Vermiculite management and asbestos materials
Vermiculite has been used in insulation products for many homes in Canada and the United States. Much of the vermiculite sold in North America has been mined from a mine (Libby, Montana) where the low percentage of asbestos is naturally found.
The ore that raises concern is that mined from the Libby mine between 1920 and 1990. It was sold in Canada between 1963 and 1984 under the trade name Zonolite® Attic Insulation.
Health effects:
- Asbestosis (formation, in the lungs, of scar tissue that interferes with breathing)
- Mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer of the chest wall or abdominal cavity)
- Lung cancer
Other materials that may contain asbestos:
- Stuccos;
- False ceiling plates;
- Cement mortars Plasters;
- Insulating materials of granaries;
- Insulators on mechanical pipes;
- Insulating materials of external perimeter walls;
- Insulating materials for false floors in the basement;
- Vinyl-asbestos floor tiles;
- Tiles;
- Flocking.
The best way to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure is to avoid moving or demolishing asbestos materials in any way. If you are undergoing renovation work, in order to protect occupants and workers, the characterization of materials likely to contain asbestos is an obligation currently included in the Safety Code for the construction work and must be done before undergoing any work likely to emit asbestos dust.
