Asbestos Lurking in Old Tennis Courts
Asbestos use in home construction peaked between 1930 and 1970, but its popularity waned in the 1980s as health concerns resulted in partial bans worldwide. Consequently, the toxic mineral was gradually phased out of building materials, but it was used long enough to handle any construction product over 20 years old very carefully.
Asbestos materials (ACM) are not a health risk if they are in good condition. Over time, however, they become friable, and disturbing ACMs by cutting, drilling, or otherwise breaking the products during construction work generates asbestos dust that can linger in the air for hours. Any particulate matter poses a health risk through inhalation or ingestion, more so asbestos dust composed of sharp-edged mineral fibers that, once inside the body, embed in the lining of organs and generate asbestos-related diseases over time, such as:
- Mesothelioma - a rare cancer of the lung lining, almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure with preponderantly fatal outcomes.
- Asbestos-related lung cancer - an aggressive malignancy that is almost always fatal.
Asbestos is also linked to other serious diseases affecting the lungs:
- Asbestosis - a permanent scarring of the lungs. Even if it isn't always fatal, it can be a very debilitating disease and affects the quality of life considerably.
- Diffuse pleural thickening - is the swelling of the membrane around the lungs, restricting lung expansion and causing breathlessness.
Routine exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing asbestos-related diseases, as the effect is cumulative. One of the terrible characteristics of these illnesses is their long latency period; it can take up to 15 to 60 years until the first symptoms appear.
Older Tennis Courts and the Risk of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos was the "miracle material" in every industry branch in the last century, with construction leading the trend. It was used anywhere and everywhere, and it's no surprise that sports facilities, like tennis courts, were also built with asbestos products. One of the recent surveys discovered asbestos in the adhesive that holds the clay surface to the pavement below, the rubber surface in the case of rubberized tennis courts, or the asphalt of the courts. Asbestos testing showed that the bonding material contained approximately 2% asbestos, which classified it as ACM according to US regulations. The EPA states that " materials containing greater than 1% asbestos" are generally regarded as ACMs.
Older tennis courts were usually built with court surfacing materials reinforced with asbestos fibers for durability when this hazardous material was commonly used. However, naturally occurring asbestos can also be an issue in outdoor sporting venues and recreational facilities built during those times. In many of them, asbestos was found in the blacktop parking area and asphalt parking lot.
All ACMs become friable with wear and tear, including tennis court resurfacing materials, potentially releasing microscopic asbestos particles into the air when disturbed. Given that vintage tennis courts ought to have cracks, it can pose a safety hazard. Consequently, if a tennis court or its premises were built before the mid-1980s, no significant improvements, makeovers, or replacements should be made without a survey and asbestos testing, which can identify the type and risk associated with any ACMs. More so, if buildings surrounding or near the court were built in the same period, it means that they were without a doubt constructed with ACMs, including:
- ceiling tiles
- flooring
- ductwork
- textured paint
- boards
Moreover, visitor stands and snack bars that may have ACMs were usually found around the tennis courts, along with the pavement covering the premises. Until asbestos products are replaced with innovative ones to avoid asbestos exposure, there is the issue of abatement or removal of hazardous components. Hiring licensed professionals is the best approach, as they will handle the task safely and comply with standing asbestos regulations.