About Asbestos

Asbestos is a mineral composed of silicon, oxygen, hydrogen and other metal ions. Asbestos fibers insulate well as they are strong, flexible and flame resistant. Three common types of asbestos fibers are chrysolite, amosite and crocidolite. Asbestos is a tiny fiber, less than half the diameter of a strand of hair. In order to adhere to surfaces, it needs to be attached to something. When asbestos fibers are mixed with other materials, the product is called an ‘asbestos containing material’ or ACM.

Many products are made of asbestos such as sealants, pipes, insulation, and ceiling tiles or panels. Asbestos has been used in numerous industries including the automotive and shipping industries. 

A significant negative characteristic of Asbestos is the dust created from manufacturing, installation, and deterioration releasing asbestos in the air. Asbestos is very small, easily airborne and regrettably easily inhaled.  When inhaled, asbestos can cause serious, and sometime fatal, consequences such as mesothelioma.

The Federal Government placed a moratorium on the production of most asbestos products in the early 1970’s, yet installation of asbestos-containing procust continued into the 1980’s.

Most health information on asbestos has been derived from studies of workers who have been exposed to asbestos in the course of their occupation. Asbestos fiber concentrations for these workers were many times higher than those encountered by the general public. Although the risks associated with low-level non-occupational exposure are not as well established, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos fibers.

People who worked under conditions where they were exposed to asbestos are at risk, as are their family members due to asbestos fibers easily becoming airborne from the clothing of the worker. It is important for family members of asbestos workers to also be tested for exposure.

If you suspect exposure, get tested
If you suspect you’ve been exposed to asbestos, get tested by a doctor.

You can consult with your primary care physician for an x-ray referral. It has been estimated that over 25 million people have been exposed to asbestos in the past 40 years. In fact, there are very small amounts of asbestos in the air we breathe every day. People whose work brings them in contact with asbestos or asbestos containing material risk occupational exposure by inhaling airborne asbestos fibers.

The most common symptoms of asbestos exposure are: shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, a dry crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling, and weight loss. Unfortunately, the detectable symptoms of asbestos exposure can often appear as early as 15 years after exposure, and then reappear at any time during one’s life. This scenario, therefore, makes it difficult to associate asbestos exposure with its symptoms. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended for anyone with occupational or familial asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Diseases

Four specific diseases have been directly linked to asbestos exposure: Pleural Plaque & Thickening, Asbestosis, Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma.

Pleural Plaque/Thickening is the scarring of the lining of the lung indicating that an individual has had lung damage sufficient to be at risk for more serious complications. The condition is not cancerous. Plaque or thickening impairs lung function, restricting breathing capacity.

Asbestosis is a serious, chronic, non-cancerous fibrous hardening and scarring of the lungs. This scarring can cause lung impairment and heart disease. Symptoms of asbestosis are: shortness of breath, coughing and a dry crackling sound while inhaling. In advanced stages, asbestosis may cause cardiac failure. Asbestosis is a slowly progressive disease with a latency period of 15 to 30 years or more.

Lung Cancer is the most common type of cancer, found in individuals who have sustained prolonged exposure to asbestos. Lung cancer develops through the surrounding tissue, invading and often obstructing air passages.  The time between exposure to asbestos and the occurrence of lung cancer is often 20 to 30 years or more. Researchers have determined that smoking creates an extreme susceptibility to lung cancer.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the thin membranes lining the thoracic and abdominal cavities and surrounding internal organs (including the gastro-intestinal tract). Virtually all cases of mesothelioma are linked with asbestos exposure. Symptoms of mesothelioma are: shortness of breath, pain in the lower back or side of the chest, coughing, and weight loss. Mesothelioma is the most insidious of the asbestos-related diseases in that it can affect people who have experienced low or intermittent levels of asbestos exposure.

Who should be tested?

• Anyone with breathing problems;
• Anyone with prolonged exposure to asbestos, or anyone who thinks they have had prolonged exposure to asbestos;
• Immediate family members of people who have worked in asbestos-related industries, even if the person who worked with asbestos has no visible symptoms. Some people are simply more susceptible than others;
• Anyone with “burst exposure” (a very heavy concentration) to asbestos for short periods of time.