Asbestos exposure

[Carlawarla89]

Hi guys,

Ive used this site a lot over the last couple of years for advice (directed by google ... my biggest enemy sometimes!) but I've never posted before.

Even while writing this post I feel ridiculous, I suffer from health anxiety as a rule and like many I become obsessive about it - I'm really looking for some rational advice.

We moved into our flat in feb this year since moving I have become really 'paranoid' about asbestos exposure .. we have some damaged boards in an old airing cupboard which we are getting our landlord to check.

My question is, in my search on google (I know I shouldn't) I came across some pictures of old loft insulation, insulation which myself and my son were exposed to in our previous house, we had a hole in our ceiling and green/brown loose insulation was leaking out, at the time my housing association said it was nothing to worry about. Know I can't stop thinking about how dangerous it was/may have been, we kept all of our clean bedding /towel/ blankets etc in the airing cupboard.
We moved into the house in 2010 when my son was 5 months old and the problem persisted on and off for around 2 years.

I can't stop thinking that my son is now going to suffer in later life. I know realistically there is nothing I can do about it now but I can't stop panicking about what may happen.

[uru]

Ok let's try to rationalise it.

Do you know that the green/brown insulation was asbestos?

[Lauralou81]

Hi, I also feel your pain! I have just been googling asbestos insulation too which we all know we shouldn't do an came across your post. I have the exact same issues as yourself. I have had a fear of asbestos for around two and half years and been battling with it ever since. I have just got the Christmas decs out of the loft and noticed some old loft insulation which I have never thought about before, and googled the images as you do and am convinced I have disturbed it and spread it all over the house (even though I didn't touch any) I'm just scared its on the stuff I brought down. I fear the house is contaminated with it and it's on everything! We have been going in the loft all the time since living here and now keep thinking we have been exposed to it long term if it is asbestos! I know how you feel as I have a 2 year old son and am convinced we are all going to die of asbestos related illnessesans it will be all my fault. I don't definitely know if it is asbestos but it looks the same as on the pictures on Google! It's probably just old insulation but it's eating me up. It's so awful isn't it.

[uru]

I think it's really unlikely to be asbestos. Normal insulation looks pretty similar.

It would have had to have been built at a very specific time and had no one sort it out.
The council will remove it if it is (which I doubt)

[MyNameIsTerry]

Only white asbestos was used in domestic properties. The other colours are the more dangerous ones linked to the things you are worried about but they were used in industrial buildings, shipworks, schools, tc. If your building wasn't converted from something industrial then you won't have brown but the other one is blue, not green, so green can't be at all.

Asbestos exposure is about continual exposure, not one off exposure. Then it's also about the quality because what people don't realise is the stuff is frequently in the air anyway, just in such tiny quantities that it is not an issue for health.