Thousands of unsuspecting workers and their families have been exposed to asbestos throughout the years. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (”OSHA”) has commented that it is aware of no instance in which exposure to a toxic substance has more clearly demonstrated detrimental health effects than has asbestos exposure. From 1940 through 1970, approximately 27.5 million people were potentially exposed to asbestos at work. This is not surprising when one realizes that 1.2 billion square feet of asbestos-containing insulation exists in 190,000 buildings in the U.S. alone. It has also been estimated that the number of workers exposed through asbestos brake and clutch work is approximately 900,000.Workers may be exposed to asbestos in a wide variety of job sites and trades, ranging from mining and milling to manufacturing and consumer industries. The Asbestos Information Association estimates that there are over 3,000 uses of asbestos. These uses have resulted in exposures through mining, milling, manufacturing of products containing asbestos, shipbuilding and in construction.
Hazardous exposures to asbestos have also resulted from off-site releases from the mining, milling and manufacturing industries potentially exposing residents in nearby communities. Some estimates state that releases from construction sites have resulted in environmental asbestos levels approximately 100 times greater than the levels that naturally occur in the environment. Additionally, employees have brought asbestos contaminated clothing from the workplace into the family home, exposing members of the worker’s family to asbestos. Some experts believe that the most important current source of non-occupational exposure is the release of fibers from existing asbestos-containing surface materials, such as those in schools, residences and public buildings.
Key Points About Asbestos Exposure
- Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers.
- Exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, other cancers and other non-malignant lung and pleural disorders.
- Smokers who are also exposed to asbestos have a greatly increased risk of lung cancer.
- Individuals who have been exposed (or suspect they have been exposed) to asbestos fibers on the job, through the environment or at home via family contact should inform their physician of their exposure history and any symptoms.
What are Health Hazards Associated with Exposure to Asbestos?
People may be exposed to asbestos in their workplace, their communities or their homes. If products containing asbestos are disturbed, tiny asbestos fibers are released into the air. When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they may get trapped in the lungs and remain there for a long time. Over time, these fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammation, which can affect breathing and lead to serious health problems.
Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the EPA and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma (a relatively rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen). Although rare, mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure. In addition to lung cancer and mesothelioma, some studies have suggested an association between asbestos exposure and gastrointestinal and colorectal cancers, as well as an elevated risk for cancers of the throat, kidney, esophagus and gallbladder. However, the evidence is inconclusive.
Asbestos exposure may also increase the risk of asbestosis (a chronic lung disease that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage) and other non-malignant lung and pleural disorders, including pleural plaques (changes in the membrane surrounding the lung), pleural thickening and pleural effusions (abnormal collections of fluid between the thin layers of tissue lining the lung and the wall of the chest cavity). Although pleural plaques are not precursors to lung cancer, evidence suggests that people with pleural disease caused by asbestos exposure may be at increased risk for lung cancer.
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