Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma Asbestos Lung Cancer Information

University of Iowa Students Exposed to Asbestos (IOWA CITY, Iowa)

While workers installed a new fire alarm and sprinkler system in the University of Iowa's (UI) Mayflower Residence Hall, students and staff members may have been exposed to small amounts of asbestos. This incident marks the second UI construction project in which asbestos was discovered. A similar discovery came during the renovation of the school's Engineering Building.

The construction in the residence hall began more than a year ago, but the potential asbestos release was not discovered until February 25, 2000.

UI officials insist that tests have shown no evidence of contamination during the Mayflower project, but they're still awaiting the results from a second set of contamination tests. The engineering firm Shive-Hattery Inc. provided UI with a faulty opinion saying there was no asbestos present in the construction area, said UI's vice president for university relations Ann Rhodes. Rhodes added that UI is considering legal action against Shive-Hattery for its failure to conduct proper testing before construction work began in October 1998. Officials from Shive-Hattery could not be reached for comment.

While a study found that there is no real danger to the building's occupants, routine post-construction tests did reveal that the hallway ceilings that were drilled into and nailed against were "encapsulated" with material containing asbestos. The samples taken from decorative ceilings, which are only a fraction of an inch thick but includes styrofoam balls and talc mixed with glue and paint in addition to the chrysotile asbestos, in various hallways in Mayflower revealed an approximately 2 to 5 percent asbestos make-up, which is just above what is considered "non-asbestos containing material," said James Walker, the director of the UI health protection office.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa Office of Safety Health Administration were told of the asbestos discovery on Feb. 25, while residents and staff were notified of the release through e-mail and posters Monday.

The low asbestos levels have been in the building for some time, however, it was not released into the air until the construction began. "Because the asbestos had an encapsulate coat, it cannot crumble, so there would be no particles," Walker said. "It is highly unlikely for there to have been a release into the air."

Similar asbestos discoveries occurred during renovations in the Engineering Building but the asbestos found there was removed immediately, Rhodes said. "Two abatement projects were completed to remove the asbestos," she said. "It was there, but it was not causing any danger. Asbestos can be in a building and not be hazardous if it's contained."

Like many buildings on the UI campus, the Engineering Building was built when asbestos was used frequently as a filler in paints, an insulator in materials and a binder in ceiling tiles, Walker said.

Asbestos can be a life-threatening chemical, with particles remaining airborne for approximately 72 hours. These particles lie in the lungs and can go undetected for 20 years.

02/29/00

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