If you head south of Sydney, you will reach the coastal city of Wollongong. This city is filled with surfing beaches and coastal rock pools. Wollongong has an area of 572 square kilometers, and according to the 2016 census, it has 296,669 residents. Wollongong has a long history of coal mining and is a center for the regional South Coast fishing industry.
Like any other resident of Australia, the residents of Wollongong are faced with a potential hazard right amid their homes, especially if these homes were built before 1990.
The potential threat that faces is asbestos fiber inhalation. Because of this, companies that provide Asbestos Removal in Wollongong have been busy removing this potentially deadly material from homes.
Read Also:
Asbestos
Asbestos is a mineral compound found in rocks, sediments, or soil. They are naturally occurring and are made up of crystal fibers that are extremely resistant to heat.
This heat-resistant property was the main reason why asbestos was used as a component of building materials, including electrical insulation, cement for walls, and roofing materials.
Asbestos Use in Australia
Asbestos removal Australia. Before it was completely banned in Australia on December 31, 2003, Australia had one of the highest usages of asbestos per person worldwide.
Australia was also one of the highest importers of mined asbestos, importing over 1.5 million tons annually from 1930 to 1983.
Dangers of Asbestos
When properly bonded, asbestos poses no immediate threat to household members. However, as asbestos-infused building materials get damaged, scratched, or deteriorate over time, these materials become friable or crumble easily.
The crumbling of asbestos materials causes the release of microscopic crystal fibrils that can be inhaled or ingested by humans and pets.
When asbestos fibrils are inhaled or ingested, they cannot be broken down by the body’s defense mechanisms and may attach themselves to the body’s vital organs, such as the lungs and stomach linings.
As a result, breathing in these crystal fibrils can cause lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma, all fatal diseases with no effective treatment until now.
The severity of asbestos-related diseases will depend on the following:
- The chances of contracting these deadly diseases increase with the increased number of inhaled fibrils.
- The chances of getting lung cancer from inhaling asbestos are magnified if you are a smoker.
- The symptoms of asbestos-related diseases do not appear until 20 to 30 years after the initial inhalation.
The Removal of Asbestos from Homes
Asbestos fibrils released into the air are microscopic and cannot be seen by the naked eye. Aside from that, the symptoms of diseases caused by asbestos inhalation will not show up immediately.
It is, therefore, important to prevent diseases by opting for Asbestos Removal in Wollongong if you suspect that your home has asbestos in it.
However, removing asbestos is a strictly regulated undertaking. Homeowners may remove asbestos materials from their home if and only if the asbestos materials are non-friable and are less than ten square meters.
Even then, it is highly recommended that any non-friable asbestos removal from the home must be done or at least supervised by a licensed company that offers Asbestos Removal in Wollongong with at least a Class B.
Homes that have friable asbestos must hire removal companies that have Class A licenses since the removal and reduction of the asbestos will already be classified as a major and extremely hazardous undertaking.
