2009-10-19 06:01:07 -

Asbestos Located in Attic of Frat House

/EIN Presswire/ October 15, 2009

At Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, traces of asbestos have been uncovered on campus. While removing the nests of birds from the attic, Greek Life officials found asbestos in the attic of the Theta Xi fraternity's chapter house. Further testing on the material must be done to confirm what percentage of asbestos is in the substance. However, according to David Wallace, coordinator for Greek housing programs, none of the residents in the frat house are in any danger.

Officials from the Greek Life Office (GLO) have taken air quality samples from the living areas of the house. A contractor has been hired to seal off the asbestos-containing area and remove

the material. "We don't know [if] it's dangerous," Wallace said. "We decided it was better to just remove it." He added that the removal project will take about a week, and it will "have little to no impact on the men living inside the chapter house."

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a ban and phase-out on asbestos in 1989, which was overturned by a ruling in 1991. Asbestos exposure has been conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive form of cancer of the lungs, abdomen or heart. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year. Patients routinely develop mesothelioma decades after being exposed to asbestos. Most patients lose their battle with this cancer in as little as two years after being diagnosed.

Theta Xi, located on the Upper Fraternity Row, is home to 16 fraternity brothers housed in its 15 bedrooms.

www.maacenter.org/mesothelioma/