Exposure to asbestos can happen outside of industries that require workers to deal with harmful chemicals in factories or other work sites. In fact, there might be items you use every day in your own home that contain asbestos.
To protect you and your family from asbestos subjection, it’s worth taking survey of both long-standing appliances and recently purchased makeup and toys. While doing spring or summer cleaning you, below are some items you might want to consider tossing out.
Makeup
Talcum powder (talc) is a naturally occurring mineral that many cosmetic brands use in their products. Since deposits of asbestos can exist near talc, the talc can become contaminated. Last year, Beauty Plus Global recalled several of their City Color Cosmetics products and Claire’s recalled some of their makeup products geared toward children. These recalls took place after the products tested positive for asbestos in tests the FDA conducted.
Vintage appliances
Many people hold onto old clothes, as long as they fit, or technological devices, as long as the work. With all the waste created by Americans, more sustainable habits like this are worth implementing — as long as the items aren’t harmful to your health. Prior to the 1980s, several small appliances, including toasters, hairdryers, irons and heaters, contained asbestos within insulation components. Usually you are safe from the asbestos in these products as long as you don’t break or disassemble them, but getting rid of them is still your safest bet.
Children’s toys
Similar to makeup products, there has been contaminated talc discovered in many different brands of crayons and some crime lab kits designed for kids. You wouldn’t knowingly let your child play with toys that contain lead as they could develop lead poisoning. Similarly, repeat exposure to carcinogenic asbestos can lead to problems later down the line, specifically a cancer known as mesothelioma.
This isn’t close to a full list of items that could contain asbestos. To protect you and your family from the harmful effects of asbestos, its best practice to read into ingredient or component lists as you shop for new or sort through existing household items.