(Photo courtesy of Julie Sage) “Glenn MacDonald, the Executive Director of Health and Safety, who spoke on the matter of abestos in the dorms.”
Julie Sage
Connector Staff
Recently, a screenshot of a UMass Lowell webpage about asbestos on campus has been circulating among students. Students expressed concerns about asbestos being found in their dorms and what this might mean for their health. There were concerns about why the university didn’t remove the materials containing asbestos if they already knew it was there. However, the screenshot ignored the first part of the web page where UMass Lowell’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) discussed when asbestos is dangerous. But even then, this section of the site didn’t list all the information about asbestos and all the precautions taken to protect students.
Asbestos is a silicate mineral, meaning it’s similar to quartz or glass. Its crystal doesn’t look like those found in crystal stores; instead, it forms as fibers. This can be great for construction because asbestos has chemical and thermal resistant properties, and being a fiber makes it easier to weave into things. However, this is where the danger comes in. Its fibers are like fiberglass; when asbestos is inhaled, those fibers can get stuck in the lungs. Since it doesn’t chemically react, the body can’t eliminate those inhaled fibers. Instead, scar tissue forms around the fibers, and can become carcinogenic, which means it can cause cancer.
It sounds scary, but this only happens when the asbestos is inhaled. Many buildings that people are in every day may have asbestos, and they can be found in features such as popcorn ceilings and vinyl tiles. However, due to regulations, asbestos is covered with other materials to keep it contained and not in the air. This is the case for all the asbestos on campus. The Executive Director of Health and Safety, Glenn MacDonald, said, “You’re more likely to be exposed to asbestos fiber anywhere on the street than in one of our buildings.” Such protective coverings are why certain rules are in place for the students. For example, the limitations on what a student can and can’t do in their dorm, including not being able to hang anything from the ceiling. This can be annoying for students who like to decorate, but this rule is in place to prevent any damage to the ceiling and thus prevent any risk of exposing asbestos to the air.
Asbestos is only dangerous when disturbed, which raises the question of why the university doesn’t get rid of it if they’re worried about it. It’s recommended by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to leave asbestos that is in good condition rather than remove it due to the dangers of asbestos dust. If asbestos does need to be removed, or if renovations are being done, the university takes many precautions. The EHS works closely with any renovations on campus, and they analyze the area for any hazardous materials. If there are any, they identify how they should be removed and safely disposed of. The abatement firms the EHS hires to remove these materials are heavily trained and have safety procedures as well.
First, they set up an airtight sealed chamber around the area and seal doors, vents and other entryways where air can get into the area. They create a negative airflow within this chamber using HEPA filters, meaning the air pressure inside the chamber is less than regular air. If something were to break through the chamber wall, no dust and debris would flow outside the chamber because the regularly pressurized air would rush in. The DEP also requires signage around the chamber area to notify passersby of what’s happening. The “wet method” is also used, where they use misters on the site so that the dust is weighed down and doesn’t float around. Waste from this process is heavily protected: it’s put into water, double-bagged and put into a sealed 55-gallon steel barrel. The university is responsible for this waste until it’s properly disposed of, so it’s watched very closely. During this process, an industrial hygienist makes sure everything is as safe as possible. UMass Lowell hires their own industrial hygienist instead of using the abatement company’s so that they know nothing is being missed. After the construction, they do an air clearance test, and the university waits about three times longer than required by law to ensure there is no asbestos in the air.
These precautions are in place to protect the students and staff, and the UMass Lowell EHS consistently inspects anything containing asbestos so that everything stays intact. The Hazardous Materials Manager and Biosafety Officer, John Freeman, said, “Students should not at all be worried. Our programs for asbestos on campus are very robust and thorough, and we’re very proud of it. I’d like to encourage that if any students have concerns, we have an open door, and we want them to vocalize their fears so that we can give any information about how it’s handled on campus and what we do.” If people do want to contact them with any concerns about safety and health, they can be emailed at EHS@uml.edu.
