Asbestos Exposure

What Is Asbestos Exposure?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. It is heat and fire-resistant, which made it a useful additive to various products. Asbestos exposure occurs when people inhale or ingest asbestos fibers. This can happen when the microscopic fibers become airborne. Asbestos fibers were commonly used in various products, such as insulation and other building materials. When these materials deteriorate or are disturbed, they may release asbestos dust.

Key Facts On Asbestos Exposure

• Asbestos fibers can become airborne when they are disturbed.
• Over 69,0000 American lives are lost due to asbestos-related diseases each year.
• Many tradesmen and military veterans were exposed to asbestos during their careers.
• Talcum powder contaminated with asbestos is a source of asbestos exposure.
• All asbestos exposure is dangerous to your health.

Asbestos exposure was common in industrial, manufacturing and military settings. Being exposed to asbestos while at work is called occupational asbestos exposure. Individuals who did not work around asbestos may be exposed through secondhand exposure. For example, someone may carry home asbestos fibers on their belongings, which family members or roommates may inhale.

Once asbestos enters the body, it can become embedded in organs and sensitive tissues, like the lining of the lungs. This can cause irritation. Over time, scar tissue and eventually tumors may develop, leading to cancers like mesothelioma.

Did You Know? Over 20 million people in the U.S. are at risk of developing mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure. 8 out of 10 people diagnosed with mesothelioma report having been exposed to asbestos. Learn More About Your Legal Rights

Why Is Asbestos Dangerous?

Asbestos is dangerous because it can cause serious health issues, such as cancer. The dangers of asbestos are highest when fibers become airborne. Undisturbed asbestos fibers pose a lower threat as long as they remain enclosed or encased.

Once an individual inhales or ingests asbestos, it may stay in the body indefinitely. Researchers have not yet developed any technique for removing inhaled asbestos fibers from the lungs. The fibers may embed into sensitive tissue and cause irritation and scarring over time. This may lead to cancer or other asbestos health effects.

How Much Asbestos Exposure Is Dangerous?

There is no safe level of asbestos exposure. Asbestos diseases, including mesothelioma, may develop from brief exposures.

However, the amount and duration of exposure may impact the risk of asbestos-related diseases. Prolonged and high-volume contact with asbestos may increase the likelihood of developing a related disease like asbestosis.

Signs and Symptoms of Asbestos Exposure

There are no immediate signs of asbestos exposure itself. Individuals may know they are in the presence of asbestos if they are exposed to crumbly (friable) products produced before the 1980s.

Symptoms of asbestos-related illnesses often take 10 – 50 years to develop. After decades have passed, it can be difficult for people to remember the source of their exposure. Some people may not even realize they were exposed to asbestos at all.

Asbestos Exposure Symptoms

Symptoms of asbestos exposure may vary in severity depending on the type of disease that develops. Patient symptoms will also differ based on disease location. Some of the more common symptoms of mesothelioma include:

• Chest pain
• Cough
• Difficulty swallowing
• Fatigue
• Feeling full early
• Fluid buildup (effusions)
• Intense bloating (abdominal distension)
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Pain (other forms)
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Weight loss

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How Are People Exposed to Asbestos?

People are exposed to asbestos when they inhale or ingest airborne asbestos fibers. Asbestos exposure may occur at work, school, home or in the military.

Military Asbestos Exposure

For decades, the U.S. military heavily used asbestos. Bases, ships, barracks and shipyards may all have posed asbestos risks. Veterans may have been exposed while serving in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy.

However, exposure is most common on the job. Asbestos workers’ loved ones may also be at risk of secondhand exposure. Other sources of exposure include asbestos-contaminated talc, household products or damaged asbestos construction products in older homes and buildings.

Occupational Asbestos Exposure

Occupational exposure is one of the most common types of asbestos exposure. This type occurs when individuals are exposed to the mineral at work, often in industrial or manufacturing settings.

Workers often exposed to asbestos-containing materials include:

• Construction workers
• Factory workers
• Shipyard workers

Estimates show more than 27 million U.S. workers in various occupations may have been exposed to harmful asbestos between 1940 and 1979. This time period was the height of asbestos use in the United States. However, asbestos was used long before 1940 and after 1980. Asbestos exposure and associated cancer risks are still concerns today.

Records show many employers were aware of the dangers of exposure but continued to use asbestos because it was inexpensive. A worker’s risk of occupational exposure varies depending on the type of job they had.

Asbestos Companies

Hundreds of companies across many industries used asbestos until the 1980s when the U.S. government implemented more asbestos regulations. Companies may have used asbestos in their manufacturing processes, in their buildings or in the products they made. As a result, millions of people have faced asbestos exposure from working for these companies, living near their facilities or using their products.

Notable companies who manufactured or distributed products that contained asbestos:

• Armstrong World Industries
• Babcock & Wilcox
• Johns-Manville
• Johnson & Johnson
• National Gypsum
• United States Gypsum

Asbestos jobsites across various industries continue to put workers and the public at risk of exposure, such as industrial facilities and chemical plants.

Asbestos Products

Asbestos was commonly used in products from the early 1900s through the 1970s. Today, certain commercial products may still be made with small amounts of asbestos, including gaskets and brake pads. Asbestos products like floor tiles and roofing may also remain in older homes, schools and buildings.

Asbestos products include:

• Automotive parts
• Construction materials
• Insulation
• Lab equipment

If asbestos-containing commercial products are intact and not disturbed, they are not immediately dangerous. However, if the products are worn, disturbed or damaged, fibers may become airborne, resulting in exposure.

Some workers have also faced exposure due to inadequate protective equipment. For instance, 3M and American Optical sold masks and respirators that failed to protect workers from asbestos exposure.

Asbestos in consumer products can also pose a health risk. Use of asbestos in some consumer products, like cosmetics, is often unintentional. This can happen when asbestos-contaminated talc is used in makeup and other products.

Anyone who suspects asbestos materials are present in their home or at a jobsite should talk to an asbestos abatement professional.

Have You or a Loved One Been Exposed to Asbestos?

Click below to explore less common sources of asbestos exposure.

Plastic products that contain asbestos fibers pose health risks.

Plastics

Baby powder, cosmetics & other talc products may have asbestos.

Talcum Powder

Asbestos in older lab equipment poses exposure risks today.

Lab Equipment

Other Types of Asbestos Exposure

People may come into contact with asbestos outside of work as well. This kind of exposure may be harder to pinpoint and guard against, as it is often difficult to prevent.

Secondhand Exposure

Secondhand asbestos exposure occurs when fibers are transported on a person from one place to another. This can indirectly expose family members and other non-asbestos workers to the mineral.

For example, a textile worker who spends all day around asbestos may carry home fibers on their work clothing. From there, children, spouses and other cohabitants may disturb and inhale the dangerous asbestos fibers.

Environmental Exposure

Environmental asbestos exposure occurs when asbestos is disturbed in the ground or water. This can occur when natural deposits are uncovered. It may also happen when abandoned or destroyed asbestos products begin to degrade and settle into the environment. This may happen after a natural disaster or from abandoned buildings.

Some areas of concern for environmental exposure are open mines or abandoned asbestos sites. For example, the Libby, Montana, vermiculite mine is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site. Years of mining in this area exposed the surrounding community to tremolite-actinolite asbestos. Now, cleanup efforts are underway to protect the safety of the residents.

How to Prevent Asbestos Exposure

One of the best ways to prevent asbestos exposure is to not handle asbestos products. People should not try to remove asbestos on their own. Only licensed asbestos abatement workers should handle and remove the carcinogenic mineral. These professionals should know the federal, state and local laws pertaining to asbestos removal in the area.

Homeowners and residents should assume any house built before 1980 has asbestos-containing materials. Anyone undertaking a DIY, demolition or renovation project should contact an asbestos inspector to determine how to proceed. Many states have strict asbestos removal and disposal regulations.

If asbestos materials are accidentally disturbed, experts recommend these steps:

1. Wet the materials to prevent asbestos fibers from becoming airborne
2. Seal off the area with the asbestos materials as thoroughly as possible
3. Contact an abatement professional to safely remove and dispose of the asbestos

What to Do if You’ve Been Exposed to Asbestos

If you know you have been exposed to asbestos, it is important to tell your general practitioner and maintain frequent checkups. A doctor familiar with your medical history may notice asbestos exposure symptoms, such as coughing, shortness of breath or chest pain.

Many of the early symptoms of asbestos diseases are mild and easily attributable to less serious diseases. Keeping your doctor informed of any changes in your health may contribute to an early diagnosis. Early diagnosis can lead to improved mesothelioma treatment outcomes.

Asbestos Exposure in the United States

Individuals living in all 50 states may experience asbestos exposure. This includes environmental exposure from natural asbestos deposits, open mines for other minerals and asbestos products. The mineral is not fully banned in the United States and individuals across the country may still be in danger of exposure.

Asbestos Sites by State

Asbestos exposure can occur anywhere in the country. Some states may have higher exposure risks.

Certain states, such as California, have high quantities of natural asbestos deposits. Other states, such as New York, have high mesothelioma rates due to industries and jobsites with known asbestos use.

Learn more about asbestos dangers in your state by selecting your state in the dropdown menu.

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Asbestos and the World Trade Center

The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center released tons of asbestos and other contaminants. Those who worked or lived in the area surrounding Ground Zero may have experienced asbestos exposure from the destruction of the towers.

According to some sources, the North Tower alone contained 300 – 400 tons of asbestos. One study estimated that up to 2,000 tons of asbestos was used in the total construction of the World Trade Center.

When the towers were destroyed, much of this asbestos was released into the surrounding areas.

Questions About Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure? Ask experienced mesothelioma advocate Jennifer Lucarelli Ask a Question