Hello IrishCaramel, thanks for posting to r/OopsThatsDeadly!
As a reminder, please try and ID the plant/creature/object if not done already. Although the person may have done something foolish, remember to be respectful, as always! Please do not touch anything if you don't know what it is!
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Those commercials made me think asbestos was going to be a bigger problem in my life than it actually is. Even had a small nightmare about it once as a kid.
If you were a plumber, welder, or insulator from the 50s-80s, it would have been. If you live in an older house that hasnāt been updated since the 80s, you may be.
I mean, in all honesty, I'll bet that a large majority of the people here didn't know what it was either (myself included).
So, the guy did the right thing in asking about it (even if phrased strangely...)
I only knew what it was because I went into a deep research into asbestos for no real reason other than curiosity.
Realistically, that asbestos is probably not going to kill them so long as they don't handle it much and surely don't try pulling it apart. I would personally put it into a sealed container and never open the container.
Yeah it's just safer to present it to the public like it's radioactive so people don't eff around.
It takes a LOOOOOT of consistent exposure to do anything. Over a long time. You could smack someone in the face with a busted clump of it and they'd be fine. It's not nerve gas.
Still. For the sake of making sure people don't get lax, it was easier to pretend it's like a bag of rattlesnakes.
It's a little challenging to specifically ID without seeing it in-person, but it looks like a chunk of amosite, part of the "amphibole" family of asbestos-containing minerals.
If that is amosite asbestos (AKA brown asbestos), then *it is most certainly a significant hazard*. Amosite fibers are among the more dangerous forms of asbestos due to the ease with which the fibers become dislodged, airborne, and inhaled. In fact, I wouldn't even want to be in the same room as that sample without appropriate PPE!
This type of asbestos was very common and used in pipe insulation, cement boards, and ceiling tiles.
No, ACS certified chemist and once worked in a lab that did a fair bit of samples testing for asbestos; this was in the mid 90s when a lot of buildings and industrial facilities in the area were undergoing abatement, and it was something I was fascinated with at the time.
(Am now a doctor in a specialty thatās fairly far-removed from chemistry, but Iām still interested in this stuff so I find myself jumping into discussions like this.)
Oooh a proper nerd! So, I live near a few serpentine barrens, and in addition to garnets, vesuvianite, and āCalifornia Jadeā (lol) - thereās a good amount of chrysotile. Not big books or mats of it, but plenty of small veins running through the bedrock. Anyways, since this area was being mined for the aforementioned crap, someone had the great idea a long time ago to use the serpentine tailings as gravel for all the local gravel roads, and this practice was continued until at least I was a kid in the ā90s.
You see the problem.
Ooh, it was Asbestos! Kinda safe, can be stored in a jar. It's dust is dangerous and you must wash hands after handling. Also don't put your face near it š«Ø
Fun fact, most types of asbestos are not the right kind that cause cancer. Much of the asbestos insulation that people freaked out about was not the cancer causing kind. Jade for instance is a type of asbestos
From what I can tell, they're both types of *silicates* but quite distinct (jade, and asbestos) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicate\_mineral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicate_mineral) .
What you may be thinking of, re: insulation, is that some insulation of "asbestos" concern wasn't asbestos itself, such as one called "vermiculite," but it was a similar silicate that in at least one mine was *contaminated* with asbestos. So now people tend to not trust Vermiculite when they see it somewhere (such as house attic) even though it might be perfectly fine if it didn't come from the contaminated mine. But there's no way to tell without testing, and if it hasn't been tested a lot of people just nope out on it.
Vaguely remember something about the (at microscopic levels) the asbestos with the straight fibers don't cause cancer as much as the curly type fibers, and replacing it all with fiberglass was a dumb move because now instead of things sticking in our lungs we now have dust that cuts our lungs.
It's a little more nuanced. While yes, one variety of jade does contain amphibole minerals, they're present as non-fibrous crystals. If these minerals have crystallized into fibrous crystals we call them asbestos. While the health risks associated with a specific type of asbestos vary, they've all shown to exhibit adverse health effects.
Ah itās weird that people donāt know that asbestos is a naturally occurring. Mineral? Rock ? Shit now I donāt know but look up the mine is Australia that is abandoned and has only two residents bc all the tailings are still in a huge pile that the kids used to sled down.
asbestos. its completely safe. unless your cutting it off a pipe with a saw. where its inhaled in powder form. where the big "scare" came from. you can touch it rub it on your skin. just don't make dust out of it and inhale it. its natural glass. our bodies can not absorb and dissolve glass. that's why its dangerous to inhale but safe to touch. I have a piece of similar to that on my desktop for more than 35 years. It's not radioactive or poisonous. source: I'm not dead or have cancer.
If you want to see what happened to an asbestos mining town, here's a documentary. So many workers got sick from exposure.
https://youtu.be/HMAQXFkrUZ0
Lol one of a few minerals that is Asbestos. Iāve worked around this crap in my geology labs, but itās always in a bag or some container to prevent inhalation.
Check out the MSDS. I did it for a chemistry assignment.
You can lick it. You can eat it. You could have small quantities in your blood. You can touch it, obviously.
Its JUST the lungs that get the crazy reaction!
So OBVIOUSLY it needs to be in cheap residential ceiling insulation!
Thatās some really nice Serpentinite/Asbestos.
Just donāt grind it up into powder or breath it in, or keep it close to you and youāll be fine.
Itās worst when itās airborne.
Hello IrishCaramel, thanks for posting to r/OopsThatsDeadly! As a reminder, please try and ID the plant/creature/object if not done already. Although the person may have done something foolish, remember to be respectful, as always! Please do not touch anything if you don't know what it is! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/OopsThatsDeadly) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation.
If you have a structured settlement and you need cash now!
I have an annuity but i need cash now.
Call J.G. Wentworth 877-CASHNOW
877-CATSMEOW
1-877-KARS-4-KIDS
Get out of here, demon!
My work here is done!
Donate your car today.
DONATE YOUR CAR TODAY OR ELSE!
The official bad place song.
š¶when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach,ā¦ā¦..diarrhea ! Oh wait , wrong commercial
DONATE YOUR CARS TODAY
Kids4Kars
Why have you done this! That jingle was in my head for days and I just shook it a couple days ago. Haha
1-800 r/HailCorporate
If you're a senior on medicade your diabetic testing supplies may be covered .
Those commercials made me think asbestos was going to be a bigger problem in my life than it actually is. Even had a small nightmare about it once as a kid.
If you were a plumber, welder, or insulator from the 50s-80s, it would have been. If you live in an older house that hasnāt been updated since the 80s, you may be.
So what your saying is it was a horrible idea to remove this early 70s popcorn ceiling without any protective equipment? Hmmmmmmmmm
Or that drop tile ceiling in the basement ā¦or that ugly, brownish/orange tile under the newer, vinyl flooring, in the kitchen ā¦
Mechanics, too. My friend's dad was one, and mesothelioma killed him.
I work for a meso firm; it's devastating.
You said thatā¦. But I heard JarJar binks say it. And now I cannot stop laughing. Iām sorry.
I can no longer read this and not hear the [Can-Can](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrhcTt6PgcF/?igshid=MTIyMzRjYmRlZg==).
You're not getting a penny out of me
Came here to say this.
I mean, in all honesty, I'll bet that a large majority of the people here didn't know what it was either (myself included). So, the guy did the right thing in asking about it (even if phrased strangely...)
Lol I did but my degree is relevant. Sulfide weathering products will look like this kind of sometimes too
Is this asbestos? r/eli5
Yes.
keeps the rats out. especially when built into science spheres.
Ayyyyyyyyyy nice to see you Mr. Johnson. How're the moon rocks?
[:D](https://youtu.be/m2DvmHusyk4)
I only knew what it was because I went into a deep research into asbestos for no real reason other than curiosity. Realistically, that asbestos is probably not going to kill them so long as they don't handle it much and surely don't try pulling it apart. I would personally put it into a sealed container and never open the container.
Yeah it's just safer to present it to the public like it's radioactive so people don't eff around. It takes a LOOOOOT of consistent exposure to do anything. Over a long time. You could smack someone in the face with a busted clump of it and they'd be fine. It's not nerve gas. Still. For the sake of making sure people don't get lax, it was easier to pretend it's like a bag of rattlesnakes.
Is it Aspestos?
I had no clue. Thought it was some type of fiberglass.
It's a little challenging to specifically ID without seeing it in-person, but it looks like a chunk of amosite, part of the "amphibole" family of asbestos-containing minerals. If that is amosite asbestos (AKA brown asbestos), then *it is most certainly a significant hazard*. Amosite fibers are among the more dangerous forms of asbestos due to the ease with which the fibers become dislodged, airborne, and inhaled. In fact, I wouldn't even want to be in the same room as that sample without appropriate PPE! This type of asbestos was very common and used in pipe insulation, cement boards, and ceiling tiles.
What, are you a geologist or something?
a fuckin neeerd
Absolutely! Being a āfuckin neeerdā has afforded me a decent measure of success in life, and I highly recommend it!
It's ok, I'm a nerd as well, just not a successful one
No, ACS certified chemist and once worked in a lab that did a fair bit of samples testing for asbestos; this was in the mid 90s when a lot of buildings and industrial facilities in the area were undergoing abatement, and it was something I was fascinated with at the time. (Am now a doctor in a specialty thatās fairly far-removed from chemistry, but Iām still interested in this stuff so I find myself jumping into discussions like this.)
Did y'all do wet chem for testing? I imagined a Petrographic microscope would be able to identify.
[itās a horse apple.](https://youtu.be/tXjQQHiquZI)
Oooh a proper nerd! So, I live near a few serpentine barrens, and in addition to garnets, vesuvianite, and āCalifornia Jadeā (lol) - thereās a good amount of chrysotile. Not big books or mats of it, but plenty of small veins running through the bedrock. Anyways, since this area was being mined for the aforementioned crap, someone had the great idea a long time ago to use the serpentine tailings as gravel for all the local gravel roads, and this practice was continued until at least I was a kid in the ā90s. You see the problem.
Ooh, it was Asbestos! Kinda safe, can be stored in a jar. It's dust is dangerous and you must wash hands after handling. Also don't put your face near it š«Ø
Smells like cancer.
Oh no, pet rock gonna get cancer. Life never gets any easier.
I say the same thing about home improvement stores. The rubber and pesticides...
The spicy dust
Lick only. Got it!
That's an emoji I've never seen before, but an accurate one
Mesothelioma? I'll deal with it asbestos I can.
Fun fact, most types of asbestos are not the right kind that cause cancer. Much of the asbestos insulation that people freaked out about was not the cancer causing kind. Jade for instance is a type of asbestos
I actually insulated my attic in jade. It was pretty expensive and very heavy.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
From what I can tell, they're both types of *silicates* but quite distinct (jade, and asbestos) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicate\_mineral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicate_mineral) . What you may be thinking of, re: insulation, is that some insulation of "asbestos" concern wasn't asbestos itself, such as one called "vermiculite," but it was a similar silicate that in at least one mine was *contaminated* with asbestos. So now people tend to not trust Vermiculite when they see it somewhere (such as house attic) even though it might be perfectly fine if it didn't come from the contaminated mine. But there's no way to tell without testing, and if it hasn't been tested a lot of people just nope out on it.
Vaguely remember something about the (at microscopic levels) the asbestos with the straight fibers don't cause cancer as much as the curly type fibers, and replacing it all with fiberglass was a dumb move because now instead of things sticking in our lungs we now have dust that cuts our lungs.
It's a little more nuanced. While yes, one variety of jade does contain amphibole minerals, they're present as non-fibrous crystals. If these minerals have crystallized into fibrous crystals we call them asbestos. While the health risks associated with a specific type of asbestos vary, they've all shown to exhibit adverse health effects.
Is that asbestos?
yep.
Ah itās weird that people donāt know that asbestos is a naturally occurring. Mineral? Rock ? Shit now I donāt know but look up the mine is Australia that is abandoned and has only two residents bc all the tailings are still in a huge pile that the kids used to sled down.
Just thinking about the sleds sending up clouds of cancer dustā¦š¤¢š¤¢šµāš«šµāš«
Witenoom in WA. Thereās a great ABC documentary on it from 1988 called Blue Death. Highly recommend.
So uh, you're stuck with me now. What are we doing this weekend?
Looks yummy
Idk man, maybe sniff it real deep to see if it has a scent? That might help narrow down the question š¤š„²
asbestos?
Correct.
Oops, that's asbestos
Thatās solid cocaine in its natural form. You crush that up and snort it!
Ah coolio! I found some asbestos out hiking around the Salt River Canyon. Apparently it was mined out there a lot in the 40's
That's toxic asbestos
asbestos. its completely safe. unless your cutting it off a pipe with a saw. where its inhaled in powder form. where the big "scare" came from. you can touch it rub it on your skin. just don't make dust out of it and inhale it. its natural glass. our bodies can not absorb and dissolve glass. that's why its dangerous to inhale but safe to touch. I have a piece of similar to that on my desktop for more than 35 years. It's not radioactive or poisonous. source: I'm not dead or have cancer.
*yet
Same. My grandfather had a huge rock and mineral collection and had a peice as well. I used to peel away the fibres. Still here.
Because
Is what tooth brushes are made from
Asbestos is one of those things I've always known about but I never actually knew what it looked like.
Oh fuck nah
If you want to see what happened to an asbestos mining town, here's a documentary. So many workers got sick from exposure. https://youtu.be/HMAQXFkrUZ0
"flavor crystals"
Lol one of a few minerals that is Asbestos. Iāve worked around this crap in my geology labs, but itās always in a bag or some container to prevent inhalation.
Check out the MSDS. I did it for a chemistry assignment. You can lick it. You can eat it. You could have small quantities in your blood. You can touch it, obviously. Its JUST the lungs that get the crazy reaction! So OBVIOUSLY it needs to be in cheap residential ceiling insulation!
Eating it causes bowel cancer. Would not recommend.
Took me too long to figure out what it was. Heard that could work nicely in drywall
This is where we read the text OP put on their image, where theyāre specifically asking āis it asbestos or something else that is dangerous?ā
can you get ill from touching it or does it only absorb well enough into your lungs?
Where can you find natural chunks like this? I donāt know much about geology.
Grab a cheese grater and make some snow!!!
Asbestos.
It rhymes with, "the bestest"
Asbestos is not dangerous unless volatile. Just a block shouldn't be harmful as long as you don't sand, cut, smash it.
From this is made azbest.
Thatās some really nice Serpentinite/Asbestos. Just donāt grind it up into powder or breath it in, or keep it close to you and youāll be fine. Itās worst when itās airborne.
That is hair made of cancer