Should I be concerned about incidental asbestos dust exposure I had 20 years ago?

I worked for a construction firm in the summer breaks while in college from 1985-1989 and had exposure to asbestos dust. I am healthy today and have no issues. Should I be concerned anyway?

You should talk to your doctor about it. It might be a good idea for you to have periodic chest x-rays just as a precaution. I don't think you should get overly concerned at this point.

What do I do about my neighbors asbestos-sided house burning upwind of mine?

They had asbestos siding and probably asbestos insulation. Is there anything I can do short of hiring an expensive company to detect and clean my property of asbestos contamination? Will it be OK for my child to play in the yard after I cut the grass? Will I be OK when I cut the grass?

You can call the health board in your area..this is totally illegal..By law a removal of this sort should be done only by trained and licensed asbestos ebatement teams...They canot legally do this..If it is already done the health board will perform the necessary tests and also make them pay for any removal if you show signs of it in your yard, along with more than likely a heavy fine...Asbestos si usually not harmless unless airborne in a dust form etcetera, but by burning it I would say this put some airborne and into the enviroment

Why people do not want to talk about asbestos and the people who been sick about it ?

We have millions of people as of today are exposed with asbestos and going to die with metsophelioma and no one want to answer or talk about it. you have to be one foot on grave to be able to get some kind of help or hire a lawyer ,and our government is blaming the cigarettes for all the lung cancer in this country . they better start watching people that has been exposed in the 70's is just begin to show.how can we help?

You are mistaken, America is awash with lawyers who want to talk about this horrible (but extremely rare) phenomenom, but it is hardly a "real" problem, unless you happen to be unfortunate enough to be a victim yourself. Mesothelioma will indeed kill some people, perhaps as many as 3,000 in 2008, whereas 3,000,000 people will sucumb to a smoking-related death during the same period.

Where do YOU think we should focus our efforts?

Has any body worked with that stuff. I have to work with some material and i am not sure if it does not contain dangerous material for health such as asbestos. May be you know the way to check if material that we have to work with doesn't contain asbestos. I am repairing my room. And I have to remove ceiling wich is made of such square parts (0.5mx0.5m). These are constructed to the ceiling. They are light and when i try removing them some small part drop down and there are some dust. I could stick photo o that material. Thank for your time reading this and your answer if you have any ;)

There is places that test for asbestos.. your allowed a small amount like 3% if your house is old... dont touch it call an expert

Why are some people paranoid about buying homes with asbestos?

I know some people that would turn their backs if they saw a centimeter of asbestos in a home for sale. Whats the big deal? I think the installed products are best left alone, and would release more fibers if you remove them.
Hey my house has asbestos siding under the plastic siding! 32 years in the same house, and no effects!

You've touched on the answer. People who do not know think "this stuff is poison, or I will get cancer" Asbestos products as you indicated are best left alone. There are cases where the removal is important, if you are removing an old boiler system and installing a central forced air system then the old system is in the way and should be removed by a professional. In the case of asbestos tile floor or siding the material is OK as long as in the case of siding it is painted and you do not saw, or drill or scrape the material. If painted you don't want to scrape it when you plan to repaint. In the case of tile, you should not strip the floor to apply new wax. and you should keep it waxed or sealed. The fibers are dangerous when they become airborne. Lead based paint falls into this category too.

Could anyone tell me what can be done about asbestos siding when you want to put new siding up?

Thankyou for any help

You can just cover it and no one would know the difference. The problem would arise if you ever decided to sell your house. If you do not disclose the fact that you have asbestos and it's discovered later your still liable for it's removal and possible fines for the cover up. If the buyer is made aware of it then you have to have it removed anyway. Do it now, save the headache. BTW, your realtor and/or lawyer would also be liable for not disclosing the presence of asbestos.

How much does it cost to have about 30 feet of asbestos on pipes covered?

There is about 30 ft of pipes in the basement of home that I am in the process of purchasing. There is about 6 inches of asbestos exposed on the pipes in two different spots. just need some info as to how much it would cost to have this covered.

First the seller should be taking care of it. For your mortgage lender to allow this to slip through is a shame. As well as for your lawyer to not have this fixed before you sign om the dotted line.