Panicking over possible asbestos exposure!

[lost.]

I really need to share this with people who are more likely to understand what I'm feeling right now, as most people who I've talked to simply don't get it. Please bear with me, as this post might be a bit long.

A recent incident triggered off an obsession of mine which I thought I had finally buried for good a few years ago, and this worry is really bogging me down.

So we were having loft insulation fitted the next day, we've been living in our house for 25 years, and in that time the loft was never cleared of the rubbish. So naturally, we started cleaning it, most of the items we found was just wood and metal, but we found these two small pipes, both were about a metre or so long, which had some material wrapped around it, insulation I presume. At the time, I thought nothing of it. We cleared everything and took the rubbish down to the local recycling centre for disposal. I thought that was the end of that.

However, a few hours later, it suddenly occurred to me that the pipes we found with the material wrapped around it could have been asbestos! Then I started to think that since these pipes had been laying in the loft before we moved in, and that was back in the 80s, then there is a high chance of it containing asbestos. I have no idea how old these pipes were, it could be from the 80s, 70s or even 60s, we found a local newspaper dated to 1964! So then panick struck! Since asbestos insulation material usually contains the most dangerous variant of asbestos, the amphibole kind!

Although I don't know for sure if it did infact contain asbestos or not, since I had no way of testing it anymore, but I couldn't think of any other material they could've used back then? I mean what else could they have wrapped the pipes with if not asbestos?, it was the popular choice back in the day.

Since then, I've been constantly ruminating about this, playing out different scenarios in my mind, I feel that the asbestos may have become airbourne during the handling of it, since the material wasn't in good condition, and feel the whole house is possibly contaminated now. I feel the car is contaminated too since I used it to transport the rubbish to the recycling centre.

I really hate this obsession, the contant worrying, constant anxiety, the feeling that I will contract some asbestos related disease like mesothelioma in 30 to 40 years time and die a horrible, painful death.

I thought I had finally conquered ocd/health anxiety, I had been free of ocd/anxiety for 2 years!, my life was going good, though I'm working at the moment but I was motivated and enthusiastic on concentrating on getting into the career I want, I got married recently and my wife will be joining me in a few months, but this has spoiled everything! My motivation, enthusiasm, excitement has completely eroded away thanks to this one incident which I could've averted!

I'm thinking of getting an air test done, but then I think, what if they play on my fears? arghh!

Anyway, if any of you made it this far, thanks for reading.

[AnnieMags]

Dear Lost, did you handle these tubes in such a way that the wrapping, whatever it was, broke? If you didn't, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about, even if it was asbestos. Asbestos fibres only become airborne when the material is damaged, broken, sawn, drilled or cut into. Even assuming that the wrapping was asbestos, if you just picked these pipes up and transported them, there is no danger whatsoever. Best wishes from Annie

[countrygirl]

As previous post says. Remember that for years ironing boards had asbestos covers! If just having them in your home was dangerous then every housewife would have died of asbestos cancer. Intact asbestos is safe plus the ones used in houses was a million times safer than the blue kind used in industry. Also you need a fair amount of exposure, a bit like catching TB you need to be in the environment of it for time to be in danger.

[lost.]

Dear Lost, did you handle these tubes in such a way that the wrapping, whatever it was, broke? If you didn't, then you have absolutely nothing to worry about, even if it was asbestos. Asbestos fibres only become airborne when the material is damaged, broken, sawn, drilled or cut into. Even assuming that the wrapping was asbestos, if you just picked these pipes up and transported them, there is no danger whatsoever. Best wishes from Annie

Hi Annie, I can't remember if it was broken, but it didn't look in good condition, I didn't touch the wrapping itself, I held on to the metal part of the pipe. But I get these thoughts that since it didn't look in good condition, simply moving them may have released the fibres into the air. I mean, rationally I know that even if there was any exposure, it would've been so minimal that any risk would be very low, but obviously my brain cannot accept that and I ruminates over the worst possible scenario.

---------- Post added at 21:14 ---------- Previous post was at 21:07 ----------


As previous post says. Remember that for years ironing boards had asbestos covers! If just having them in your home was dangerous then every housewife would have died of asbestos cancer. Intact asbestos is safe plus the ones used in houses was a million times safer than the blue kind used in industry. Also you need a fair amount of exposure, a bit like catching TB you need to be in the environment of it for time to be in danger.

Hi countrygirl, do you know if they used blue asbestos domestically?, what worries me is that if this was indeed asbestos pipe insulation, than it has a good chance of it being made of blue/brown asbestos, which is significantly more dangerous than the white chrysotile kind, and that is what bothers me a lot. I have no way of testing it, so my mind is constantly thinking of the "what ifs".

[countrygirl]

what colour was the insulation, you describe it as white I think so that would mean white asbestos if it was that at all. blue or brown is exactly that in colour. Blue or brown was not as far as I know used in domestic property.

The chances of this being asbestos are very low - even if it was you did not crush or damage the insulation and/or breath it in for prolonged length of time. So you have much more chance of being run over by a bus than of suffering from asbestos exposure!

It is impossible to know for sure so you can decide to either forget it and live life to the full or worry yourself sick over something that might not even have been what you fear and then get run over by a bus!

I am not being cruel here or belittling your fears just pointing out how you could waste your life worrying about something that is highly unlikely ever to be a problem.

Please live life and enjoy it.

[mikewales]

You are at almost no risk of any problems, the actual acceptable rates of asbestos fibres in the air is pretty high. Also , unless you actually broke the insulaton and took a huge breath, the chances of taking in enough fibres is minimal.

Most of the people who had problems with asbestos were plumbers and people working with it every day before the dangers where known, who would smash it up and cut it without thinking about it. Even then, I know a couple of retired plumbers who worked with it all their lives, in enclosed spaces, and show no signs of any problems.

[lost.]

what colour was the insulation, you describe it as white I think so that would mean white asbestos if it was that at all. blue or brown is exactly that in colour. Blue or brown was not as far as I know used in domestic property.

The chances of this being asbestos are very low - even if it was you did not crush or damage the insulation and/or breath it in for prolonged length of time. So you have much more chance of being run over by a bus than of suffering from asbestos exposure!

It is impossible to know for sure so you can decide to either forget it and live life to the full or worry yourself sick over something that might not even have been what you fear and then get run over by a bus!

I am not being cruel here or belittling your fears just pointing out how you could waste your life worrying about something that is highly unlikely ever to be a problem.

Please live life and enjoy it.

It wasn't white, it was a darkish colour but not blue, but since it's been up there for decades, it could've just gathered dust I guess.

You are right about wasting life over worrying, I am feeling less anxious the past two days, reason being is that I've stopped googling, which has helped immensley, I'm better able to see reason since I'm not being overwhelmed with fear and axiety.

Thanks.

---------- Post added at 23:07 ---------- Previous post was at 22:52 ----------


You are at almost no risk of any problems, the actual acceptable rates of asbestos fibres in the air is pretty high. Also , unless you actually broke the insulaton and took a huge breath, the chances of taking in enough fibres is minimal.

Most of the people who had problems with asbestos were plumbers and people working with it every day before the dangers where known, who would smash it up and cut it without thinking about it. Even then, I know a couple of retired plumbers who worked with it all their lives, in enclosed spaces, and show no signs of any problems.

Hi Mike,

Nah the insulation wasn't broken by me, nor was it handled in anyway which would've broken it, but it wasn't in very good condition when found so there may had been pre-existing tears, but thinking about it calmly, I don't think it is much cause for concern as any exposure would've been minimal, if there was any to begin with. They were only two very short pipes, both about a metre long, so it wasn't like I was dealing with a huge amount of the stuff, also there wasn't any visible dust in the air.

I guess getting an air test done would be overkill?

Thanks

[mikewales]

Getting an air test done would be pretty pointless. If there were fibres in the air, and you breathed them in, then it could take decades for any problems to show up, so there wouldn't be anything you could do about it, and all you would do is make yourself worry more about it.

They used to use a lot of asbestos insulation on water tanks, and when removing them the plumbers would often smash it off with a hammer, these are the sort of people who were at high risk as they were breathing in fibres all the time, and even then, the amount of cases were pretty low.

[lost.]

So in your opinion, I have nothing to worry about?, as this incident wouldn't have made any difference?, I guess I'm just seeking reassurance.

[countrygirl]

You are asking the unanswerable I am afraid. This is health anxiety, just like asking " can someone tell me 100% that I will never get cancer or heart disease etc etc".

From what you have said the risk of you getting an asbetos related disease is almost non existant but as above no one in the world can say 100% no. Accepting this will go along way to helping your health anxiety.

Asbestos is just the worry you have latched on to at this moment in time. This is health anxiety.

Accept that your risk is almost non existant and that you are in much more danger of being run over!! Bet your not worrying yourself silly about that are you:winks:

Basically health anxiety is seeking 100% reassurance for whatever is worrying us and this is just not possible and so the problem continues.
As you say when you calm down and think normally you can see how extreme your thinking is - hang onto the thinking normally :)

[mikewales]

Realistically, there is a slim chance you may have it develop in 30 years, but in the meantime you could get run over by a bus or be the first person to be mauled to death by a zombie hamster, so I don't think it is worth wasting any time even thinking about it

[jparks]

Realistically, there is a slim chance you may have it develop in 30 years, but in the meantime you could get run over by a bus or be the first person to be mauled to death by a zombie hamster, so I don't think it is worth wasting any time even thinking about it

I think you're wrong that there's even a slim chance. Based on what the original poster said, I think there is a 0% chance. But then again, I have the same irrational fear that he or she does, so even though I know the chance is 0%, the situation would still freak me out.

I'm really glad I found this thread, and this website in general, but now I'm worrying about ironing board covers based on an earlier post.