Technical Jargon: Friable and Non-Friable Asbestos

Advisory Report - June 2003

Technical Jargon: 
Friable and Non-Friable Asbestos

“Technical Jargon” is a forum used to provide more information on terms commonly seen in U.S. Inspect reports.

Asbestos containing materials are classified as friable and non-friable. Friable describes an object that is brittle and can be easily crumbled. Friable asbestos can be easily reduced to dust; non-friable cannot. The EPA states that if the asbestos can be reduced to dust by hand, it is considered friable; if it cannot be reduced by hand, it is non-friable. While both friable and non-friable asbestos can be a concern, friable asbestos poses a more immediate health risk and more frequently creates problems in real estate transactions.

Asbestos is one of the more misunderstood hazards found in the home. Asbestos is a general name, which refers to several different silicate minerals. These minerals are attractive because of their high tensile strength, flexibility, chemical stability, and fire-retardant qualities. It was not until the 1970s that the health effects of asbestos were discovered and the use of some asbestos-containing products was banned.

Asbestos has been known to increase the risk of several illnesses:

• Mesothelioma (a rare cancer of the lung, abdomen, or heart lining) and lung cancer

• Asbestosis (a serious disease caused by long-term exposure to asbestos. As a defense mechanism, the human lungs actively destroy foreign bodies, such as dust particles, etc. However, because asbestos is very resilient, the lungs are incapable of destroying it. This causes inflammation, eventual scarring of the lung tissue, and reduced lung capacity as a result. The severity of asbestosis is directly related to the number if fibers inhaled.)

The problem with asbestos is the inhalation of asbestos fibers. When left alone, asbestos-containing materials will generally not release fibers. But when friable asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, these fibers can be released as dust very easily—which is why friable asbestos-containing materials create the most cause for concern. The most common places to find friable asbestos-containing materials are boiler and furnace units, boiler distribution piping, ductwork insulation, and ductwork joint tape in homes built during and before the 1970s.

While non-friable asbestos-containing materials do not release fibers quite as easily, they should not be ignored. Common non-friable asbestos-containing materials are cement-asbestos shingles (used at the roof and as siding), textured ceiling materials, patching and joint compounds, floor tiles (vinyl, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and some adhesives used with these floor tiles. The primary concern with non-friable asbestos containing materials results from removal of the product. Asbestos fibers can be released when the materials are damaged during the removal process. A licensed asbestos abatement contractor should be consulted prior to a project involving potential damage to non-friable asbestos-containing materials.

Identification of asbestos containing materials can be very difficult. Usually a laboratory must analyze a sample of the suspect material to determine asbestos content. A competent, licensed asbestos abatement contractor should always perform remediation of asbestos containing-materials.

For more information about asbestos, click here.

Contributed by Justin Gore
Quality Assurance Supervisor
U.S. Inspect, LLC