How to dispose of asbestos tiles?
Asbestos: a health threat!
First of all it's good for you to know: asbestos is a very controversial and potentially dangerous material!
For a long time, asbestos was used without restrictions because it has very interesting characteristics for construction, such as resistance to high temperatures, good insulating quality, flexibility, durability, incombustibility, resistance to acid attack, in addition to being a low-cost material. Over time, the dangerousness of the mineral, recognized as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization (WHO), was proven. When inhaled or ingested, asbestos dust fibers stimulate cell mutations within the body that can lead to tumors and certain types of lung cancer. The raw material has already been banned in over 50 countries. In Brazil, its use is still allowed, even with knowledge of the potential risk. According to the Brazilian Association of People Exposed to Asbestos (Abrea), there are several cases of former workers in the mining industry that deal with such materials that became ill and even died due to diseases developed by contact with asbestos.
Give preference to tiles and water tanks that do not have asbestos in their composition. Although an asbestos tile has a durability of approximately 70 years, this time is minimal if we think about the long term. The environment must not suffer the consequences of irresponsible use that has been going on for 70 years and still poses permanent risks to humans and animals. Unfortunately, the available alternatives are associated with raw materials that are also harmful to the environment, such as oil, but have less impact as they can be recycled and cause less damage to health.
discard
Asbestos is a material that is harmful to health and there are still no developed ways for its reuse or recycling. Decontamination is very difficult to be done due to the high cost and is only carried out in some cases, usually in industries.
Resolution 348 of the National Environmental Council (Conama), from 2004, determines that products that have asbestos as a raw material cannot be discarded anywhere. The recommendation is that asbestos be disposed of together with hazardous waste in specialized landfills. In order to properly dispose of asbestos tiles, a good solution is to consult your regional administration or city hall.
Attention, when removing the tile or water tank, it is necessary to be very careful and avoid breaking the material and possible contamination by asbestos fibers.
