It’s not gorilla glue, but it’s also not harvested from gentle giants in the jungle. Here’s what you should know about this latest attempt to combat the contamination concerns of exposición al asbesto.

What is Gorilla Snot?

The company Soilworks, which specializes in soil stabilization and dust control, has developed a product curiously called “Gorilla Snot”. According to the company, this product is an alternative to Soiltac and provides a biodegradable, eco-safe solution to dealing with dust. It comes in a liquid copolymer form and is marketed with various safety considerations, including:

Noncorrosive
Non-toxic
Water-resistant
Non-flammable
Odorless
Non-leaching
Human, animal, marine life, and vegetation-safe
Non-transferable

This range of safety protocols has captured the attention of Orange County officials who have chosen to use the product in order to protect the public from harm. Back in November, a fire erupted around the Tustin Unified School District, causing significant damage to a historic World War II-era blimp hangar at a former Tustin Air Base. The hanger essentially burned itself to the ground, but the aftermath was significant smoke and dust all around the surrounding area.

A Historic Monument Destroyed

The level of ash and smoke necessitated the involvement of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which followed with a warning to all surrounding residents, telling them to stay indoors as much as possible and avoid any strenuous outdoor activity. Subsequently, school parks and other public places were

But it wasn’t just the presence of smoke and ash that was problematic in this entire situation. Instead, concerns soon shifted to asbestos exposure.

The Tustin blimp hangar is no random structure. Built in 1942, this World War II era facility was registered nationally in the Register of Historic Places and was even featured on television shows including JAG, X-Files, Austin Powers, Pearl Harbor, and Star Trek, according to KNX News. Unfortunately, the situation has been quite alarming to the public, with fires going on for over 24 days. The shell of the structure remains standing, but the concern for residents in the surrounding area is the concern of asbestos contamination.

Airborne Asbestos Contamination

As an old structure, the Tustin blimp hangar represents an era in American history when asbestos was commonly used in building materials. This is nothing special for Tustin since many materiales que contienen asbesto used in structures throughout the country still stand today. The problem is not that these materials still exist. As long as asbestos-containing materials remain undamaged and undisturbed, they pose no health risks. The problem is, that asbestos materials can become deadly when they are damaged, especially in the case of fires.

What exactly happens when asbestos materials are damaged? When a flood, high wind, or fire causes damage to asbestos structures, the materials containing asbestos (insulation, concrete, pipe wrapping, etc.) begin to deteriorate. When this happens, the asbestos fibers contained within those materials are exposed. This is known as airborne asbestos, and it represents a dangerous situation. Freed asbestos fibers can begin to contaminate surrounding areas, especially when they are spread through wind or smoke debris. What was once a contained situation becomes a widespread contamination, putting thousands at risk, even those who are miles away from the source.

This concern of asbestos contamination is at the center of concern for residents and city officials in Tustin since the airborne spread of debris has been so significant for almost a month throughout the county. The concern is primarily for secondhand asbestos exposure, which means that the asbestos fibers contained in the building have spread to homes and nearby places where they can be swallowed or inhaled. Despite the way someone is exposed to asbestos, they are still at risk for contracting the same kinds of asbestos diseases that would have been of central concern for workers who constructed the hangar, or for those who may have worked inside the hangar.

Will Gorilla Snot be the Solution?

The idea behind using gorilla snot to fix the situation is not limited to asbestos, but the features of the product may serve as a temporary solution to help contain things as much as possible. For one, the compound will be used to help the dust from spreading anymore. It can serve to help seal and solidify the loose debris from being spread throughout the area, but it won’t be able to stop what has already been spread up to this point. Officials are still curious as to what the results of using this compound will be, but it is at least a welcome solution, compared to doing nothing.

Reducción de Asbesto

This situation serves as a great, yet unfortunate example of how serious asbestos exposure can be, even for unsuspecting citizens who have never worked in an asbestos industry. It also serves as an example of how important professional asbestos abatement is. If this scenario were scaled down to a home fire or even a renovation project, it is easy to see how asbestos abatement should be left to professionals. Since asbestos materials are likely present in this hangar, those who are going into the “ground zero” environment to apply Gorilla Snot should know that they are going into an asbestos-contaminated area.

In the case of a home residence, the same is true, especially if the home was constructed before the 1980s when asbestos materials were commonplace. If you are considering a home renovation or tackling damage repair due to a fire or flood, you should know that the problem of asbestos exposure can become much worse if the situation is not handled safely and professionally. Home renovation projects are notorious for making matters worse, as unsuspecting homeowners could begin demolishing asbestos structures, exposing themselves to dangerous fibers and spreading those fibers throughout the neighborhood. Because of this, it is important to reach out to a professional asbestos abatement company to verify whether your home contains asbestos.

Not only is this a wise decision that results in protecting yourself and others, but it is also a legal situation. City, State, and Federal protocols exist for the proper removal and disposal of asbestos-containing materials, and you may be at legal risk if you do not follow the legal criteria that exist where you live. But better than that, leaving things to a professional licensed abatement company means that you can be provided with official documentation to alleviate any legal liability, particularly if you decide to rent or sell your home in the future.