Auburn University buildings are full of asbestos. Not all them, just the majority that were built before 1980.
However, there are those who don't think this is a problem.
"I want to be clear with you, there is no asbestos crisis across campus," said Assistant Vice President for Facilities Dan King. "We have asbestos in many places, but it generally is contained, and it's not a problem unless you take a saw to it or you're shredding it or pulverizing it. You got to somehow make the asbestos material so that the asbestos fibers fly around in the air, and then they're dangerous if you breathe them."
One of the reasons asbestos was initially utilized is because it's a fibrous mineral.
Asbestos has also been used by humans for thousands of years because of its fire-resistant properties.
It's been in use since ancient Greek civilizations and is still used by nations that do not have the restrictions the U.S. does about not using materials that contain it in construction.
Once it is extracted from rocks there are a myriad of industrial applications for it. Or, as Sikes pointed out, there used to be.
After it was proven that asbestos can sicken people who are exposed to it for long periods of time OSHA placed limits on how many asbestos fibers are allowed to be in the air in workplaces.
Most people who have heard about asbestos are probably familiar with it because of television commercials advertising legal services for those suffering from mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a lung cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure.
However, according to John Sikes, UA assistant director for environmental programs at the UA Asbestos Laboratory, Auburn students and faculty may not need to run to the store to purchase protective masks just yet.
"My professional opinion is that there are very few asbestos-related diseases that come from just incidental exposure (like) being in buildings where there's some asbestos," Sikes said. "For non-occupational exposure, there's no doubt in my mind that there's very, very few asbestos-related diseases."
This is because the majority of people who have become sick because of asbestos-exposure had a job that involved working with asbestos. like installing or renovating materials that contained asbestos.
Sikes said there is little evidence that University students and faculty who have such limited exposure to asbestos will eventually develop asbestos-related diseases.
"Mesothelioma may be caused by very, very small exposures, we don't know," Sikes said. "But something like asbestosis is another disease caused by asbestos, we do know it takes very large exposures, maybe constant occupational exposure for five, 10, 15 years."
However, asbestos doesn't appear to be a more serious threat to people with ailments like asthma, Sikes said.
But he did cite a study which said smokers are more likely to develop lung cancer caused by asbestos-exposure.
Places that usually contain asbestos include coatings on ceilings, pipe insulation, soundproofing panels in theaters, protective coverings around structural steel and floor tiles.
"There's really not a lot of asbestos (in the University) that the average person should be bumping into," King said. "Other than floor tile."
However, Sikes said even with all the tiles students and faculty tread over during their time at Auburn, it doesn't seem very likely that would be enough to make them sick.
"And the reason is this, is that while there is asbestos in that floor tile; it's very tightly bound in it," Sikes said. "And you really need to disturb the tile, cutting through it, or breaking it up, to really release the asbestos from it. There would be gradual release from just wear, and that amount of wear is going to be related somewhat to how well those floors are maintained."
Sikes said routine floor waxing is one thing that helps maintain floor strength and prevent the release of asbestos fibers.
But even if the floors aren't well-maintained, the amount of asbestos that might be released would be so small there is little chance it would sicken anyone, Sikes added.
"Asbestos is not a problem unless you make it airborne," King said. "When asbestos floor tile would be a problem is if you demolish it, then you have to be careful how you remove it because when you chip it and scrape it up it causes the asbestos fibers to get in the air, and that's when it's dangerous."
However, as can be seen from renovation at Foy Student Union, the University takes precautions to contain any asbestos that might escape during renovation in older buildings.
A professional asbestos-removal crew was hired to work on the floors. The workers wore protective equipment, and the work area was sealed so that those not trained to work with asbestos couldn't enter.
But some materials are more susceptible to damage than others. and therefore more likely to break down and release fibers into the air.
Sikes said roof leaks can cause asbestos to be released into the air.
He said floor tile is a much sturdier material because it's made to be walked on, and, because of the way it's designed, it does not release asbestos so easily.
However, if there is asbestos on the ceilings, then roof leaks caused by a humid climate can cause a problem.
"If you have a problem roof, and you have asbestos on ceilings, that would be a greater concern because the ceiling material could become damaged by the water and become very fragile and start releasing asbestos fibers," Sikes said.
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