Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – A “Food Lion” grocery store located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has voluntarily closed down for an investigation into the discovery of asbestos dust during renovations that are being performed in the building.

Myra Reece, Chief of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Controls Bureau of Air Quality says that the dust may have been released as long ago as last month. A contractor who began to remove floor tiles in February is believed to have done so using procedures that may have released asbestos fibers from mastic that was used to lay the tiles.

The procedure should have been carried out in a way that prevented or reduced the amount of asbestos dust and fibers that were released into the air, to protect people in the store from possible exposure.

Myra Reece says that anyone who has been in the store—located on 3890 S. Kings Highway in Myrtle Beach—between February 18 and March 25 should be aware that asbestos dust may be present at the store and a small amount of asbestos exposure may have occurred.

The DHEC is concerned about the possibility that people who were in the store during those few weeks may have inhaled asbestos dust or fibers, or purchased items that had been contaminated with asbestos.

Asbestos—which was a very common component of a large range of construction materials between the 1940s and the 1980s—is the only known cause of asbestosis and mesothelioma, two incurable lung diseases. While asbestosis typically only occurs following repeated exposure, mesothelioma may only require a small amount of exposure. Mesothelioma is a cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs. The cancer usually develops between three and five decades after exposure to asbestos.

Air samples taken in the store while the renovation project was being carried out indicate that there was no asbestos present in the air. However other samples taken by the DHEC showed that chrysotile asbestos was present on some of the store’s surfaces.

DHEC state epidemiologist Erik R. Svendsen, PhD, says that people in the store between the noted dates may have been exposed to asbestos, but “the potential for long term health effects is low.”

The DHEC has issued a fact sheet for customers who have questions about the issue. The fact sheet also includes information about what shoppers can do with food items they purchased at the store during the important dates. The fact sheet is located at the DHEC web site at www.scdhec.gov.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, South Carolina. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.