Although a 1987 inspection revealed asbestos-containing materials in NIU buildings do not pose a hazard to occupants, a second evaluation will be conducted to check the safety level.

“We are systematically going through the campus and evaluating various buildings,” said Eddie Williams, vice president of finance and planning. “At this point we have not identified any problem areas that require immediate action.”

Industrial hygienist Salah Ghoneim, who is licensed by the state as an asbestos control manager and building inspector, will conduct the inspection. Ghoneim is an NIU assistant professor of technology.

Inspections should be conducted annually to check whether asbestos-containing materials have deteriorated and if levels of concentration pose a health hazard, Ghoneim said.

Asbestos-containing materials are not harmful unless their microscopic fibers become airborne. However, people might easily become alarmed about the subject.

“You go to any school administrators and mention AIDS, herpes or rape in the hall, it doesn’t bother them,” said Otto Klein, asbestos demolition and renovation coordinator for the state’s Environmental Protection Agency. “But mention asbestos, and they get paranoid.”

Because asbestos is contained in commonly-used building materials, such as ceiling and floor tiles, it is difficult to tell whether an area has a dangerous level of asbestos fibers without conducting a laboratory test, Ghoneim said.

NIU buildings inspected in 1987 include the University Health Service, the child-care facility at Gabel Hall and the campus food preparation facilities, Ghoneim said.

The inspection indicated less than 0.01 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter were present in all samples taken from the inspected NIU buildings, Ghoneim said. These levels are permissible, according to the EPA.

Airborne asbestos levels are considered hazardous by the EPA if they register more than 0.1 asbestos fibers per cubic centimeter, Klein said. Anything less is believed to be safe, he said.

The eight-hour inspection consists of taking bulk samples from ceilings and walls of materials that might contain asbestos. The industrial hygienist also will take air samples to discover whether airborne asbestos fibers constitute a health hazard. Both types of samples will be sent to a laboratory accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association, Ghoneim said.

Eventually, the entire campus will be inspected for asbestos-containing materials, said Patricia Hewitt, assistant to the vice president for budget and planning.

The presence of asbestos-containing materials in the health center has created concern among occupants of the building because of the leaky ceiling.

However, no imminent danger to occupants exists since asbestos levels are low, Ghoneim said. Also, if handled properly, no danger should occur, he said.

NIU’s office of budget and planning has requested funding for $3.4 million from the state in fiscal year 1989 for asbestos abatement in the health center, Williams said.