[dan808]

Hi guys digging over my plot and who knew that asbestos and glass grew underground. I have pulled up as much as possible of what I have seen  and what to know will my veg be OK/safe  growing here if found it up to a foot deep aswell as two inch under the surface, so can't be certain if any is deeper. Is there a contamination risk ?

[shed head]

Er......Im no expert but ,eating asbestos may carry some risks.
Get on to the council and get it checked out

[Steveharford]

Hi Dan
If it is blue asbestos then don't go near it. Most likely it is asbestos cement which is what was used in corrugated roof sheets and the like. Still not something you can just dump in the general waste skips but less harmful to health and I would imagine, no harm at all to anything growing around it. If in doubt environmental health would analyse it for you at a cost but they will probably want it double wrapped in polythene for you to present it to them. Best check with them.

[hightide]

Your plants should be quite safe, the risk to human health from asbestos is airborne particle. As you removed it from the ground it will probably be damp and in that condition the risk should be low.
Now disposal could be a problem, I would use a watering can to keep it damp and bag it up in clear plastic bags if possible to aid identification. Contact your site agent or owner and tell them what you have found, please do not try to dispose of it yourself.

[gavinjconway]

Asbestos is dangerous but only as dust particles - even then you need to breath a shed load of it in.. so yours in / from the ground is pretty safe.. We have the same problems on our site from previous tenants old broken shed roof sheets etc. I just put it in a bucket and one day will take it to the tip.

[bravemurphy]

Your plants should be quite safe, the risk to human health from asbestos is airborne particle. As you removed it from the ground it will probably be damp and in that condition the risk should be low.
Now disposal could be a problem, I would use a watering can to keep it damp and bag it up in clear plastic bags if possible to aid identification. Contact your site agent or owner and tell them what you have found, please do not try to dispose of it yourself.

Well said I could not have put it better myself.

[gremlin]

Asbestos is dangerous but only as dust particles - even then you need to breath a shed load of it in.

It is believed that even a few particles in your lungs can cause mesothelioma - if you are unlucky.   

[RichardA]

Gremlin is right --- a few fibres will cause lung or stomach or pleural cancers if you are unlucky - there have been cases of men working for many years with asbestos and not developing cancers whilst their wives or even children exposed to dirty overalls once in a while did so. Large quantities of fibres also lead to asbestosis whilst combinations of asbestos and cigarette smoking or with other dusts  will also increase chances of other conditions including lung cancers.
Equally asbestos cement is low asbestos content (about 3 to 4%) bound in a cement matrix (96%) and can be handled if kept damp - it is inhalation of fibres that matters. Contact local council about disposal.
R