Asbestos abatement is occurring at the Student Center at the University of Kentucky. Several rooms on the first floor of the center were cordoned off and sealed with plastic sheeting to shield against the accidental release of airborne asbestos particles. The ongoing renovations in the building forced the removal of the asbestos-laden materials. According to Bob Kjelland, the director of environmental management at the University of Kentucky, professional asbestos removers are disposing of floor tiles and glue that contained asbestos.
Kjelland says that the asbestos abatement process would be finished this week. The final step of the process will be a 24 monitoring of the air quality. If the data shows that the air to safe to breathe, the rooms will be safe to be occupied, and the rest of the renovation project can proceed. The rooms under renovation are about 60 years old, which means that the asbestos-laden materials used in the rooms are also about 60 years old.
The tiles, as well as the adhesive mastic that secures them to the floor, contain asbestos. Asbestos poses serious health risks when inhaled. Asbestos is linked to respiratory conditions like mesothelioma and asbestosis. Asbestos inhalation can also cause benign pleural plaques, a type of scarring in the lining of the lungs.
Kjelland wants students and faculty to know that the renovations are safe, and the asbestos poses no risks. “If the floor tile is in perfect condition, it is perfectly fine,” he said. The asbestos only poses a risk “when damage becomes visible or renovations are done.”