Window vent with asbestos?

[Lämmelen]

Hello! My apartment building was built in 1938. I recently noticed this board between the windowsill and the vent by the windows. Does it look like asbestos? I'm quite worried now, especially for my son, since it's an air inlet.

 

[GoC]

But regardless of what material this disc is made of. How could it then be released and spread into the air? Because you're probably not there chipping off a bit of it several times a day. It would be dangerous if it were plutonium in it, spreading radioactivity. But otherwise, it is unlikely to cause anything if it is allowed to remain where it is for another 80-plus years.

 

[Pucco]

If you mean the brown disc, it looks like cork. Probably used as thermal insulation to prevent cooling down the windowsill with incoming air.

 

[Lämmelen]

But regardless of what material this disk is made of. How could it then be released and spread around in the air? You're not there scraping off a bit of it several times a day, are you?
It would be dangerous if it were plutonium so that it spread radioactivity. But otherwise, it probably won't cause anything if it stays where it is for another 80 years or so.

No, I'm not there scraping. I thought that if it insulates the valve then maybe the air is wearing it down. But I'm generally a bit paranoid.

 

[GoC]

But it looks more like a slice of cork.

 

[Lämmelen]

If you mean the brown disc, it looks like cork. Probably used as thermal insulation to prevent cooling down the windowsill with incoming air.

Thanks, yes that's what I mean. That might be it. What a relief

 

[GoC]

No, I'm not there belching. I thought that if it isolates the valve, the air might be there and corroding it. But I'm generally paranoid.

But even if there were asbestos in the panel, you'll probably get more asbestos fibers through the air supply valve than if there were asbestos. There are far greater dangers to waste paranoia on than if there happens to be asbestos in a construction part in an apartment. I would guess that just the air in an urban area is significantly more harmful. But most harmful is the worry about everything that one believes might possibly be dangerous.