asbestos exposure?

[timmyh]

I am very concerned about the fact that i may have been exposed to asbestos,
i was working around a local swimming pool doing electrical repairs and installation,
one of the rooms we worked in was a boiler room which had asbestos lagged pipes, on inspection they were in perfect condition and coated in a blue paint, on the last day someone had swept up the floor below were we had been working and i entered the room for no more than 20 seconds and left again, then later on that evening i felt as though something was in my throat which i could feel every time i took a breath, which then a fews days later turned into a sore chest, then felt burning for a day, now its been 2 weeks and my chest pain seems to be clearing.
Does this sound like asbestos?
No one else who was in the room seems affected, even the 2 that swept up?
I was also drilling in the changing rooms that last day into block work, but swept up the floor and got a face full of dust, could it be chlorine affecting me?
Many thanks

[timmyh]

Thank you for getting back, it is very helpful and putting my mind to rest.
The pipes were in perfect condition and had blue paint all over them as well.
I am 31 so am quite worried about my future, the fact that no one else seems to have been affected from the site seems to make me think that it cant be that.
I have got a sample from the top of the electrical panels we fitted, which had a bit of dust that had landed after the room had been swept, that should show if there was anything airbourne i hope.
Bit too scared to get it tested though as it could bring bad news.
I will have a look for what the physician has said about it all, hopefully it wont scare me as much as searching on the rest of the net.

Thanks again

[ChangoTX]

If the coating of the pipes is intact and you're not crawling all over them you're ok. On the other hand, I don't know how old you are, but keep up your awareness of inhaled fibers, be they asbestos, glass, ceramic etc... Paranoia will do fine too, wear masks, no one will ever care about your lungs as much as you.
I'm no doctor, but even if there was asbestos dust on the floor, I do not think that brief an exposure would produce the effect you describe. I think the chlorine vapors (no less dangerous by the way) are much more likely to be the cause.
Again, the concrete dust will be aggravating too, but I'm still voting for the chlorine, much more caustic and immediate.
On the doctor side of this forum, some physician had elaborated on the differences of glass and asbestos fibers and their effects on the respiratory system; I can't remember where it is but you might find it if you dig around.
Take care.