Due to asbestos concerns, students had their last day of school off. The elementary school was closed Thursday, June 23rd due to what the district called a, “Minor asbestos disturbance.”
Contractors had disturbed asbestos in a custodial closet late Wednesday night.
Asbestos is a fibrous material exploited for its fire retardant qualities. Although no longer incorporated in construction materials, asbestos can be found in older buildings–within drywall, tile flooring and roofing.
When asbestos is disturbed, particles are made airborne, and when inhaled, pose a serious health risk to those exposed. Asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma are all known diseases to arise from asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is the most rare and aggressive, and typically affects the pleura–the internal lining of the chest cavity.
Symptoms of the disease such as shortness of breath and chest pain lie dormant for several decades, and without a mesothelioma cure, patients are faced with a short life expectancy period. Palliative treatments like mesothelioma chemotherapy are only temporary means of improving a patient’s quality of life.
The district closed the school Thursday in order to test the building. If test results are negative, the school had planned to reopen on Friday.
A make-up day has yet to be planned for the last day of school, reports CBS 6 in Albany.
The custodial area, where the asbestos disturbance originally occurred, will be closed off until asbestos abatement concludes.