Cat crawling on asbestos wrapped pipes in basement of 1912 house

[Unregistered-lfwproductions]

Recently we noticed that our cat was walking along the asbestos wrapped pipes above our washer and dryer in the basement of our 1912 arts and crafts style house. Should we be worried that our cat has now spread asbestos to us as she sleeps with us, we often pick her up and kiss her, etc.? The expense of removing the asbestos I assume is tremendous and we are not in a position to do so. Do you have a recommendation for us and as well, should we worry about the cats paws transferring asbestos dust to us?

Thank you!

[MistressEll]

Does the cat have claws? front or back feet?

If yes, then yes. If not, then no more than a fan blowing or basic air movement, or for that matter a rodent tracking fiberous dust.

Asbestos wrapped pipe insulation should at MINIMUM be encapsulated, plain and simple. It should further be protected from invasive abrasion, or deteriorative action which could lead to fibers being available to airborne transmission.

Our govenment is only concerned about friable asbestos fibers that are greater (measured in microns) in length and girth of a particular size and lesser than a maximum range of size, which in the great lobby influenced government policy makers and enforcers has been determined to (in this limited size range) to irritate and collect in certain areas of the lungs to cause scaring and eventual cancerous cell mutation – caused aspestosis and/or meso..phill..ioma (spelling?). Any fibers that are either shorter, thinner, fatter or longer than this determination has not been “found” to cause cancer by a judge and appellate and supreme court review to be “causal” to cancer. Its all a bunch of gobble-de-gook. Asbestos is asbestos period. If your cat can in any way crush, disturb, rack, rake, damage this covering either create a housing that prevents her from doing so, (by weight compression, stepping, vibration, or…egad, scratching, puncturing, etc. with her claws!) the known asbestos containing pipe insulation. Airborne..so as to be able to be inhaled or ingested via….contact, etc. fibers are at issue.

The EPA site via USA.gov is full of info search asbestos.

When in doubt have testing done, if found, when in doubt have professionally remediated or removed, and post action testing done. Don’t forget to retain such results and disclaim to any/all future interested parties. I suspect your worries should be focused beyond your cat. have or are planning on children in this house or future creation? What else do you have to worry about…mercury in tuna or swordfish you ate 10 years ago?….its all relative.

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