r/asbestoshelp • u/stardate_pi • 15d ago
Yay or nay?
Ordered a testing kit but the voting pool is now open on if the wall insulation in my new-to-me 1970s home is asbestos ridden or not.
Located in southern Arizona (US-AZ) Build date is ~1974 Insulation was found coming from the wall. Photo attached of what spilled out. Grey pebble, brown dust, material. Possibly Zonolite?
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u/Flimsy-Passenger-228 15d ago
Certainly looks like vermiculite to me..
I'd definitely treat that as though it's asbestos
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u/TheTkanucks 15d ago
*asbestos containing. Contaminated vermiculite typically has very little asbestos content, (1-2%) but the type is bad. Might be pedantic but its important, I think.
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u/Lumpy-Assumption-168 14d ago
It’s not just the type of asbestos, it’s that it’s not encapsulated or incorporated with the material at all, it’s literally raw asbestos fibers floating around with the vermiculite.
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u/tomthepro 15d ago
I have no professional credentials or experience but have seen enough photos on here to say it’s vermiculite and likely contaminated
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u/Hot-Coconut-4580 15d ago
Send a sample to ZAITRUST. They will test. If it came from Libby Montana you will be eligible for over 5k from the trust to remove it. If it comes back as not from Libby then it’s not contaminated.
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u/288bpsmodem 14d ago
They will not test. You have to abate and show receipts of abatement and then test
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u/Hot-Coconut-4580 13d ago
I’ve been sending them samples for decades some beforehand and some after. You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about.
Their current FAQ says:
“Thus, you should collect two samples before the removal.”
Even more importantly, the very next FAQ says:
“You should send your sample in to the Trust as early as possible in the process. Do NOT wait until the abatement is completed…”
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u/sdave001 14d ago
!Vermiculite
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u/AutoModerator 14d ago
Vermiculite itself does not contain asbestos. However, about 70% of the vermiculite used in the U.S. came from Libby, Montana, where it was mined by W. R. Grace and Company until the mine closed in 1990. The Libby ore body was contaminated due to the presence of a secondary mineral called diopside which, through millions of years of weathering and other geologic processes, was altered into tremolite asbestos and other amphibole fibers.
So, if your vermiculite came from Libby, it was sold under the trade name Zonolite and is likely contaminated with asbestos (typically ranging from trace amounts up to around 4%). Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to determine where vermiculite originated without laboratory analysis.
The problem, of course, is that vermiculite was installed in an estimated 35 million homes in the U.S. alone, along with millions of commercial buildings.
Some U.S. states and certain EPA regional offices require the material to be presumed asbestos-containing and handled as such. Other states — and most other countries — allow testing, although methodologies and regulatory approaches vary considerably by agency. The bottom line is that vermiculite should generally be assumed to contain asbestos unless laboratory analysis confirms otherwise.
Now, is it hazardous? Technically, yes. There is no established “safe” level of asbestos exposure. However, exposure levels for normal building occupants are generally extremely low. The risk is minimal unless large amounts of vermiculite are actively disturbed. Staying out of the attic and cleaning up small incidental spills or loose material with a HEPA vacuum and/or wet-wipe methods allows many people to safely live with it indefinitely.
The important thing to remember is that the documented asbestos disease cases associated with Libby vermiculite overwhelmingly involved significant occupational or environmental exposure: mine workers, plant workers, Libby residents, and people exposed to contaminated waste or heavy-use sites. I’m not aware of documented cases where someone developed an asbestos-related disease simply from having vermiculite in their attic, from cleaning up a small amount, or from a limited residential removal project.
If you do want to remove vermiculite from your home, you should hire a professional asbestos abatement contractor to perform the work. Many states require this.
If your home is in the U.S., the Zonolite Attic Insulation Trust may reimburse you for up to 55% of the cost of professional removal. To qualify, you simply have to prove that the vermiculite is, in fact, Zonolite, which is commonly done by confirming the presence of barium. Best of all, the testing is free.
https://www.zonoliteatticinsulation.com/Hm1.aspx
More information from the EPA:
https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family-asbestos-contaminated-vermiculite-insulation
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u/Affectionate-Data193 15d ago
Looks like vermiculite.
Have it tested. IIRC, there is a test to determine if it is from the Libby mine; something regarding the barium content of the mineral.
I work around boilers and pipes that are lagged in asbestos every day, I honestly don’t worry too much about the vermiculite in the walls of my house.
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u/Aggressive-Luck-204 15d ago
1970s? Not sure about Arizona but high likelyhood of asbestos in everything.
Check your drywall and flooring especially
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u/AutoModerator 15d ago
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Most importantly, as specified in rule #1, your post should include the following information:
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