 2-3 inch remnant pieces in the grass.
This week, I accidentally ran the remnant pieces over with the mower with the discharge chute facing the house, which was a couple feet away, causing the wind from it all to blow back on me. This is a powerful 52" deck commercial mower. I didn’t think anything of it at the time but I did some research and I guess the liner is approximately 50% asbestos. I'm worried my clothes, shoes and the mower itself might be contaminated with asbestos now. Is this something I should be concerned about? |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:38:48 PM EDT
[Last Edit: stangwagon]
[#1]
Probably not, but even if yes, what are you going to do about it now?
You might wash the mower deck and/or your clothes if you’re really concerned. |
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PA, USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:41:38 PM EDT
[Last Edit: 302w]
[#2]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By stangwagon: Probably not, but even if yes, what are you going to do about it now? You might wash the mower deck and/or your clothes if you’re really concerned. Fpni |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:42:11 PM EDT
[#3]
Your gonna die*
* it’s ok though, we all do. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:47:33 PM EDT
[#4]
Prolly a small exposure will be fine. It ain’t radioactive.
If you’re worried about it, let your Dr know and maybe get a chest x-ray once a year to keep an eye on things. Prolly a good practice anyways. |
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NV, USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:51:25 PM EDT
[#5]
Its not poison, its a carcinogen. Will smoking one cigarette kill you? No, but a lifetime of smoking probably will
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:53:49 PM EDT
[Last Edit: lazyengineer]
[#6]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By stangwagon: Probably not, but even if yes, what are you going to do about it now? You might wash the mower deck and/or your clothes if you’re really concerned. Pretty much what I'd do. I'm not an asbestos expert, but from what I can tell the people most notably harmed were those who got recurring repeat exposure to dust. You did get a decent dust exposure, so your concern probably more valid than people who find some, but aren't actually breathing dust from it. So I don't know if we're talking massive cough inducing clouds you were breathing for 30 minutes straight here; vs an outdoor Bam! and some chips got thrown and I suppose some dust was made, that you walked through and kept walking; which I doubt is a big deal. If it were me, I'd just hose down the mower (especially on the inside, and the bag if you were using one), and probably just discard the cloths; and call it done. I wouldn't return to mow that spot again. |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 2:54:43 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By highstepper: Prolly a small exposure will be fine. It ain’t radioactive. If you’re worried about it, let your Dr know and maybe get a chest x-ray once a year to keep an eye on things. Prolly a good practice anyways. I'd rather run over transite with a mower once than get chest X-rays every year |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:01:40 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By lazyengineer: Pretty much what I'd do. I'm not an asbestos expert, but from what I can tell the people most notably harmed were those who got recurring repeat exposure to dust. You did get a decent dust exposure, so your concern probably more valid than people who find some, but aren't actually breathing dust from it. So I don't know if we're talking massive cough inducing clouds you were breathing for 30 minutes straight here; vs an outdoor Bam! and some chips got thrown and I suppose some dust was made, that you walked through and kept walking; which I doubt is a big deal. If it were me, I'd just hose down the mower (especially on the inside, and the bag if you were using one), and probably just discard the cloths; and call it done. I wouldn't return to mow that spot again. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By lazyengineer: Originally Posted By stangwagon: Probably not, but even if yes, what are you going to do about it now? You might wash the mower deck and/or your clothes if you’re really concerned. Pretty much what I'd do. I'm not an asbestos expert, but from what I can tell the people most notably harmed were those who got recurring repeat exposure to dust. You did get a decent dust exposure, so your concern probably more valid than people who find some, but aren't actually breathing dust from it. So I don't know if we're talking massive cough inducing clouds you were breathing for 30 minutes straight here; vs an outdoor Bam! and some chips got thrown and I suppose some dust was made, that you walked through and kept walking; which I doubt is a big deal. If it were me, I'd just hose down the mower (especially on the inside, and the bag if you were using one), and probably just discard the cloths; and call it done. I wouldn't return to mow that spot again. Yeah I'm not mowing for them again. I was mowing the property for the past several months every two weeks, I would run the mower just next to the pile of bricks and transite liner but not bump into it. I'm sure there was asbestos in the grass in the general area around their house, it was a ongoing construction site they were living in. They had me mowing because they didn't have time to mow themselves. Unfortunately, I already put my clothes in the washer and ran them through. Should I be concerned about my washing machine being contaminated? |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:09:45 PM EDT
[#9]
Correct me if wrong.....but is the cancer linked to it mostly in folks that worked around it for a long time? And this stuff was used in many products.
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:15:16 PM EDT
[Last Edit: 917-30]
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By sanman28: Correct me if wrong.....but is the cancer linked to it mostly in folks that worked around it for a long time? And this stuff was used in many products. Yes, most of the issues were with prolonged exposure. Asbestos gets in the lining of the lungs and irritates it, and the lungs have no way of getting it out. One small brief exposure shouldn't be enough to cause issues unless there are already issues with the lungs, and even then it is very unlikely. |
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NE, USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:15:26 PM EDT
[#11]
As others have said, this one-time exposure is probably nothing to worry about. Asbestos is a naturally occurring fiber and may be in the ground around your home and you wouldn't even know it.
The danger come from repeated exposure over very long periods of time. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:19:45 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By sanman28: Correct me if wrong.....but is the cancer linked to it mostly in folks that worked around it for a long time? And this stuff was used in many products. You are wrong, but not entirely. Most of the issues are from people who worked around it for a long time, and smoked. A fair amount of issues from those who worked around it for a long time. A handful of issues from those who smoked and had very minimal exposure, and just enough issues from non-smokers with minimal exposure to scare people into taking it seriously. Last asbestos refresher (I've been a licensed asbestos inspector in Nevada for 20 years, we have annual refreshers for all training) I had included statistics along the line of: 2% lifetime risk of lung cancer in the modern population for non smoker and non asbestos long term exposure 7% lifetime risk if long term asbestos exposure, non smoker 8% lifetime risk if non asbestos long term exposure, smoker 80% lifetime risk if long term asbestos exposure and smoker Note - lung cancer and asbestoses are not the same thing. Asbestoses is specifically damage to the pleural lining from asbestos. OP - transite is considered non-friable unless significantly damaged. I wouldn't be concerned about your exposure from this incident a bit. If you are a smoker, quit, or at least quit for a couple weeks. That will help your lungs kick any shit out that happened to get in there and reduce your overall risk. |
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SC, USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:21:10 PM EDT
[#13]
I used to work construction.
I have removed popcorn ceilings and tile with asbestos years before it became a thing. I smoke pipes & cigars as well im old and im still here. It started out one had to work on brake linings and on ships that had pipe wrappings in order to get enough to kill you. Even right now out in Las Vegas they are doing demo on the Tropicana which has asbestos in the concrete and they are just watering some of the dust down. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:21:19 PM EDT
[#14]
I am certainly not an expert; but I have considerable experience with asbestos remediation projects. Typically with building materials that contain asbestos they simply mist the area down to keep the dust at a minimum.
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:32:44 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By nvgeologist: You are wrong, but not entirely. Most of the issues are from people who worked around it for a long time, and smoked. A fair amount of issues from those who worked around it for a long time. A handful of issues from those who smoked and had very minimal exposure, and just enough issues from non-smokers with minimal exposure to scare people into taking it seriously. Last asbestos refresher (I've been a licensed asbestos inspector in Nevada for 20 years, we have annual refreshers for all training) I had included statistics along the line of: 2% lifetime risk of lung cancer in the modern population for non smoker and non asbestos long term exposure 7% lifetime risk if long term asbestos exposure, non smoker 8% lifetime risk if non asbestos long term exposure, smoker 80% lifetime risk if long term asbestos exposure and smoker Note - lung cancer and asbestoses are not the same thing. Asbestoses is specifically damage to the pleural lining from asbestos. OP - transite is considered non-friable unless significantly damaged. I wouldn't be concerned about your exposure from this incident a bit. If you are a smoker, quit, or at least quit for a couple weeks. That will help your lungs kick any shit out that happened to get in there and reduce your overall risk. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By nvgeologist: Originally Posted By sanman28: Correct me if wrong.....but is the cancer linked to it mostly in folks that worked around it for a long time? And this stuff was used in many products. You are wrong, but not entirely. Most of the issues are from people who worked around it for a long time, and smoked. A fair amount of issues from those who worked around it for a long time. A handful of issues from those who smoked and had very minimal exposure, and just enough issues from non-smokers with minimal exposure to scare people into taking it seriously. Last asbestos refresher (I've been a licensed asbestos inspector in Nevada for 20 years, we have annual refreshers for all training) I had included statistics along the line of: 2% lifetime risk of lung cancer in the modern population for non smoker and non asbestos long term exposure 7% lifetime risk if long term asbestos exposure, non smoker 8% lifetime risk if non asbestos long term exposure, smoker 80% lifetime risk if long term asbestos exposure and smoker Note - lung cancer and asbestoses are not the same thing. Asbestoses is specifically damage to the pleural lining from asbestos. OP - transite is considered non-friable unless significantly damaged. I wouldn't be concerned about your exposure from this incident a bit. If you are a smoker, quit, or at least quit for a couple weeks. That will help your lungs kick any shit out that happened to get in there and reduce your overall risk. I don't smoke outside of cigars a few times a year. I have been exposed to asbestos here and there throughout the years but nothing beyond drywall compound dust or crumbling floor tiles. My concern is that the transite was broken up into a bunch of pieces and just piled up with the bricks. Isn't that considered friable? |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:34:33 PM EDT
[#16]
I'm sorry OP, but you better tell your wife and kids you love them, you only have 96 hours to live
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USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:36:55 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By highstepper: Prolly a small exposure will be fine. It ain’t radioactive. If you’re worried about it, let your Dr know and maybe get a chest x-ray once a year to keep an eye on things. Prolly a good practice anyways. Getting a chest x-ray annually is not a good practice. Ironically, because of radiation. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 3:41:23 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By CRSSBNS: I don't smoke outside of cigars a few times a year. I have been exposed to asbestos here and there throughout the years but nothing beyond drywall compound dust or crumbling floor tiles. My concern is that the transite was broken up into a bunch of pieces and just piled up with the bricks. Isn't that considered friable? The chunks are still non friable. Little fibers that flew off when the pieces were broken are. However this probably didn't cause enough for any health issues. I used to work in the abatement industry in NY for a couple of years. That state would have you believing one fiber would kill you within 10 years. I did air monitoring of tiles having holes drilled into them and our air samples never came back high. The contractors would have vacuums with HEPA filters next to the site work though. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:04:01 PM EDT
[#19]
When I was a young 20-something electrician I was working in a major hospital in Boston. I was working on these huge steam pipes that were covered in a white material. The end of every day I brush myself off like it was sheetrock dust. 6 months into the project they started hanging plastic and guys in tyvek suits and respirators started working on that stuff so I asked him what it was. It was asbestos. 40 years later and I have had no issues with that anyway. I think you should be fine running over a few chunks with a mower.
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:10:53 PM EDT
[#20]
My father worked in a foundry with asbestos lined furnaces for over 30 years. Part of his job was to replace and repair that lining. He also smoked Pall Mall non filters. He lived to be 85. Killed himself because his wife was a cunt.
One of my co-workers who worked around asbestos in a shipyard for around 2 years while he was in the Navy, non smoker, died from mesothelioma in his 50s. So, to answer your question, who the fuck knows.  But I think you'll be OK. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:12:13 PM EDT
[#21]
Dibs
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:13:56 PM EDT
[#22]
How old are you OP? Even if you did breath some you'll probably be dead from old age before the cancer kills you.
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:14:48 PM EDT
[#23]
Nothing to worry about.
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:16:35 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By highstepper: ... If you’re worried about it, let your Dr know and maybe get a chest x-ray once a year to keep an eye on things. ... FFS. LOL. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:19:15 PM EDT
[#25]
The crazy thing about asbestos is all it takes is one fiber to hook into your lungs and cause a mutation.... the more pieces you have the higher the odds of it happening.
I honesty wouldn't sweat it because there is nothing you can do about it... We used to try and kick balls all the way up to our gymnasium ceiling to knock it off and then kick the piles around and throw it at each other... we had no fucking idea. We also ate in that gym for lunch. Our school was closed down one summer right around the time ET came out... the school looked like Elliots house in ET covered in plastic with dudes walking in and out with full respirators and suits. |
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USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:19:34 PM EDT
[#26]
It's like smoking, it's repeated, sustained exposure that will more than likely get you. A single exposure shouldn't be an issue.
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SGP
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:21:18 PM EDT
[#27]
Welp, you can't un-asbestos your lungs. You could probably sue him if you wanted.
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:21:25 PM EDT
[#28]
Lol
Dude I grew up in a house covered in asbestos siding. There were spare bags of asbestos siding in the barn. Guess who had to move those dusty piles of shit? Me. I'm fine. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:22:02 PM EDT
[#29]
Worked with it all my life, danger of it is overblown, incidental exposure most likely will cause you no harm
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:28:01 PM EDT
[Last Edit: TheWhiteHorse]
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Into_the_Void: Lol Dude I grew up in a house covered in asbestos siding. There were spare bags of asbestos siding in the barn. Guess who had to move those dusty piles of shit? Me. I'm fine. Siding and tile is no big deal unless you cut it and breathe in the dust. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:28:01 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By McGuy: How old are you OP? Even if you did breath some you'll probably be dead from old age before the cancer kills you. I'm 35 |
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MI, USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:30:37 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By hockeysew: Your gonna die* * it’s ok though, we all do. Dibs on cash, guns, ammo. |
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:54:21 PM EDT
[#33]
Dibs on ammo fort.
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FL, USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 4:59:48 PM EDT
[#34]
Op you will be fine. Just wash the mower and your clothes.
I still have and use asbestos in my own house. I have a sheet of it between my portable propane fireplace and the wall that I put there for fire protection .. Its not as dangerous as people think for occasional exposure. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 5/7/2024 5:31:00 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By nvgeologist: You are wrong, but not entirely. Most of the issues are from people who worked around it for a long time, and smoked. A fair amount of issues from those who worked around it for a long time. A handful of issues from those who smoked and had very minimal exposure, and just enough issues from non-smokers with minimal exposure to scare people into taking it seriously. Last asbestos refresher (I've been a licensed asbestos inspector in Nevada for 20 years, we have annual refreshers for all training) I had included statistics along the line of: 2% lifetime risk of lung cancer in the modern population for non smoker and non asbestos long term exposure 7% lifetime risk if long term asbestos exposure, non smoker 8% lifetime risk if non asbestos long term exposure, smoker 80% lifetime risk if long term asbestos exposure and smoker Note - lung cancer and asbestoses are not the same thing. Asbestoses is specifically damage to the pleural lining from asbestos. OP - transite is considered non-friable unless significantly damaged. I wouldn't be concerned about your exposure from this incident a bit. If you are a smoker, quit, or at least quit for a couple weeks. That will help your lungs kick any shit out that happened to get in there and reduce your overall risk. Glad you wrote this. I was an inspector/teacher in the asbestos field many years ago, military and civilian. Did not know the material which you wrote. Guess it was 40 some years ago. |
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