Asbestos Inside Ducts

[NickPlumbBad]

Hello all,
I have a house built in 1954. Appears to have asbestos "paper" insulation around the supply ducts.

I've been reading a lot of papers and forums online regarding asbestos, even had a prof remover out for estimates and finally felt like I understood the risks and approach to mitigate exposure. I had a plan to leave what was existing, wrap it myself, and add some new lines into bedrooms without disturbing the original boot that empties the air into the hallway.
The one thing that always got me was the assumption that fibers should not be present inside the ducts. It seems if the insulation was used to seal the joints, 50+ years of movement in the house would probably create plenty of gaps in the joints and friction to create fibers. Why would you not expect some amount of fibers to be present inside the duct and blown around ever time the heat comes on?

Well I just took off the register finally as saw the attached. It almost appears that some asbestos insulation wrapping the ducts is fully exposed on the inside! Whatever material this is also seems to have created some dust clumps on the metal.

Added concern because I have a 6 month old and we have run the heater more than usual for her sake.

Can anyone identify what this material is likely to be? Any advice?

 

[WorthFlorida]

65 year old ductwork probably has a lot of dust and grit stuck to the inside lining and should be cleaned periodically, especially with a baby. However, it would disturb that material and if it is asbestos it would be very bad. If you do decide to have it removed/replaced get a HVAC contractor to check the sizing of ductwork. New A/C and furnaces need larger duct size to get the most efficiency from those appliances, therefore, a gain can be realized.