Asbestos in Basketball Backboards
Add basketball backboards another entry for the seemingly unending list of surprising and overlooked places to find asbestos.
This photo shows the back of a two backboards from the same gymnasium. The one on the top is backboard with a thick spray applied coating that tested positive for 10% chrysotile asbestos.
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The coating was applied to add strength and acoustic deadening to a metal object whose purpose is to absorb the strikes of countless basketballs over many years. In this context, it makes sense that the person in charge of installing it would choose an asbestos material.
Unfortunately, asbestos exposure has been linked to a wide array of asbestos-related diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
As long as the asbestos coating remains intact and in good condition, the fibers most likely do not pose a threat. However, whoever applied this coating could be at risk of developing mesothelioma, as could anyone who tries to remove it.