Asbestos
The inhalation of asbestos fibers, when these are present in the air, can be the origin of respiratory diseases such as fibrosis, pleural alterations and lung cancer.
After the entry into force of the Ministerial Order of the Spanish Presidency of December 7, 2001, which established the prohibition of using, producing and trading in asbestos fibers and products that contain it, exposure to this pollutant has been limited and restricted to elimination and removal operation of asbestos and the materials that contain it.
During the fifty years preceding the entry into force of the order, the asbestos uses and consumption in the manufacture of materials were abundant in Spain.
Currently there are a large number of facilities that still have the presence of these materials, which in many cases have been incorrectly identified or present an inadequate state of preservation. These two circumstances may be the origin of an inadvertent exposure by facilities users to asbestos fibers, suspended due to improper handling of the material or an inadequate state of preservation that allows fibers release.
Within this area, INS provides answers through:
- Evaluation of materials with asbestos identification.
- Evaluation of indoor air quality in relation to asbestos fibers concentration in suspension and / or evaluation of environmental decontamination level.