Loose-fill asbestos can in simple terms get defined as the material that is a byproduct after raw asbestos gets dug up from the ground. Loose-fill asbestos was particularly famous around the 1960s and 1970s due to its extensive use in house insulation. Loose-fill asbestos has fire retardant and insulating abilities which made it quite preferable.
With the revelation that loose-fill asbestos was the most significant contributor to some deadly conditions like lung cancer and mesothelioma, its use was prohibited entirely and banned.
Just like any other asbestos, loose-fill asbestos insulation posed risks primarily due to their nature of releasing tiny fibers which when inhaled cause deadly consequences. One of the more significant risks involved with asbestos exposure is that the symptoms do not surface immediately, but it takes quite some years hence hard to detect at an early stage.
Asbestos comes in two primary forms, bonded or the non-friable. What this means is that when this asbestos is left undisturbed, their level of danger gets significantly reduced. But on the other hand, loose-fill asbestos is in nature friable, which translates to mean that loose asbestos fibers are airborne. This kind of asbestos is more dangerous as it exposes you too much greater risk in basically two significant ways; first, your ceiling will be emitting asbestos fibers if you happen to go up there. Secondly, in case your roof is broken, chances of asbestos fiber drifting to the rest of your house are relatively high. By any chance you happen to suspect the presence of loose-fill asbestos insulation in your home, it’s always advisable to have your house checked by an expert to ascertain the possibility of asbestos presence.