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Toxic Materials Library: UFFI
UFFI Is A Known Respiratory Irritant
Where Is It Found?  Buildings constructed or renovated in the 1970’s may contain UFFI. Recommended by the federal government under the CHIP (Canadian Home Insulation Program), UFFI was used as an insulating material in residential wall cavities of exterior wood frame walls. UFFI was sprayed as liquid foam into openings, where it expanded and hardened.Why Is It A Dangerous Toxin? As the UFFI hardened, it emitted toxic formaldehyde fumes. When UFFI comes in contact with water or moisture, it begins to break down and emit the toxic fumes causing serious respiratory health effects. In significant quantities, formaldehyde is an irritating toxic gas. Overexposure produces symptoms of eyes, nose, throat, and skin irritation, persistent cough and respiratory distress, nausea, vomiting, nosebleeds, headache, and dizziness. What Can I Do? The installation of UFFI was banned in 1980; however, UFFI still remains in many buildings where it was inappropriately used in the walls of solid masonry houses, in attics, around pipes, in acoustical insulation in party walls of row houses, and ceilings between the first and second floors of houses. You can look for indicators of UFFI in your home. Look for a series of small patched holes, 1 to 2 cm (½ to ¾ inches) across, at regular intervals on exterior or interior walls. UFFI foam may be obvious where floor joists meet the exterior walls of the basement or around electrical outlets or switch plates. Patched holes may indicate that UFFI is present in your home. Our qualified staff at Reitzel Bros. Environmental can help you to determine if you have UFFI, assess the risk, select the most appropriate method of managing the problem, and perform the abatement operation — be it removal or encapsulation.  contact us if you suspect UFFI in your home, office or institution
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