Asbestos Soil Contamination

Asbestos contaminates the soil when it is poorly disposed of. The fiber can get to the soil from debris of demolished houses containing asbestos left on the top soil, according to The Victorian Work Cover Authority.

The impacts of this contamination are devastating. When fragments of asbestos are released into the air from the soil, inhalation can cause Mesothelioma, Asbestosis and Lung Cancer. Particles of the same can also enter the food chain when plants grown on contaminated soil are ingested by humans.

The Government of Western Australia's Department of Heath outlines the management of small scale soil contamination, which mostly happens in residential homes as follows:

1. Immediately stopping potential contamination

Potential contamination can be by improper handling of Asbestos Containing Material, some of which can disintegrate into the air and worsen the pollution.

2. Identifying the asbestos

It has to be established that the asbestos is actually present, be it white, brown or blue, mostprobably through lab analysis and confirmation by an expert as to the identity of asbestos, so that appropriate extraction/disposal methods are applied.

3. Assessing the site

The age of the buildings have to be established, to help in deduction whether asbestos was a major material used in construction. This is especially important in houses built before 1980 in Australia.

4. Establishing what is required and giving out a notice

The notice of what is to be done is given to the owner officially in writing, accompanied by visual material like photos from the site assessment exercise.

5. Monitoring and validating the clean-up and notifying expert organizations like WorkSafe.

This is to be done by an independent entity after the disposal is completed, to find traces of asbestos if any, and if present, it should be of the kind and quantity that does not pose adverse health risks in the future.

A competent body or person, having precious experience in inspection and asbestos removal should be the one considered to inspect the site in question.

Asbestos can also get into the soil when asbestos bearing rock disintegrates, during mining in quarries where rocks are blasted and settle on the soil, or from poor waste dumping by industries like steel mills.

One method accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) for identifying asbestos in the soil is the Australian Method AS 4964, which involves viewing the suspected rock under a polarized light microscope.

The best remedy for contamination of the soil by asbestos would be removal. This can only be done by licensed removers. A class A or B license holder are the only qualified personnel for the task. The difference in license category is that a class A license holder can remove Asbestos Containing Material, both friable and non-friable, from an area larger than square meters while a class B license can only handle up-to ten square meters of non-friable asbestos.

Remedies

As with all other wastes that pollute the soil, soil contamination by asbestos can be minimized by:

a) Dumping materials from industries that contain asbestos in designated landfills designated by the Environment Protection Authority.

b) Encouraging industries to use alternatives to asbestos like clay tiles and

vegetable fibers in asphalt or using asbestos in negligible quantities and availing incentives for adherence to such standards.

c) Strictly implementing environment protection law.


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Wade Rogers is a licensed Chief Inspector for Asbestos Containing Material for Sydney Removal Services, certified removalists. He leads a team that is utterly dedicated in service delivery and environmental preservation. For professional removal services, you can visit http://asbestosremovalsydneywide.com.au/ .