Asbestos in gardens
We are coming across an increasing number of housing estates and developments where asbestos is present in gardens and is giving rise to substantial concern. These are often on redeveloped brownfield sites. There is no information about typical levels of asbestos in garden soils or how widespread serious contamination may be in the UK.
Until the 1980s, asbestos was widely used in industrial and other buildings. Nowadays great care is taken to ensure that asbestos is safely removed from buildings prior to demolition and redevelopment. Previously, however, buildings were flattened and sites redeveloped with little concern about the potential for asbestos contamination. The focus on brownfield site redevelopment in recent decades means that there could be a very large number of affected properties across the UK. Lagging, boards and asbestos cement can be ground up and spread widely during bulldozing and land clearing leading to dispersed loose fibres of asbestos in soils. Domestic gardens on redeveloped brown field sites may be heavily contaminated by loose, unbound asbestos. We have found gardens where borehole samples have indicated that the whole garden would meet the definition of asbestos waste but even relatively small amounts of asbestos waste may be of concern where ground is disturbed and exposure is likely.
Fortunately, we live in a wet climate so the ground is wet for much of the year and asbestos emissions from wet or damp ground are very low. Coverage by vegetation and paths also reduces fibre emissions but, in dry weather, asbestos can easily become airborne as a result of active gardening and children’s sports and games. Asbestos in gardens can also be transferred onto carpets and door mats and cleaning may both redistribute the asbestos throughout the house and cause additional, secondary exposures. Our risk assessments have revealed that asbestos exposures in gardens may cause small increased risks of lung cancer and mesothelioma and the longer the exposure continues, the greater the risk.
If asbestos in gardens is an issue for you, IOM can give you help and support. Our business is to help our clients provide safe, practical and cost effective solutions. We have a long and broad experience in managing asbestos and, specifically, we have dealt issues relating to asbestos in soils for over 20 years. Our work is of the highest quality and our authoritative and independent results and views are accepted by enforcing authorities, clients and the wider public.
Our in-house specialists can help you assess the significance and scale of asbestos contamination from surveys, quantitative asbestos analysis and site assessments. Our laboratory undertakes asbestos identification analysis and quantitative asbestos analysis, one of the very few UK laboratories to offer this service.
But we do much more. We interpret result of surveys, looking for patterns of contamination and linkages with previous land use. In the absence of a specific soil guidance value for asbestos, we undertake site specific risk assessments.This includes estimating residents’ exposures and the associated health risks from the extent of contamination, the type of soil, its condition and activities in gardens.We advise on where, if at all, remediation might be needed and we can help you through part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act and SPOSH. Good PR and openness is critical in dealing with asbestos contamination and we are happy to help draft non-technical information leaflets, participate in public meetings and meet local residents.