Spotlight on Special Waste: Asbestos
It’s easy to know what to do with household wastes such as empty can goods, milk cartons and newspapers, these items can all be easily recycled. But what do you do with other items from your industrial work setting? Special wastes are solid wastes resulting from an industrial process that need a more specified means of handling, transportation, or disposal to ensure the protection of the environment and the public health, welfare, and safety. Some examples of special wastes include fly ash, dead animals, bag house dust, wastewater treatment plant solids, asbestos containing materials, petroleum contaminated soils, debris, oil and gas waste, as well as paint and sludge.
Asbestos is another waste requiring special approval and handling. It is commonly found in old structures and a person can be exposed to it during renovations of older homes or buildings. If you find asbestos in your home during a renovation, a state licensed asbestos inspector and state licensed asbestos contractor as soon as possible to ensure the proper removal and disposal of it. If you find asbestos in your home, do not dispose of any material containing asbestos in your regular trash.
It is important to have these items properly removed because regular exposure will increase your chances of developing disease. Although symptoms can take years to develop, they are very harmful to your health and can be lethal. There are three common health effects associated with asbestos exposure, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. Asbestosis is a serious and progressive disease of the lungs that is non-cancerous, but is directly related to being exposed to asbestos.
Typically people are exposed to asbestos by breathing it in. When a material containing asbestos is disturbed or moved, the asbestos fibers can be released into the air. Typically, people are exposed to asbestos during renovations or home repairs. Asbestos used to be used in residential insulators, so it is common to find it in older homes. Asbestos is very harmful to your health. Be sure to wears masks when exploring new areas of your home when planning a renovation, to prevent accidental inhalation. Exposure to asbestos increases your risk of developing lung disease and cancer.
For these reasons asbestos needs to be disposed of properly, so as not to harm yourself or others. Millennium Waste encourages you to visit the Asbestos Abatement section of Illinois Department of Health with any questions regarding proper asbestos removal.
For more information on these and other health effects of asbestos exposure see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Cancer Institute.
Visit Millennium Waste online for more information on how to live a cleaner and greener life.
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