Adhesive is a type of liquid or paste that is used to bond items together. This product is commonly used in construction and may be used to bond the following products:

Ceiling tiles
Floor tiles
Plywood panels
Concrete
Asphalt
Leather
Fabric

The National Gypsum Company was one of the largest manufacturers of asbestos adhesive during the early 1900s. The company's product, Gold Bond adhesive, was a popular adhesive brand and was widely used in residential homes and commercial buildings.

Asbestos has been added to adhesive products due to the strength of the fibers and the product's natural resistance to fire and caustic substances.

Asbestos Adhesive

Asbestos-containing adhesives include a variety of products such as:

Emulsion adhesive
Lagging adhesive
Rubber cements
Fibrous adhesive
Vinyl adhesive
Mastics
Duct adhesive
Drywall adhesive

Adhesives are commonly used as a bonding agent during construction and may have contained between 1 and 25 percent asbestos.

Adhesives may also be applied to heating and cooling systems, roofing ceiling or flooring tiles and wallboard. This product may be applied in a spray form or could be troweled on to surfaces

Asbestos fibers may remain encapsulated within the adhesive, and whole or intact adhesive does not pose health risks. Adhesive that has worn down over time due to weathering, renovations or demolition may cause serious conditions.

Asbestos that has crumbled or disintegrated into a powder or dust through the use of hand pressure is considered to be friable, or able to emit asbestos fibers into the air. Asbestos fibers may also become airborne through sanding, grinding or drilling adhesive-applied materials. The mineral may be hazardous when fibers become airborne.

Gold Bond Adhesive

Gold bond adhesive is a brand name product used mainly in the installation of ceiling and floor tiles. This product was manufactured with asbestos fibers around the 1950s by National Gypsum Company, an industrial product manufacturer.

People who worked in the following occupations may have been exposed to asbestos materials:

Drywallers
Insulators
Plasterers
Roofers
Tile or linoleum installers
Demolition crews
Building material product manufacturers
Laborers

During the installation, manufacturing, removal or renovation of asbestos adhesive products, workers may be exposed to asbestos fibers.

Adhesives and Mesothelioma

If asbestos adhesive products are disturbed, microscopic asbestos fibers may be released into the air. Once airborne, fibers may be inhaled or ingested by those nearby as asbestos may remain suspended in the air for hours or days.

In the body, asbestos fibers can become lodged in the thin membrane that covers the lining of the organs. The fibers can cause irritation and inflammation over time and may lead to life-threatening health conditions such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

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The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sponsored by a law firm concentrating in asbestos litigation, The Peterson Firm, LLP with offices at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington DC 20036.