Even though it was banned in the seventies, suppliers still sold asbestos laced products well into the eighties so as you stated, it's always a safe bet to get it tested before removal. You might consider "skinning" over the ceilings with another layer of drywall rather than continue removing the texture.

That's a very low level of asbestos...but it is asbestos. When the lab told you that results below 1% were not a problem, they're really not talking about health risk; they're talking about the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency cutoff for regulating removals is 1%. This does not mean levels below this are safe: it just means that, from a regulatory standpoint, you have to set a cutoff so you are not regulating every removal, no matter how trivial.

Having said that, it's a good thing that it was so low. I can't tell you that what you did carries no risk, but most people who end up with asbestos-related diseases are those who have had regular and continuing exposure for years (miners, insulators, sheet metal workers, fire fighters, brake mechanics, etc.) And the reality is that all of us have asbestos exposures since there are trace amounts in the air due to the fact that it was used so much in the past in things like insulation and brake linings, and those materials have left quantities of fibers in the environment.

There is nothing you can do now about your personal exposure, and there is no medical test that can be performed that would show anything since disease takes 20-30 years to develop. But I doubt this single exposure has caused permanent harm. And if you smoke, this would be a good reason to consider stopping as there is an interaction between smoking and asbestos-exposure that raises risk much higher than if you were only exposed to one of those hazards. It is also a good idea to have your house air-tested and have things cleaned up if you have fiber levels that are elevated above "background" measurments in your area.

I know this is probably distressing for you, but you can take comfort from the fact that many people have done the same thing or worse and with even higher levels of asbestos in their ceilings, and not even realized it...and yet there is not an epidemic of sickness among home remodelers. It's an unfortunate way to learn a lesson, but I think you'll be ok. Just make sure you research what is required for a safe removal if you are ever tempted to remove more.

As Kudzu states, you only had a short term exposure. When I was in my early twenties, I worked with a crew at a chemical plant removing pipe wrap insulation and replacing it. No one told us the existing wrap was asbestos laced. We were working next to boilers and rollers that produced a lot of heat which using only paper dust masks and safety g;lasses, the glasses would fog up, so we slid our masks down to cover our mouths only, so I'm sure we ingested dusts through our noses. Paper dust masks aren't the best when dealing with fine particulates anyhow, a good O.S.H.A rated respirator for dusts should have been used, but none of us knew better. Over the years in various trades, there
has been cementious dusts, drywall dusts, fiberglass insulation particles, etc., that I' have ingested. Now in my fifties, I'm not going to say that I could break marathon records or under water breath holding contests, but the ol' lungs are still in working order and hanging in there, so I dont think you have anything to worry about with your small time exposure. It's just been a valuable learning lesson for you and learning the hard way for me not properly "masking up" through the years with various particulates and particles. I'm sure I have been exposed way more than you have over the years and recently wonder if it will all catch up later on in life, but so far, so good! Have great holidays and I wouldn't lose sleep over it. If it concerns you to the point where you need advise, I would see if there is a test that can be performed by your doctor or a specialist. Personally I wouldn't worry about it.

sierraeast-
I agree with your outlook. The only thing I would differ on is that I wouldn't suggest that the OP see a doctor about this as there are no medical tests to assess asbestos exposure. And even if there were, there's nothing to do about it. Doctors are typically only able to assess asbestos-related diseases and those take 20-30 years to develop. I think the OP will be fine, and he's not going to have further exposure because he's learned to not mess with this stuff any more.

Like you, I had a couple of accidental asbestos exposures years ago. I'm fine, and I don't worry about it anymore, but I do respect asbestos and, knowing what I now know, I make sure I don't have any more exposures. I did occasionally worry about it many years ago, but, after nearly being run over by a car while in a crosswalk -- while I was thinking about asbestos risk and not paying attention -- I accepted the fact that I would die some day...but probably not from asbestos!

Great points, Kudzu! Have great holidays!