New sensor film detects friable asbestos in construction materialBirmingham, England - Datatecnics, a Birmingham, England-based company, has developed an asbestos management sensor film. Asbestos is a highly toxic mineral fiber that was used in a variety of construction materials still found in older homes and buildings. Although asbestos is relatively safe if left undisturbed, cracking or crumbling of asbestos-containing material released carcinogenic fibers into the air that when inhaled can cause lung cancer or mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the protective lining of the lungs, heart, chest and abdomen.
"Asbestos is in a lot of public buildings. The Government estimated that 70% of UK schools contain it and the guidance from the Health and Safety Executive is to manage most of it, not remove it," says Datatecnics CEO Mohammed Zulfiquar.
Now Zulfiquar has developed a film that triggers a warning when a material containing asbestos has been penetrated. "You paper the wall, and have just two wires connected to a control; something like an alarm," explains Zulfiquar, who can explain little more until the prototype is protected under intellectual property rights.
What can be said is that a structure crumbles when penetrated, so even if the drawing pin or drill misses the detector track, said crumbling breaks the circuit. The film is also self-adhesive and traps fibers released by initial breaches.
Construction workers are often those most affected by asbestos, as their prolonged exposure can lead to the onset of malignant mesothelioma, an incurable cancer that is often diagnosed its later stages. If functional, the sensor film would go a long way in protecting workers from disease.
