Asbestos Exposure Overview
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is highly fire-resistant, heat-resistant, and an excellent insulator. It was used in many industries to fireproof vehicles, aircraft, electricity wiring, and other equipment.
As a result, people who worked jobs that put them in contact with these products may have breathed in or swallowed asbestos fibers. Common asbestos exposure sites include certain workplaces, Navy ships, and homes built with asbestos-containing materials.
Asbestos exposure can put people at risk of mesothelioma and a number of other health conditions 10-50 years later. Negligent companies knowingly continued to produce and sell asbestos-containing products after they were warned of the harmful effects.
“These companies made choices to produce and sell products that contained asbestos in spite of the fact that they knew that asbestos caused mesothelioma.”
Key Facts on Asbestos Exposure
- Exposure to asbestos has caused more than 107,000 deaths from lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
- Common symptoms of asbestos-related diseases include a dry cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, and weight loss.
- Asbestos exposure can take 10-50 years to cause mesothelioma and other illnesses.
If you think you may have been exposed to asbestos, download our Free Asbestos Guide to learn what to do next.
What Happens When People Are Exposed to Asbestos?
The human body doesn’t have a way to get rid of asbestos — so once it enters the lungs or abdomen, it never leaves.
Over time, asbestos fibers can cause inflammation and scarring, which may lead to cell damage, mutation, and the development of diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Signs of Asbestos Exposure
There aren’t any immediate asbestos exposure symptoms. Sadly, most people don’t realize they have been exposed until they begin to show symptoms of an asbestos-related disease.
Common signs of asbestos-related diseases include:
- Chest pain
- Dry cough
- Shortness of breath
- Stomach pain
If you or a loved one think you were exposed to asbestos, it’s important to tell your doctor, watch for any new symptoms, and get screening tests if you feel like anything is amiss. The earlier an asbestos-related illness is diagnosed, the better your chances of successfully managing and treating it.
Registered Nurse Amy Fair discusses how exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma. View Transcript.
Duration: 1 min 06 sec
What are the causes of mesothelioma?
Many times after being diagnosed with mesothelioma your physician may ask you if you have been exposed to asbestos. Asbestos is a causative factor for mesothelioma. Some of the imaging studies may show underlying pleural plaques which are indicated that they have been around asbestos and may show underlying asbestosis.
The risk factors for developing mesothelioma are working around asbestos-related products or being indirectly around those products such as secondhand exposures that are seen with wives that launder their loved ones’ clothes and have asbestos dust on them. So direct asbestos exposure, as well as indirect asbestos exposure, can be causative factors for mesothelioma.
If you have symptoms of mesothelioma or any asbestos-related disease, it’s important that you inform your doctor of your asbestos exposure so that appropriate testing can be done.
Asbestos Exposure Risk Factors
Just coming in contact with asbestos isn’t necessarily dangerous. For example, not everyone who attended a school made with asbestos products will develop cancer.
However, there are certain risk factors that may lead to greater potential for harm from asbestos.
These risk factors include:
- The amount and duration of exposure to asbestos
- The specific type and source of asbestos fibers involved
- Individual risk factors, including tobacco use or pre-existing health conditions
- Genetic factors, such as certain predisposing mutations
Understanding these risk factors can help you better assess your potential exposure and take steps to protect your health.
Types of Asbestos Exposure
There are several ways people may become exposed to asbestos. These may include at work, at home, or during military service.
Military Asbestos Exposure
Military personnel were frequently exposed to asbestos. Almost every branch of the U.S. military — the Navy, Army, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Marines Corps — relied on asbestos for constructing ships, aircraft, and buildings from the 1930s to the early 1980s.
Military asbestos exposure sites include:
- Aircraft
- Barracks
- Bases
- Boiler rooms
- Ceiling tiles
- Electrical wiring
- Engine rooms
- Floor tiles
- Insulation
- Navy ships
- Office buildings
- Plumbing
- Vehicles
Today, many veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos during their military service.
Occupational Exposure to Asbestos
Employees who spent their days working directly with asbestos-containing products were at increased risk of coming in contact with it.
Some of the most high-risk jobs for asbestos exposure are:
- Asbestos workers
- Automotive (mechanics)
- Blacksmiths
- Boilermakers
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Demolition crew members
- Electricians
- Engineers
- Factory workers
- Farmers
- Firefighters
- Healthcare workers
- HVAC workers
- Insulators
- Mill workers
- Miners
- Oil refinery workers
- Plumbers
- Railroad workers
- Shipyard workers
- Workers in cement and chemical plants
Secondary Asbestos Exposure
A third type of exposure is secondhand asbestos exposure. You may be at risk of secondary asbestos exposure if a family member or close loved one worked around asbestos.
Asbestos dust or fibers could have traveled home on their clothing, shoes, or equipment, where you may have inhaled or ingested them. Second-hand risk is lower but can still lead to serious illnesses.
Asbestos Exposure by State
The top states for asbestos exposure are based on the number of asbestos-related illnesses reported by residents in recent years.
The 5 states with the highest rates of asbestos diseases are:
If you or a loved one lived in one of these states and think you may have been exposed to asbestos, talk to your doctor about being screened for mesothelioma and other cancers.
Are All Types of Asbestos Harmful?
Yes, all types of asbestos are harmful, though some types are found more commonly than others.
Asbestos is the name for two different groups of silicate minerals: serpentine and amphibole.
The vast majority of workers were exposed to serpentine (chrysotile) asbestos. Chrysotile asbestos (also called white asbestos due to its natural color) appears as long and wavy strings under a microscope.
Chrysotile asbestos — the only type of asbestos in the serpentine group — accounts for 95% of asbestos used across the United States. Amphibole asbestos is the other group.
The amphibole asbestos group contains 5 other types of asbestos:
- Actinolite: Commonly found in insulation materials
- Amosite: Commonly found in cement sheets and piping insulation
- Anthophyllite: Most often found in talc deposits and vermiculite
- Crocidolite: Found mostly in ironstone
- Tremolite: Rarely found in commercial products in the U.S.
List of Asbestos-Containing Products
Asbestos was used in multiple products over the last several decades. Knowing your exposure history can help you determine whether you are at risk of developing an asbestos-related illness later on.
Asbestos-containing products include:
- Adhesives
- Brake pads and shoes
- Boilers
- Cabinet linings
- Caulking
- Ceiling tiles
- Cement and cement mixes
- Cigarette filters
- Clutch discs and plates
- Diaphragms
- Drywall or sheetrock
- Ductwork materials
- Fake snow
- Felt
- Fireplace bricks
- Floor tiles
- Furnaces
- Gaskets
- Insulation
- Lab equipment
- Makeup
- Paint
- Pipes
- Plaster
- Plastics
- Potholders
- Roofing materials
- Spray coatings
- Talcum powder
- Tape
- Valves
- Vinyl
Some of these products may still contain asbestos today. For example, some brakes and clutches that are on the market or in use contain asbestos. In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found asbestos in Claire’s brand makeup.
Download our Free Asbestos Guide to learn more about products that contain asbestos and how to keep your family safe.
Health Conditions Linked to Asbestos Exposure
Exposure to asbestos can lead to a host of health problems. Many of these issues affect lung tissue and lung function.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer whose only proven cause is exposure to asbestos.
There are four types of this cancer:
- Pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs
- Peritoneal mesothelioma, affecting the lining of the abdomen
- Pericardial mesothelioma, affecting the lining of the heart
- Testicular mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the tunica vaginalis, or testes
Malignant mesothelioma is aggressive, but long-term survival is possible with early diagnosis and treatment.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It often carries a poor prognosis, or health outlook.
Asbestos exposure is responsible for about 4-12% of lung cancers, mainly due to workplace asbestos exposure.
Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer, especially in people who have already been exposed to asbestos.
The best treatment options for asbestos lung cancer are tumor-removing surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer may be caused by asbestos exposure, especially among women who used talc products with trace amounts of asbestos.
This includes baby powder products, such as those manufactured by major corporations such as Johnson & Johnson.
Thousands of women developed ovarian cancer after using baby powder on their genitals, which allowed asbestos fibers to lodge themselves in the ovaries.
Laryngeal Cancer
Laryngeal cancer is extremely rare but asbestos exposure greatly increases the risk of developing this disease.
In fact, people who have been exposed to asbestos have more than double the average risk of developing cancer of the larynx (voice box).
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a lung disease caused directly by asbestos exposure. Over time, this health condition makes breathing difficult due to scarring and inflammation of the lungs.
While asbestosis is not always fatal, it is often a warning sign of other conditions. This is because people with asbestosis have a history of asbestos exposure, putting them at risk for more severe diseases like mesothelioma.
Pleural Plaques
Pleural plaques develop after collagen proteins in the body respond to immune system signals when asbestos fibers attach to pleural tissue.
Collagen calcifies or hardens and forms pleural plaque deposits. Thankfully, pleural plaques are usually harmless to long-term health.
However, as with all health effects caused by asbestos exposure, they are often a sign of high risk for more threatening conditions.
Pleural Effusions
Pleural effusions happen when the lining of the lungs becomes irritated by asbestos fibers. This results in a fluid build-up in the pleural space.
This condition in turn leads to shortness of breath, coughing, and pain in the chest.
While not always harmful, pleural effusions may be a symptom of cancer. Roughly 50% of people with cancer have pleural effusions, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Pleural effusions can be drained through minimally invasive surgery.
Financial Compensation for Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos manufacturers knew the harm their products could cause but continued to use asbestos anyway. People exposed to asbestos who later develop illnesses like mesothelioma can pursue compensation through various legal actions, including lawsuits and trust fund claims.
Asbestos payouts can help with treatment costs, daily living expenses, and more.
Asbestos Exposure Lawsuit
Patients with mesothelioma and other serious asbestos-related diseases may be able to file a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the products that got them sick.
Nearly all asbestos lawsuits end in a settlement, meaning patients don’t have to go through a long trial and appear in court. Many payouts from settlements begin within 90 days.
The average payout for an asbestos lawsuit is between $1 million and $1.4 million.
Asbestos Trust Funds
Asbestos companies developed trust funds to pay future victims of exposure. Money held in these funds are available to people who have been harmed by asbestos. Asbestos trust funds currently hold more than $30 billion.
Experienced asbestos exposure attorneys can help you determine whether you’re eligible to file an asbestos lawsuit, a trust fund claim, or both.
Additionally, if you were exposed during military service, you may qualify for financial support through the VA.
Find out what legal claims you may be able to file during a Free Asbestos Case Review. Our team can evaluate your situation and let you know your options.
How to Prevent Exposure to Asbestos
Today, the U.S. government and nations worldwide have taken steps to limit people from being exposed to asbestos.
Yet, we still have a long way to go in banning asbestos, which is the only way to fully end its harmful effects.
Here are some top methods to prevent asbestos exposure:
- Avoid disturbing known asbestos areas.
- Do not dry sweep any materials containing disturbed asbestos.
- Don’t smoke, eat, or drink, in areas where you can be exposed to asbestos.
- Keep asbestos fibers contained to the job site by removing gear and cleaning yourself before leaving.
- Shower or wash exposed body parts immediately after finishing the job.
- Use an approved respirator for protection when working with asbestos-containing materials.
- Use a wet method of cleaning any products containing asbestos.
- Wear protective gear when working with asbestos that you can easily remove afterward.
Is Any Level of Asbestos Exposure Safe?
After years of research, authorities now agree that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. This is especially true when asbestos is disturbed or damaged and becomes airborne.
However, the EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have set limits for an acceptable level of asbestos. This standard helps lower the risk of exposure in the workplace.
Asbestos products that have been sealed and left alone are considered safe. Friable (damaged and easily crumbled) asbestos still threatens human health.
Asbestos Regulations & Safety Standards
Many health and safety organizations recognize the threat asbestos poses to health and have set regulations and standards to control its use, removal, and abatement.
These organizations include:
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
Examples of asbestos regulations include:
- Asbestos Ban and Phaseout Rule: Banned most asbestos products in 1989. Unfortunately, it was overturned in 1991 and only a few products remain banned.
- Asbestos National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP): which required specific work practices for asbestos handling during demolitions and renovations of any and all structures and buildings.
- The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA): amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), requiring schools to inspect their buildings for asbestos, form management plans, and carry out asbestos response as necessary.
Get Help for Exposure to Asbestos
Companies that manufactured asbestos-containing products knew the health risks — but they continued producing these materials to make money. If you or someone you love was hurt by asbestos exposure, help is available.
The Mesothelioma Hope team can:
- Provide free resources on asbestos exposure
- Connect you with a doctor for diagnosis and treatment
- Explain your legal options for compensation
- Help you file for VA benefits if you were exposed during military service
Get in touch now by calling (866) 608-8933 or filling out our contact form.
Asbestos Exposure FAQs
What are signs of asbestos exposure?
Asbestos exposure usually doesn’t cause any immediate symptoms. The first signs you may have been exposed only appear after you’ve developed an asbestos-related disease like mesothelioma or lung cancer.
These symptoms vary but may include a dry and persistent cough, chest or stomach pain, weight loss, and shortness of breath.
How quickly can you get sick from asbestos?
It can take anywhere from 10-50 years for exposure to asbestos fibers to cause symptoms of a harmful disease. This period is known as the latency period.
Symptoms of asbestos exposure may include less dangerous conditions like pleural plaques or asbestosis, or symptoms of more serious conditions like mesothelioma. If you believe you were ever exposed to asbestos, make sure to share that information with your doctor.
How do you prove asbestos exposure?
Experienced asbestos exposure attorneys will do the heavy lifting in building your case. They can help you prove your exposure by gathering certain types of documentation.
This could include:
- Proof of employment at a job that used asbestos products
- Proof of military service in a job that put you at risk
- Official diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness
If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease but don’t know how you were exposed, a reputable asbestos exposure attorney can help. These attorneys know what to look for and how to prove asbestos exposure based on your employment or military history.
Can you recover from asbestos exposure?
Asbestos exposure in itself is not life-threatening. The diseases asbestos causes are harmful to your health. Some of these diseases can be treated if you catch them early on and get treatment from a specialist.
That’s why it’s important to be screened for mesothelioma and other illnesses if you believe you were ever exposed to asbestos.
Is there an asbestos exposure test?
There isn’t a test that can see if you were exposed to asbestos.
However, there are many diagnostic tests that can check for mesothelioma and other harmful diseases caused by asbestos. Make sure your doctor knows that you suspect previous exposure to asbestos so that any future symptoms can be quickly addressed.
How much asbestos exposure causes cancer?
There is no safe amount of exposure to asbestos. Even one brief exposure could potentially lead to cancer in the future.
However, not everyone exposed to asbestos will develop cancer. Your doctor can develop a screening plan to watch for any symptoms of mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer.
How We Can Help
