What has EPA done to assess the risk?

To evaluate the risk posed by compounds such as asbestos, EPA needs to determine if the contaminant is present in certain products and also whether people come in contact with sufficient quantities to cause harm.

For asbestos, this means that airborne fibers need to be inhaled and lodged into the lungs. EPA began its investigation by purchasing and testing a number of vermiculite products available in garden stores across the country. Only 15 percent (8/54) of these products contained enough asbestos to allow EPA to quantify the percentage of asbestos reliably.

Further analysis of the likelihood of the asbestos becoming airborne during routine use of these products indicated that this potential exposure poses a minimal health risk to consumers.

Vermiculite products may, however, present more serious risks in a work setting where the frequency and duration of exposures are likely to be significantly greater.

EPA has provided the report of its investigation, “Sampling and Analysis of Consumer Garden Products That Contain Vermiculite,” to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to assist that office in evaluating the hazards to workers from exposure to certain vermiculite products.