How to Keep Your Air Safe : Asbestos and Lead-Based Paint

 If you suspect that you have asbestos products or any lead-based paint anywhere in your home, leave material alone. Don’t attempt removing suspected toxic materials yourself. Contact a certified asbestos-removal professional or a contractor to tackle the issues.


Further, if the asbestos is intact and remains in good condition, then the risk of asbestos exposure decreases. As long as the asbestos is undisturbed, then the deadly particles can’t become airborne and there isn’t a danger of inhalation. The same applies to any lead-based paint.


Nevertheless, if the asbestos in your home is in good condition and, yet, you remain concerned, contact a professional asbestos-removal contractor. In most cases, these professionals will seal the asbestos so that the fibers remain intact, and upon request by the homeowner, can remove the asbestos all together.


For lead-based paint issues, always let a professional handle the material.


Again, never attempt to seal or remove any suspected asbestos or lead-based paint on your own.

General Tips

Install and maintain whole-house air ventilation systems

Invest in an air cleaner or purifier

Keep your home free of mold and dust

Regularly service wood burning stoves and fireplaces

Ensure that all home windows are installed correctly and maintained regularly

Switch to natural, non-toxic household cleaners and paints

Place plants around your home

Clean and maintain your furnace regularly

Test the radon levels in your home, and if the level is unsafe, install a radon ventilation system

Asbestos workers at increased risk of heart disease and strokes

Workers exposed to asbestos as part of their job are at significantly greater risk of heart disease and stroke than the general population, finds research published online in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The research indicates women seem to be at greater risk than men.

It is well known that asbestos can cause mesothelioma and asbestosis, as a direct result of their exposure .

The researchers explored the impact of asbestos as an inflammatory agent on the risk of heart disease and stroke.

They analysed cause of death among just under 100,000 asbestos workers taking part in regular voluntary health monitoring and answering questions on levels of exposure for the Asbestos Workers Survey.

The average monitoring period = 19 years

The average age on the date of the first medical examination being 35.

Over half of the men (58%) and women (52%) were smokers at the time of their first medical examination, proportions which had fallen only slightly (55% and 49%) at the time of their last medical examination. Smoking is a known risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

The research team compared the number of deaths from stroke and heart attacks among these workers between 1971 and 2005 against the number that would be expected to occur in the general population (standardised mortality ratios).

During the study period, 15,557 people died from all causes. 

Stroke accounted for just over 1000 deaths while heart disease caused for another 4000.

Male asbestos workers were 63% more likely to die of a stroke and 39% more likely to die of heart disease. The corresponding figures for women were, respectively, 100% and 89%.