Chapter 6

Question 1

Asbestos

Answer 1

Tiny fibers that can become airborne when contact is made (friable) and then trapped within the soft lung tissue and cause a variety of lung related diseases including cancer. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure.

TEST TIP:
Friable asbestos will become airborne if disturbed.
Nonfriable asbestos will NOT become airborne if normal contact is made.
A common method of dealing with asbestos is to leave it undisturbed.
There is no “safe” level of asbestos exposure.
Health risks include respiratory diseases and cancer.

Question 2

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

Answer 2

Federal law that established the “superfund” to address clean-up of contaminated waste sites. Requires the offending party to clean up the contaminated area at their expense. If the offending party cannot be found the current owner may have liability.

Question 3

Formaldehyde

Answer 3

Is a colorless gas that is emitted by many common construction materials and consumer products found within the home.

Like many other environmental hazards, formaldehyde serves many useful purposes and therefore it is found within a wide array of products, such as glues used in the manufacture of particleboard and plywood, adhesives used in laminates, as a preservative in some paints and coating products, as a stiffening agent that allows permanent press qualities in clothing and draperies, and as an ingredient in foam that was used for home insulation until the early 1980s.

Question 4

Friable

Answer 4

A term used to reference asbestos fibers that can become airborne when contact is made.

Question 5

Lead Poisoning

Answer 5

Health risks of high exposure to lead-based products such as paint, glazes, and solders. Typical risk is to the central nervous system.

Question 6

Non-friable

Answer 6

A term used to describe asbestos that will not typically result in airborne particles when physical contact is made.

Question 7

Radon

Answer 7

Is a colorless, odorless gas that occurs naturally from decaying uranium deposits. As uranium deteriorates, it releases a radioactive gas (radon) that eventually rises through the cracks and crevices and porous materials of the earth until it reaches the surface and then rises to the highest heavens. Radon is the only naturally occurring radioactive material and is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

TEST TIP:
Radon Levels equal or greater than 4.0 are considered a material fact.
This colorless, odorless gas is radioactive.
Remediation is the process of lowering radon levels.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.

Question 8

Toxic Mold

Answer 8

Mold that is considered to be of a greater health risk. Not all mold is considered “toxic” and professional analysis is recommended in order to determine the extent, and effect, of the mold.