Does Perlite Insulation Contain Asbestos

Does vermiculite contain asbestos.

Does perlite insulation contain asbestos. If you re buying horticultural vermiculite sold in stores today then that vermiculite does not contain asbestos. In the united states most of the vermiculite insulation containing asbestos was sourced from a mine near libby montana which was active until 1990. Concerns about asbestos contaminated vermiculite insulation a mine near libby montana was the source of over 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the united states from 1919 to 1990. The data is based upon perlite products mined and processed at various locations throughout the world.

There was also a deposit of asbestos at that mine so the vermiculite from libby was contaminated with asbestos. Does perlite contain asbestos. Scientists with the united states geology survey usgs have created a hand held spectrometer to determine if vermiculite insulation contains deadly amphibole asbestos. Before you tear open a bag of perlite you should put on safety glasses and a dust mask to protect your eyes and lungs from the perlite dust.

A separate study supported by the perlite institute also published in 2002 concludes that perlite is a safe product citing studies establishing. Does perlite contain asbestos. Extracted from the mine between 1920 and 1990 this vermiculite insulation was sold mainly but not exclusively under the trademark zonolite attic insulation. But perlite essentially a form of volcanic glass is not formed in the same way as vermiculite and is never found in the company of asbestos.

The perlite institute offers a 2002 article confirming that perlite does not contain asbestos. The perlite institute has undertaken a project to collect available data both on perlite ore and expanded perlite products. While breathing any. 1 perlite institute is an industry association formed in 1949 to promote the use of perlite insulation materials and to conduct research about perlite.

Concerns about vermiculite contaminated with asbestos fibers prompted people to wonder whether if that wasn t also the case with perlite another expanded rock used to lighten gardening soils. Insulation made from this material represents over 70 percent of the vermiculite insulation found in u s. The raw vermiculite material taken from the mine was contaminated with asbestos. This report summarizes the results of the findings.