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hi everyone, i just joined so i could post this and hopefully get some feedback.

i am terrified of asbestos. this stems from my childhood because we had it in my family home.  i havent given asbestos much thought as an adult because i've always lived in apartments that i believed was free of it. a couple of weeks ago that changed.

i have a family member that lives nearby that asked me if i knew anything about asbestos and if it is in textured ceilings.  i asked why and she said that she has these moveable partitions in her new apartment that the previous tenant left.  they are suspended from the ceiling and create make-shift walls. when these partitions move, they scrape against the ceiling causing the textured surface to crumble and fall everywhere. her building was built in the 1970's.

needless to say i am very concerned about her well being.  i am also concerned that when she visits me, there might be asbestos on her clothing (if it is asbestos) and it now enters my apartment.  since this has happened, i have been very anxious.

i know the first thing to do is find out what the ceiling is made of.  how do i do that without spending alot of money?  if it is asbestos, how much should i be worried about her exposure and my secondary exposure.  i feel a bit silly because i know this isnt a huge amount of exposure but it really does worry me and i have read so much about asbestos in the last two weeks that i am more scared of it than i was as a kid.  in fact, terrified is a better word.  it seems to be everywhere and was used in so many products that i had no idea. 

i even bought a $600 vacuum cleaner (miele neptune) to clean my apartment after she came over.  i did research and found this one to be the best (hepa filter and the body is airtight and hepa certified) but i have since read in another post here, that maybe my vacuum is just blowing everything around...so now i am feeling even worse. 

i am just stuck and dont know what to do right now. i dont want anyone to come over to my apartment for fear that they will be contaminated. i know it sounds crazy but this is my world.  any advice would be greatly appreciate. thank you so much.