Flexible Duct Connectors
While the number of asbestos-related deaths has decreased considerably over the years, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), nearly 10,000 deaths still occur in the U.S. annually as a result of asbestos-related diseases. From 1940-1979, EWG estimates that around 230,000 deaths were caused by asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma. More than 30 million tons of asbestos were used in U.S. homes, schools, commercial buildings, and in the industrial sector during this time. In the industrial sector, the substance was used in power plants, shipyards, and steel mills.
Asbestos is currently banned in numerous countries around the world such as Australia, Argentina, Chile, Croatia, and Saudi Arabia, several countries such as Russia and Canada still mine asbestos. In the United States, the substance is strictly regulated, but it is not totally banned. Asbestos can still be found in thousands of different products and materials. Keep in mind that asbestos had been used in more than 3,000 products from 1900-1980.
Asbestos can be found in everything from asphalt to yarn, and it can even be found in the ductwork in many structures located throughout the country. *All air duct installations for heating, cooling or ventilation are attached to mechanical equipment containing a fan or blower. Vibrations, noises and rattles resulting from operation of the fan or blower are transmitted into the metal ducts, which carry the noises throughout the system. In order to isolate the vibrations and noises to the source, an air-tight flexible joint, consisting of a fabric that is attached to sheet metal on both sides, must be inserted between the equipment and the ductwork. This vibration isolator is called a “Flexible Duct Connector”. *(As defined by Elgen Manufacturing)
Handling flexible duct connectors may release dangerous asbestos fibers, so the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) offers the following guidelines for handling and removing asbestos-containing flexible duct connector: wear a respirator approved for use with asbestos, use wet procedures for clean-up, do not use power operated or other tools to cut or drill because this can create respirable dust levels, and keep all asbestos-containing products out of the reach of children.
The period of time between exposure to asbestos-containing flexible duct connectors and the onset of symptoms is usually 30-40 years. Signs of mesothelioma may include shortness of breath, pleural effusion, pain in the chest, abdomen, shoulder, or arm, and possibly weight loss, anemia, fever, and bowel obstruction.
- ELGEN Manufacturing Company, Inc. http://www.elgenmfg.com/products_page2-3.pdf, Duct Connectors.
Accessed: 23 March 2008. - Environmental Protection Agency. Asbestos In Your Home. Updated 6 March 2008;
Accessed: 16 March 2008.
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