How to live safely with asbestos-containing materials? Dangers of asbestos One of the most widespread uses of asbestos in the construction industry is the creation of fiber-cement sheets for roofing, which we often call Phibroximang, or asbestos-cement corrugated iron. Because of its heat-resistant and fire-resistant properties, asbestos has been added to many roofing products, including tiles. Fiber cement board contains not only asbestos. They are mostly made from cement. According to manufacturers, fiber cement panels are usually made of 10-15% asbestos. The most common way for asbestos fibers to enter the body is through the airways. In fact, asbestos-containing material is not generally considered harmful unless it releases dust or fibers into the air where they can be inhaled or ingested. Much of the fiber gets stuck in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, where it can be eliminated, but some can travel deep into the lungs, or if swallowed, into the digestive tract. Once they get trapped in the body, the fibers can cause health problems. Asbestos is most dangerous when it is flaking. The term “friable” means that asbestos is easily broken up by hand, releasing fibers into the air. Asbestos is often “faded” after the roofing sheet is used for a number of years, rain, wind and moss make the protective cement layer rot. Damage and deterioration will increase the friability of asbestos-containing materials. Water damage, constant shaking, aging and physical impact such as drilling, grinding, polishing, cutting, sawing or impact can break materials making it easier to release fibers. Ceiling tiles, floor tiles containing asbestos, heat and sound insulation layers, shingles, fire doors, especially roofing sheets… will not release asbestos fibers unless they are disturbed or damaged as mentioned above. . For example, if asbestos ceiling tiles are drilled or broken, it can release fibers into the air. If it is left alone and undisturbed, it will not release the asbestos fibers, but this is very unlikely in practice, for example, when roofing sheets are used for a long time. Currently, there is no decision requiring removal of asbestos roofs, so the decision is up to the community. Obviously, it will be necessary to take into account the cost of removal and replacement. Therefore, for new roofs, it is not necessary to remove, but can live with it, provided that there are safe solutions. But with a weathered roof, there is a great risk of deterioration, which can expose families and neighbors of homes with asbestos to harmful asbestos fibers. Theoretically, in roofing, asbestos materials mixed with cement should be kept tight, they do not pose the same threat as fragile materials to human health. However, if these roofing sheets are broken, corroded, disturbed, damaged, degraded or broken, they can release toxic fibers into the air and become hazardous. Corrosion of asbestos-containing products by weather (rain, sun, wind, storm or frost, which causes a change in the cement layer surrounding the asbestos fiber over time) can cause fiber release in within 15 years. Safe living with asbestos When living with irreplaceable asbestos-containing material, it should be checked regularly for signs of wear or damage such as tears, scratches or water damage. If asbestos-containing materials are damaged more than mildly, or if home repairs are being made that could disturb it, extreme care should be taken and handling it in accordance with safety regulations. When asbestos-containing material is damaged, activities around it should be kept to a minimum. Take all precautions to avoid damage to the asbestos material. With any type of repair, the asbestos must be kept in place. Repair is usually cheaper than removal, but it can make later removal of asbestos, inevitably, more difficult and costly. Major repairs should only be carried out by specialized units that know the safe handling methods of asbestos. Before performing minor repairs, be sure to follow all of the precautions outlined above. Always wet the asbestos material using a fine mist of water containing a few drops of detergent. Areas with insulation can be covered by wrapping a special fabric, such as flexable glass cloth, around it. These products are available in stores. This is the best, safest, economic thing possible. We should replace asbestos-containing materials with other materials, such as: corrugated iron roof, PVA fiber roof, steel pipes… Currently, on the market, there are many alternative materials that are both durable and good. no effect on health and reasonable price. What not to do with asbestos-containing materials in the home: Do not dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos. Do not saw, sand, scrape or drill holes in the face of the asbestos material. Do not use sandpaper, wire brush or other hard objects to remove rough spots on the surface of asbestos-containing materials. Never use the wiper on dry floors. Do not sand or attempt to smooth the floor with asbestos or its substrate. When asbestos floors need to be replaced, install new floor coverings on top if possible. Avoid contact with broken or broken asbestos materials. Take all precautions to not damage any materials that may contain asbestos. Only hire trained personnel to inspect, test, repair or remove asbestos. Asbestos is a toxic and dangerous mineral. Asbestos in all natural forms, including chrysotile asbestos, is a substance with proven carcinogenic activity in animals and humans, capable of causing cancer of the lungs, peritoneum, pleura, stomach and organs other in contact with asbestos particles. Temporarily without replacement, it is possible to live with asbestos-containing material, if it is not old (before 15 years), but with extreme caution. To reduce the risk of cancers, asbestos-containing materials should be removed, if temporarily unavailable, protect it with a coating or polyethylene film to prevent damage and dust release.

Several types of masks are floating, of unknown origin in the market. The reason is that it contains microscopic graphene particles. Inhalation of graphene can cause serious lung damage … How toxic is graphene? According to disseminated information, this mask is sold and distributed by the company Métallifer based in Quebec (Canada). However, during quality testing, the authorities discovered that this disposable mask contained microscopic graphene particles. Graphene is a very thin, durable material used in fabrication, but it can harm the lungs by inhalation and can cause long-term health problems. A team of biologists, engineers and material scientists at Brown University tested graphene’s potential toxicity on human cells. What they found was that the jagged edges of super-sharp and super-hard graphene nanoparticles could easily penetrate cell membranes in human lungs, skin and immune cells. These materials can be inhaled unintentionally or they can be injected or transplanted into the body as components of biomedical technology. Assoc.Prof. Dr. Pham Van Nho, University of Science of Science, Hanoi National University said that graphene or graphene is an atomic thick flat sheet of carbon atoms with sp2 bonds forming a crystal array. honeycomb shape. Its name is composed of “graphite” (graphite) and suffix “-en” (English is “-ene”). Graphene has the ability to fill its electron holes with other electrons almost instantly. Meaning it transferred a large amount of charge in a short amount of time. The graphene in the mask is only a few nanometers in size, a million times thinner than a human hair, easily sensing and preventing tiny particles containing virus molecules. Graphene is the first two-dimensional material found in nature, is 100 times stronger than steel, is paper thin, is more flexible than plastic, and has good resistance to a wide variety of gases and liquids. However, its safety is still controversial. Worry about raw materials to make imported masks Assoc.Prof.Dr Pham Van Nho said that the most dangerous on the market today is not the name of the warning mask mentioned above. The biggest concern is the imported raw materials to make the masks of the manufacturers that do not guarantee the quality. The raw materials for the production of pages of many enterprises are currently imported from the Chinese market. These ingredients are difficult to control origin as well as safety. That is not to mention that many establishments use poor quality chemical fiber fabrics. When used as a mask, it can form particles that cause respiratory toxicity. Or the simplest thing when it comes to exporting masks, the ingredients that are not clean enough are also very harmful to users, especially disposable masks. “Asbestos fibers harm the lungs because they are in the form of microscopic crystal fibers. It can enter the airways and then enter the lungs easily. Masks that use inexpensive ingredients do the same thing. This type of dust is usually very small in diameter, not visible to the naked eye, so there is only way to buy products from reputable brands, which are inspected by safety authorities ”, Assoc.Prof. Dr. Pham Van Nho said . According to Dr. Nguyen Van Thong, former Director of Textile Research Institute, in the current context, the quality of antibacterial fabric for export of pages needs to meet the requirements of conformity certification according to QCVN 01 / BCT: 2017 and bactericidal ability ≥ 90% tested according to AATCC 100: 2012 standard. Research and application of antimicrobial treatment technology for fabrics have been concerned by many units and individuals at different scales. That is the laboratory scale and the industrial scale. Treatment technology and antibacterial fabric production have been applied by many textile and garment enterprises in fabric production according to the requirements of domestic and international customers. With the current equipment conditions, many businesses have enough conditions to develop antibacterial fabrics. Only worrying is the source of imported raw materials with low prices, no quality control as well as the export process of the page. Mr. Nguyen Minh Tuan, Director of the Department of Medical Equipment and Medical Works, Ministry of Health, said that Vietnamese enterprises have been proactively able to export masks to provide for the domestic market and also export to other different market. The possibility of importing masks from China is very low. But to ensure safety in the manufacture of masks, the Department of Medical Equipment and Works will coordinate with relevant agencies to check and inspect those exporting manufacturers using raw materials. Made from China. To buy quality masks, according to Assoc.Prof. Dr. Pham Van Nho, before buying, customers should choose a reputable and reputable manufacturer. Check the outside of the box: When the mask is in its original case, the user should see the information printed on the box. If the parameters are fully printed (name of manufacturer, distributor, barcode number, batch number, manufacturing date, especially the declaration number of the medical device standard), this is the mask. medical. The fabric for fake masks is often mixed with stone powder, so when touching, the mask’s surface will be rough, not soft. Real medical masks have a certain thickness. Proper mask, the inside has a filter. This filter is soft, smooth, thick. Along with the antibacterial filter cloth, this fabric has a different color and texture compared to the other filter layers.