Construction Products with Asbestos

The rate of mesothelioma among carpenters, drywallers and others in the construction trades has been relatively high. A study in the U.K. found that workers in the construction trades, especially those born in the 1940s, are at especially high risk of developing mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. Read more about the mesothelioma risks of baby boomers.

Carpenters, drywallers, electricians and plumbers have worked with and around a variety of asbestos-containing products that exposed them to the toxic dust. Asbestos was used extensively in construction materials in the 1960s and 1970s.

Asbestos in Commercial Construction

Between the 1950s and the 1970s, America saw major waves of commercial construction. The period after World War II was a tremendous time of growth, and the establishment of the interstate highway system led to large-scale building in formerly undeveloped areas. And during these periods of heavy commercial construction, asbestos was used heavily in many types of construction materials.

Asbestos in Industrial Construction

Industrial facilities use enormous quantities of asbestos-containing products. While insulation was predominantly asbestos free beginning in the 1970s, millions of gaskets continued to contain up to 85 percent asbestos well into the 1980s. Industrial workers were required to routinely replace asbestos-containing gaskets, exposing them to asbestos fibers at harmful levels.

Asbestos in Residential Construction

Carpenters, drywallers, electricians and others who worked in residential construction were exposed to asbestos in joint compound and other building materials. When asbestos-containing joint compound is sanded smooth, it releases asbestos fibers into the air that could be inhaled by all workers at any location in the building. In fact, scientific studies published in the 1970s warned the asbestos industry that workers in other rooms were breathing harmful levels of the invisible asbestos fibers that float from room to room and remain suspended for long periods. Floor tiles, piping and roofing materials also contained asbestosand could release asbestos into the air when they were cut or manipulated.

Asbestos in Renovation and Demolition

Renovation and demolition activities continue to pose significant risks of asbestos exposure because so many asbestos products remain in all types of structures throughout the country. Authorities agree there is little risk of asbestos exposure so long as asbestos-containing products are not cut or disturbed, and most asbestos products in buildings are protected by a layer of paint. As asbestos materials age, however, they can begin to crumble and deteriorate, causing them to release asbestos fibers. During renovation and demolition, these asbestos materials may be torn or damaged. In the past, professional and hobby remodelers have been exposed to large amounts of asbestos during these projects.

Today, detailed asbestos regulations govern the handling and removal of all asbestos-containing materials. See National Emission Standard for Asbestos. Unfortunately, these regulations are sometimes not followed—either willfully or negligently—and, in those cases, workers or others can be exposed to asbestos released during demolition or remodeling. Learn more about federal regulation of asbestos on the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbreg.html. State law may also regulate the handling of asbestos.

It is important to follow proper procedures when attempting to test your own walls for the presence of asbestos. Learn more about safe inspections by reading a sample protocol designed for a California home based on federal and local regulations.

Learn more about the types of products [below] that exposed constructions workers to asbestos and the particular trades that experienced significant asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Products

In the 1960s and 1970s, asbestos was found in a very wide range of building materials. Due to powerful industrial lobbying efforts, asbestos is still not banned from use in the United States. See The Status of Asbestos Materials in the United States. The following products typically contained asbestos, at least until the 1970s. However, this list does not include all of the asbestos-containing products to which construction workers were exposed.

  • Acoustical Ceilings or Panels
  • Acoustic and Stippled Finishes
  • Block Insulation
  • Boiler Insulation
  • Brick and Block Mortar
  • Carpet Underlays
  • Ceiling Products (Read about Asbestos in Popcorn Ceilings and Various Ceiling Tiles or Panels)
  • Cement Pipe
  • Cement Sheet and Siding Products
  • Duct Insulation
  • Duct Tape
  • Electrical Wires
  • Elevator Brake Shoes
  • Fireplaces (including dampers and artificial fireplaces)
  • Fireproofing (including fireproofing sprays)
  • Flooring (Vinyl Sheet Flooring and Tiles) asbestos paper backing
  • Floor Leveling Compound
  • Fume Hoods
  • Gaskets
  • Incandescent Light Fixture Backing
  • Insulating Cement
  • Joint Compound (for plaster or drywall applications)
  • Loose Fill Insulation (Vermiculite)
  • Mud or Texture Coats
  • Patching and Spackling Compounds
  • Putty and Caulk
  • Pipe Insulation
  • Plasters
  • Putty
  • Roofing Materials (including panels, felts and mastics)
  • Sheetrock Tape
  • Stucco
  • Textiles
  • Textured Paints
  • Wall Panels
  • Welding Blankets and Screens
  • Wire Insulation

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