Which of the following best describes non-friable asbestos-containing material when intact?

Which of the following best describes non-friable asbestos-containing material when intact?

• A. It cannot crumble into powder by hand pressure
• B. It readily crumbles when touched
• C. It dissolves in water
• D. It sublimates at room temperature

Answer: (A)

Friability is about how easily asbestos-containing material releases fibers when disturbed. Non-friable materials stay solid and do not crumble into powder under hand pressure when they’re intact. That’s why the best description is that it cannot crumble into powder by hand pressure, because its fibers are bound in a solid matrix and don’t become airborne under normal handling. Of course, damage or cutting can still release fibers, so caution and proper controls are needed if the material is disturbed. The other options don’t fit because dissolving in water or sublimating at room temperature aren’t typical properties used to describe asbestos materials, and crumbling when touched would describe friable material, not non-friable.

Friability is about how easily asbestos-containing material releases fibers when disturbed. Non-friable materials stay solid and do not crumble into powder under hand pressure when they’re intact. That’s why the best description is that it cannot crumble into powder by hand pressure, because its fibers are bound in a solid matrix and don’t become airborne under normal handling. Of course, damage or cutting can still release fibers, so caution and proper controls are needed if the material is disturbed. The other options don’t fit because dissolving in water or sublimating at room temperature aren’t typical properties used to describe asbestos materials, and crumbling when touched would describe friable material, not non-friable.