-: CONSUMER INFORMATION I

8)EPA's current best practices forVERMICULITE ATTIC INSULATION

May 2003

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)offices have received a large number of phonecalls from citizens concerned about vermiculiteinsulation in their home that might be contami-

nated with asbestos. EPA is gathering more in.forma-tion about vermiculite insulation and other productscontaining vermiculite. If you suspect vermiculiteinsulation is in your home, the safest thing is to leavethe material alone. If you decide to remove or mustotherwise disturb the material due to a renovation

project, consult with an experienced asbestos contrac-tor. The following information provides a common-sense approach to help you find out what kind ofinsulation is in your home and decide what to do ifyou have vermiculite insulation.

WHATISVERMICULITEINSULATION?Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that has theunusual property of expanding into worm-like accordionshaped pieces when heated. The expanded vermiculite isa light-weight, fire-resistant, absorbent, and odorlessmaterial. These properties allow vermiculite to be usedto make numerous products, including attic insulation.

DOI HAVEVERMICULITEINSULATION?Vermiculite can be purchased in various forms for vari-ous uses. Sizes of vermiculite products range from veryfine particles to large (coarse) pieces nearly an inch long.Vermiculite attic insulation is a pebble-like, pour-inproduct and is usually light-brown or gold in color.

An attic with vermiculite insulation

IS VERMICULITEINSULATIONA PROBLEM?Prior to its close in 1990, much of the world's supply ofvermiculite came from a mine near Libby, Montana. Thismine had a natural deposit of asbestos which resulted inthe vermiculite being contaminated with asbestos. Atticinsulation produced using vermiculite ore, particularlyore that originated from the Libby mine, may containasbestos fibers. Today, vermiculite is mined at three U.S.facilities and in other countries which have low levelsofcontamination in the finished material.

HOW DOESASBESTOSCAUSEHEALTHPROBLEMS?Asbestos can cause health problems when inhaled intothe lungs. If products containing asbestos are disturbed,thin, lightweight asbestos fibers are released into the air.Persons breathing the air may breathe in asbestos fibers.Continued exposure increases the amount of fibers thatremain in the lung. Fibers embedded in lung tissue overtime may result in lung diseases such as asbestosis, lungcancer, or mesothelioma. Smoking increases your risk ofdeveloping illness from asbestos exposure.

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WHAT SHOULDI DOIF I HAVEVERMICULITEATTICINSULATION?

DO NOT DISTURB IT. Any disturbance has the poten-tial to release asbestos fibers into the air. Limiting thenumber of trips you make to your attic and shorteningthe length of those trips can help .limit your potentialexposure. EPA and ATSDR strongly recommend that:

.Vermiculite insulation be left undisturbed in your attic.Due to the uncertainties with existing testing techniques,it is best to assume that the material may containasbestos.

.You should not store boxes or other items in your atticif retrieving the material will disturb the insulation.

.Children should not be allowed to play in an attic withopen areas of vermiculite insulation.

.If you plan to remodel or con.duct renovations that

would disturb the vermiculite, hire professionals trainedand certified to handle asbestos to safely remove thematerial. .

.You should never attempt to remove the insulationyourself. Hire professionals trained and certified to safelyremove the material.

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8 WHAT IF I OCCASIONALLYHAVETO GOINTOMY ATIIC?EPA and ATSDR strongly recommend that homeownersmake every effort not to disturb vermiculite insulation intheir attics. If you occasionally have to go into yourattic, current best practices state you should:

1. Make every effort to stay on the floored part of yourattic and to not disturb the insulation.

2. If you must perform activities that may disturb theattic insulation such as moving boxes (or other materi-als), do so as gently as possible to minimize the distur-bance.

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3. Leave the attic immediately after the disturbance.

4. If you need work done in your attic such as the instal-lation of cable or utility lines, hire trained and certifiedprofessionals who can safely do the work.

5. It is possible that vermiculite attic insulation can siftthrough cracks in the ceiling, around light fixtures, oraround ceiling fans. You can prevent this by sealing thecracks and holes that insulation could pass through.

6. Common dust masks are not effective against asbestosfibers. For information on the requirements for wearinga respirator mask, visit the following OSHA website:http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/index.html

.WHATARETHENEXTSTEPS?The guidance provided in this brochure reflects the cur-rent testing technology and knowledge of precautionsone may take regarding vermiculite attic insulation. EPAis initiating further studies on vermiculite attic insulationand pursuing other asbestos related issues. Additionalinformation will be provided to the public via the EPAand ATSDR web sites and through additional outreachmaterials as it becomes available.

IS MY HEALTHAT RISKFROMPREVIOUSEXPOSURESTO THEASBESTOSINTHEINSULATION?If you removed or disturbed the insulation, it is possiblethat you inhaled som~ asbestos fibers. Also the distur-bance may have resulted in the fibers being depositedinto other areas of the home. Exposure to asbestosincreases your risk of developing lung disease. That riskis made worse' by smoking. In general, the greater theexposure to asbestos, the greater the chance of develop-ing harmful health effects. Disease symptoms may takeseveral years to develop following exposure. If you areconcerned about possible exposure, consult a physicianwho specializes in lung diseases (pulmonologist).

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~WHERECAN I GETINFORMATIONONTESTINGORREMOVALOFTHE INSULATION?EPA and ATSDR strongly recommend using a trained,and certified professional to conduct removal work.Removing the insulation yourself could potentiallyspread asbestos fibers throughout your home, puttingyou and your family at risk of inhaling these fibers. Forcertified asbestos removal professionals in your area,refer to your local Yellow PagesTh<.Your StateEnvironmental Agency can confirm that the company'scredentials are current. You can find your State Agencyat: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/whereyoulive.htm.Currently, there are specific technical issues involvingvermiculite sampling that can complicate testing for thepresence of asbestos fibers and interpreting the risk fromexposure. EPA and ATSDR are not recommending atthis time that homeowners have vermiculite attic insula-

tion tested for asbestos. As testlr:g techniques are refined,EPA and ATSDR will provide information to the publicon the benefits of testing that produce more definitiveand accurate test results.

WHERECAN I GETMOREINFORMATION?

Information on the Agency's guidance on asbestos andvermiculite, including insulation and horticultural prod-ucts, has previously been available on EPA'swebsite.Additional information on vermiculite and asbestos isavailable from the following sources:

GENERALINFORMATIONEPA'sToxicSubstancesControlAct (TSCA)AssistanceInformationServiceAsbestosLine:1-800-471-7127

EPAAsbestos Ombudsman:1-800-368-5888

EPA'sAsbestos HomePage:http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/

HEALTHINFORMATION

Agency for Toxic Substancesand DiseaseRegistry(ATSDR):http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov

WORKERSAF~TYOccupationalSafety and HealthAdministration(OSHA:) http://www.osha.gov

National Institute for OccupationalSafetyand Health

(NIOSH):http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

CONSUMERPRODUCTS

ConsumerProductSafety Commission(CPSC):http://www.cpsc.gov

MINERALOGY.UnitedStates GeologicalSurvey(USGS):http://minerals.usgs.gov/mineraIsl

Prepared by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute for Occupational Safety and theAgency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, May 2003. EPA publication 747-F-03-001.

'2'003 ,'8',7

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