`Aina Environmental Group, Inc.

Asbestos

Asbestos is the generic name for a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals.  Once the fibers are processed from ore, they have a high tensile strength, and are resistant to heat, chemicals, and electricity.  The fibers have been incorporated into more than 3,000 different composite materials, including floor tiles, adhesives, thermal insulation, sound insulation, decorative surfacing, brake pads, cement pipes and boards, gaskets, theater curtains, and heat resistant clothing.  When the asbestos fibers are locked into the composite material, they pose little threat to people exposed to those materials. However, when Asbestos Containing Materials (ACM) are damaged or disturbed, asbestos fibers can be released into the air.  Airborne asbestos fibers enter the lungs very easily, and have been linked to three different respiratory ailments:  Asbestosis, Lung Cancer, and Mesothelioma.  Asbestosis is defined as "fibrotic scarring of the lung tissue", and has symptoms that include shortness of breath and a characteristic "wheezing" sound during inhalation and exhalation.  Lung Cancer is essentially the same as that linked to exposure to cigarette smoke.  In fact, while smokers are generally ten times as likely to develop Lung Cancer as non-smokers, people that work with asbestos are generally five times as likely to develop Lung Cancer.  Those that both smoke and work with Asbestos have a 50-90 times higher rate of developing Lung Cancer than a non-smoker non-asbestos worker.  The third disease associated with exposure to asbestos fibers is Mesothelioma, a cancer of the pleural lining.  The pleural lining is a thin layer of tissue surrounding the internal organs.  Mesothelioma has no cure, and generally causes death within a year of diagnosis.  Schedule Training

Lead

Lead is a soft, dull, grey metal used fairly extensively due to its high density and malleability, and resistance to corrosion.  The metal has been used in bullets, stained glass, fishing weights, plumbing, and pencils.  In addition, lead compounds have been used extensively as gasoline additives (tetraethyl lead) and pigments in paints (lead oxides).  Excessive exposure to lead has been linked to increase in blood pressure, joint and muscle aches, reproductive problems, kidney damage, anemia, nerve damage, constipation, stomach pain, irritability and fatigue, memory and concentration problems, clumsiness, drowsiness, sleep problems, shaking extremities, hallucinations, brain damage, loss of IQ, seizures, coma, and death.  Schedule Training

Mold

Mold has gained increasing media attention recently, especially from all the water damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.  Mold is the generic  term for any one of a number of genera of fungi that typically live and grow in moist, dark areas.  Water damage in any part of your home or business can potentially result in mold colonization.  Although mold is found throughout the environment, if it becomes well established in an indoor area, it can cause a number a different health effects in those exposed to it.  Mold reproduces by releasing spores into the air.  When the spores land on a suitable surface, they begin growing.  The proteins that make up the mold spores can cause an allergic response in sensitive individuals.  Hay fever and other types of sinus and respiratory symptoms are common.  Some types of mold also release toxins into the air, which can further affect exposed individuals.  Schedule Training

PCBs

PCBs are also known as polychlorobiphenyls, a group of large, chlorinated organic molecules that known to be toxic.  Pure PCBs generally appear as a yellow oily substance that in non-conductive and resistant to chemical and thermal breakdown.  They have commonly been used in transformers and fluorescent light ballasts.  Some of the symptoms attributable to PCBs exposure are sinus irritation, rash, nausea, and dizziness.  Schedule Training

Mercury

Pure mercury is a metallic liquid at room temperature.  It is commonly found in thermometers, pressure gauges, and electrical switches.  Exposure to mercury has been linked to a number of different maladies, including psychological disturbance, cramps, diarrhea, irregular heart beat, dizziness, joint pain, and loss of weight.  Excessive concentrations of mercury in pregnant and nursing women can also lead to birth and developmental defects.  Schedule Training

Other

We can provide you with training on how to protect yourself and your employees against a number of other hazardous materials.  If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to learn more, please feel free to contact us.