Pink stuff in attics?
Saturday, July 31st, 2010 at
11:44 am
Is the pink material found in attics a cause of lung cancer? I have heard that the material may have similar health risks to asbestos. Can anyone please inform me more about the health risks, if any, found in the pink insulation? Thank you
Tagged with: Asbestos • attics • cause of lung cancer • health risks • insulation • lung cancer • pink material
Filed under: Asbestos Cancer
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The pink stuff is called "fiberglass" It’s just that tiny fibers of glass… When you move it around it sheds off the tiny fibers. Glass does not cause cancer but can irritate the air passages. If you have less then the recommended "R" rating for your location it is suggested that you cover over it with the new white stuff.
It is spun glass. Fiberglass. It will only harm you if you mess with it and inhale it.
Three kinds of asbestos are most commonly found in the United States: chrysotile, "white asbestos"; amosite, "brown asbestos"; and crocidolite, "blue asbestos". There is a pink fiberglass made by Owens Corning ( the pink panther commercials) Look up their web site.
This is not harmful unless you are going to be working with it. It will not cause lung cancer. It is safe insulation. I would suggest though if you are going to be moving it around wear long sleeves and wear a mask to cover the nose and mouth. All this kind of insulation will do if it gets on your skin is itch, so take a shower after messing with it. Pink Insulation is the best.
Fiberglass insulation is simply a collection of millions of tiny shards of glass, one simple tap will expel tens of thousands of microscopic particles into the air. These particles can often end up in carpet, clothing and heating and air ducts. This is why it is so important to make sure that not even a little fiberglass insulation is exposed, especially in a place like a basement where people often do laundry and where heating and air ducts tend to run.
It appears that fiberglass insulation is safer than asbestos, which was widely used in the past and later found to be responsible for health problems like malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer but all the facts about the toxicity of fiberglass insulation are not known.
This is just one of the reasons why Radiant Barrier Foil is quickly becoming the #1 choice for building insulation. You can apply it over the fiberglass insulation for double the energy efficiency.
Radiant Barrier Foil is a lightweight, reflective material made of a plastic substrate with a vapor-deposited coating of aluminum.