Asbestos solvent used for removal of asbestos toxic?
I live in an upstairs apartment. However, downstairs 3 apartments contain asbestos tile. So, the professionals come in to remove the asbestos. They us...
I live in an upstairs apartment. However, downstairs 3 apartments contain asbestos tile. So, the professionals come in to remove the asbestos. They used some kind of solvent to glue the asbestos together so that when they remove the asbestos the asbestos fibers wouldn't fly all over the air. I would really want to know what kind of solvent they are using and if the solvent they used are toxic or not because we have been smelling it for a week now. It smelled bitter and smelled like gas too. It makes our food taste bitter. And also, will the asbestos fibers get into the upstairs apartment. Should we be concerned about these things?
For the tile, they basically use something like kerosene to dissolve the glue holding the tile. This allows them to scrape up the tile whole so there is no asbestos release. They really don’t worry with asbestos "flying" with tile. Normally, what is sprayed on fibrous asbestos that can get in the air (like on pipes) is a mix of water and dish detergent. What you also might be smelling in the encapsulant they use as a final seal on the project. That material is basically acrylic paint. The only way to know any of this for the specific project is to ask. If they are doing the job properly, all exits for asbestos are sealed and can not get outside the job site. There will be smell, but it should be no worse than painting walls, if they are doing it correct. You may ask the landlord for a review and if needed extra exhaust units for the job site to carry away the smell.