Asbestos is a mineral that was used in thousands of domestic, commercial and industrial products.
Occupational exposure is the No. 1 cause of asbestos disease.
Occupations in manual labor and skilled trades presented the highest risk of asbestos exposure. Workers in construction, shipyards and factories faced a high likelihood of exposure on the job.
U.S. military veterans were among the most vulnerable of all because of the military’s past reliance on asbestos products, especially on Navy ships.
How Does Exposure Happen?
Asbestos exposure happens when microscopic asbestos fibers become airborne. The fibers are inhaled or ingested by anyone within the vicinity. Fibers can remain airborne for hours, placing anyone nearby in danger.
The body can get rid of some fibers. Unfortunately, many fibers become stuck in tissue such as the lungs. No level of asbestos exposure is considered safe. But, most problems arise after years of repeated and long-term exposures to the carcinogen.
The fibers accumulate in human tissue through repeat exposure and cause inflammation and damage. Over time, this damage causes cellular changes that lead to cancer and other diseases. The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure multiplies the hazard, creating a greater risk to health.
Most people are exposed through their occupation. Home and commercial renovation or remodeling is also hazardous because many common building materials already contain asbestos. When asbestos products start to deteriorate or are cut, sanded, drilled or disturbed in any way, microscopic fibers enter the air.
Environmental and secondary exposure to asbestos is rarer, but it still happens regularly. Most everyone in their lifetime has inhaled some quantity of asbestos, but these trace amounts rarely cause health problems.
Health Risks of Exposure
Once inhaled or swallowed, the fibers can become trapped in the respiratory or digestive tract. The body can get rid of some asbestos fibers, but many fibers become stuck. The stuck fibers slowly cause inflammation and DNA damage that leads to disease decades later.
Asbestos causes cancer and noncancerous diseases.
The cancers caused by asbestos exposure include:
The noncancerous conditions caused by asbestos include:
- Asbestosis: Asbestosis involves inflammation and scarring of the lung tissue. It prevents the lungs from expanding and relaxing normally.
- Pleural plaques: These are the most common sign of asbestos exposure. They involve fibrous thickening of the lining around the lungs.
- Pleural Effusion: A buildup of fluid around the lungs that causes difficulty breathing.
- Diffuse Pleural Thickening: Extensive scarring thickens the pleural lining of the lungs. It causes chest pain and breathing issues.
- Pleuritis: Severe inflammation of the pleural lining, also known as pleuritic pain.
- Atelactasis: Inflammation and scarring cause the pleural lining to fold in on itself, causing the lungs to underinflate.
It takes around 10-50 years after the initial exposure for asbestos-related diseases to develop. Asbestosis can develop in as few as 10 years. Related cancers take 20-50 years to develop.
Incidence rates of these diseases have remained steady for decades, despite regulations on asbestos being implemented in the 1970s.
Where Exposure Occurs
Exposure can occur if you:
- Live near job sites or contaminated environments
- Use asbestos-containing products
- Work in certain occupations, including the U.S. military
- Experience manmade or natural disasters
Military
Every branch of the U.S. armed forces used asbestos. People on U.S. Navy ships and operators of military vehicles and aircraft from the early 1900s to the 1970s were most at risk. Thousands of veterans who worked on the following vessels got sick because of asbestos they encountered during their service.
LEARN MORE ABOUT VETERANS AND MESOTHELIOMA
Products
Thousands of products were manufactured by companies using asbestos fibers. Asbestos may be found in insulation, drywall, ceiling and floor tiles, cements, paint and more. Most homes and commercial buildings built before 1980 contain asbestos products.
SEARCH OUR ASBESTOS PRODUCTS INDEX
Occupations
Workers from all trades were likely exposed to asbestos fibers while on the job. Drywall tapers, electricians, firefighters, auto mechanics and many other occupations remain at risk. Asbestos regulation was more relaxed in the past. Today, the law requires all employers to protect workers from asbestos and other job-related health risks.
SEE IF YOUR OCCUPATION WAS AT RISK FOR EXPOSURE
Job Sites
Asbestos exposure may occur while on the job. Many workplaces used the mineral in their products and facilities. Millions of workers were put at risk.
- Shipyards
- Power Plants
- Metal Works
- Schools
- Chemical Plants
- Oil Refineries
9/11 Attack on the World Trade Center
The terrorist attack at the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, released tons of asbestos insulation into the air. This caused a sudden and very serious exposure problem for rescue, recovery and cleanup workers who remained at the site for months.
In 2006, a study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives. that followed those workers. About 70 percent of them suffered new or worsened respiratory problems. About 28 percent of workers had abnormal lung function tests. Researchers continue to closely follow those who worked in the rubble. They also follow nearby residents for long-term health consequences.
Environmental Exposure
Environmental exposure occurs when asbestos fibers are released into the air through:
- Mining
- Disturbance of a natural asbestos deposit
- Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes
In 2016, the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health published a study that showed occupational exposure to asbestos has declined in recent years. But, there has been a rise in environmental exposure in specific geographic areas.
The study also used the findings to explain why the percentage of women and younger patients with asbestos disease has been rising.
Researchers at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center conducted a similar study in 2015. It highlighted the need to be more aware of environmental exposure in Nevada.
Northern California is also home to some of the largest naturally occurring deposits of asbestos.
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