Asbestos contaminated soils: the health risk lurking in your backyard?

Brownfield Sites

Asbestos was widely used in all types of buildings until about 30 years ago. As a result, asbestos-contaminated soils are often present on brownfield sites – before, during, and after redevelopment. We frequently come across high levels of asbestos contamination in gardens and community recreation areas. During dry weather, asbestos can easily become airborne as a result of any soil disturbance, for example from children playing, gardening, and major construction activities. Asbestos-contaminated soil can easily be transferred indoors on shoes or carried on vehicle wheels to public highways, causing additional, secondary exposures. Tailored risk assessments and asbestos management procedures, appropriate for the current/planned use of affected ground, are required to avoid increased risks of lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Although statistics show a growing number of people who have never worked with asbestos are suffering from an asbestos-related disease, most documented cases are caused by occupational exposure to the toxic mineral. This is due to the likeliness of repeated exposure, which occurs through standard operations in a variety of industries and sites.
Sites such as asbestos mines, processing plants and
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