. I was cutting a door in a room as I had to take 10mm off. When I finished cutting with a circular saw I noticed the room was filled with dust and this was not in keeping with typical saw dust when cutting . I quickly realised that the door had a sheet on one side which I’m sure was asbestos insulation board . I was in the room for half hour and was devastated and didn’t really know how to react or what to do. I would like to know if anyone knows what sort of implications this type of exposure can have and if there is anything I can do . Many thanks in advance.
Asbestos exposure in a enclosed room - Lung Conditions C...
Asbestos exposure in a enclosed room
Written by
Hectorite
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33 Replies
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Hello Hectorite I would speak to a medical professional and explain what happened. Hope you’re ok. Xxxx
It used to be fashionable in the 70s to cover old panelled doors with non-hazardous fibre board which was then painted white, to make the doors easier to clean. Was the dust you experienced pure grey-white, or white with pale brown mixed in?
Hi, thanks for replying I would say it was more white but I couldn’t be sure . I inspected the material I cut through and initially I thought it could be fibre board but when I looked at the door more I realised it’s very old and the board was white with bits of crystal like bits in it..... maybe I should send it of for testing?
This is a tricky one because, effectively, the damage is done. However, what you describe sounds more like Superlux, which was used as a substitute for asbestos insulating board, and contains crystals of mica, which is possibly what you can see - this will not be as hazardous as asbestos. On the other hand, asbestos insulating board typically contained amosite (colloquially known as brown asbestos, though would appear white with all the fillers used in the product); this has short straight fibres which should be visible sticking out of the cut edge of the board.
The standard way of removing toxic dust is with an industrial vacuum cleaner with HEPA filter (available from hire shops), and a good wash down (the fibres aren't soluble, but won't become airborne in water). The local council may be able to advise further, or a specialist asbestos remover, but the latter will be very expensive; if it is asbestos, then this is hazardous waste, and should be disposed of as such.
Thats very worrying Hectorite, perhaps you should send it off for testing and speak with your gp to see if you can see a specialist. Did you have a mask on and if so is it a good one, doing this type of work a really good mask is a must x
I was thinking the same thing but also on the other hand is there anything that can be done to be honest .
I worked with Asbestos way back in the 1960s the covering for pipes in a sewage pumping station and as an electrician had to clear a lot of it away to put earth bonding straps, but we used it as you would throw a snowball!
In hindsight not a wise thing, as now suffering from advanced pulmonary fibrosis.
So get your self checked out, take a sample to a specialist company, but make sure it is well wrapped up,
Asbestos can be a few colours, white grey, blue.
If it is it can be expensive to remove.
Good luck and let us know how you get on
Happy new year
Health-wise it’s impossible to say. Asbestos-related diseases take decades to come to anything, and some of the healthiest people I’ve seen were chain-smoking asbestos workers! It’s all luck of the draw, like most lung and other conditions. Pointless getting medical advice at present as there will be no symptoms. Best clean up as best you can, and forget about it for the next 30-40 years.
Lol yes exactly my thoughts but just can’t forget about it .... maybe it’ll take time ....
Like Offcut and Oldspark, I too have had experience of asbestos and wouldn't wish to make light of it but, to put it into context, asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral and you will dig it up every time you do some gardening; you will also dig up uranium and other nasties, but no-one wears radiation suits whilst gardening (unless you're in Chernobyl!). There are a lot of hazardous materials around, but their risk is usually low because their exposure is minimal or infrequent. Your exposure to dust from this board may not have been minimal but, because it would be infrequent, the risk would still be low. There's no point worrying about it and at least you're not likely to repeat it!
Thanks for the reply once again . I’ve had someone tell me to shine a torch on a bit of it so I went and got a piece of it and it has crystal like substance in the whole bit of sample I have . I was told that it’s supalux if it has this shiny glitter like stuff in it ..... this is reassuring right ?
Yep. Excuse my mis-spelling of Supalux in the earlier message (it's been some time!), but it does seem like a non-asbestos material and ties in with what Offcut says about mica (which, like quartz, is quite reflective). Both quartz and mica contain silica, which is hazardous but, unlike asbestos, is not fibrous, so lung damage only tends to occur after prolonged exposure at high levels - that won't apply in your case. Sounds like you're in the clear!
I cut Asbestolux for many years and at the time we were told it was not the nasty brown asbestos but I later found it was the Blue Asbestos. This was then changed to mainly cement based with mica . I also cut laminates and MDF plus far eastern plywoods which if you got a splinter went septic very quickly. Now this was in the 1970/80's As of today I am not showing Ground glass on my Xrays so they don't think Asbestos has messed my lungs up yet? ( they are already messed up anyway) Asbestos is an evil product that can take over 25 years to show or make an impact on the body. I hope it all is nothing to worry about!
Be Well
Hi offcut, I'm sorry to hear this.
Would it be okay for me to ask what thickness asbestolux boards come in and if you know the asbestos type percentage in a 50mm asbestos insulation board if they come in this size?
The one we cut was 6mm ! And we cut loads as it was the time we went over to natural gas so as they were been converted they had to have a fireproof surround to meet regs if one was not there? We did not have any masks or venting system as it was a family business and did not need the same safety compliance for us at the time.
Thanks for the reply
Hi Hectorite, did you experience any immediate coughing/sneezing after? As asbestos would not cause coughing etc after being exposed I believe?
If I’m honest because I thought it was asbestos I had all sorts of things happening to me . I’m sure it was mostly a mental thing. But I did feel like I had a tight chest or some irritation . I’ve got the sample being tested and just waiting for the results .
Did your lungs feel itchy? Or itching under the skin/abdomen? I would note any symptoms you may have experienced to your GP. I hope the sample results come back clear and provide much reassurance, but yes it can sometimes be anxiety too.
Yes I did feel itchy in the lungs ..... but I also had a rash at night and I’m sure that was due to stress ..... thanks for advice , I will keep a note and depending on the results I don’t have to go see my gp fingers crossed 
Yes I had a similar experience with the itchy lungs and also felt like the skin under my abdomen was itching. It could just have irritation from the dust I was exposed to which I still don't know for certain was asbestos but true, hopefully the results will be clear and there is no worry. Please keep us updated and I wish you the best with the results being clear 😊
Hi all. Many thanks for the much appreciated replies and taking time out to read my post. I had test results come back today and they confirmed that the sample I sent has no asbestos present . Thank god and a very huge lesson learnt .
That's great news! So relieved for you and yes worrying is the worst but thank goodness it's the best result 😁
Yes definitely ... many thanks 😀
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