What is
asbestos?
What is
Asbestosis?
Where is
asbestos found?
How is
asbestos used?
What happens
to asbestos when it enters the environment?
What happens
to asbestos when it enters the environment?
Why is
asbestos harmful?
How might I
have been exposed to asbestos?
How can
asbestos affect my health?
Who is at
risk?
Is there a
medical test to show whether I've been exposed to
asbestos?
When would I
exhibit symptoms of the disease if I am going to get it?
Could my
family members have been exposed if I had the fibers on
my clothing when I got home?
Does smoking
affect my risk of developing cancer from asbestos?
What is
mesothelioma?
Who needs to
be examined?
What are the
treatments for asbestos related diseases?
How can
workers protect themselves?
If I think
that I have been exposed, what should I do?
Can I file
an asbestos-related lawsuit?
Can I file a
lawsuit if a family member has died from an
asbestos-related disease?
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is the name that is used for a group of six
different naturally occurring, fibrous minerals found in
certain rocks in particular areas. Asbestos has been
widely used in many industries. Asbestos fiber masses
tend to break easily into a dust composed of tiny
particles that can float in the air and stick to
clothes. The fibers may be easily inhaled or swallowed
and can cause serious health problems, including
asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma and various
cancers of the digestive tract. There is no known safe
exposure to asbestos.
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What is Asbestosis?
Asbestosis is a disease resulting from a buildup of
permanent scar tissue in the lungs, which is caused by
breathing high levels of asbestos fibers. People with
asbestosis have shortness of breath, cough and sometimes
heart enlargement. Asbestosis is a serious disease which
can eventually lead to disability or death.
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Where is asbestos found?
Asbestos fibers are used for a wide range of
manufactured goods, including insulation products,
roofing and siding shingles, ceiling and floor tiles,
paper products, heat-resistant clothing, asbestos cement
products, friction products (automobile clutch, brake,
and transmission parts), textiles, packaging, gaskets,
and coatings. Asbestos may be found in insulation around
pipes, ducts, and furnaces, in ceiling tiles, vinyl
flooring or floor tiles, patching and coating materials,
roofing shingles and siding. More than 5,000 products
contain, or have contained, asbestos in them.
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How is asbestos used?
Asbestos has been in North America since the late 1800s,
but its use increased greatly during World War II. The
building and construction, shipbuilding, automotive
industry, and the chemical industry use it most
frequently.
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I thought asbestos was banned several
years ago?
In the late 1970s, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission banned the use of asbestos in wallboard
patching compounds and gas fireplaces because these
products released excessive amounts of asbestos fibers
into the environment. This created a significant decline
in the United States’ use of asbestos. In 1989, the EPA
banned all new uses of asbestos; uses established before
this date are still allowed.
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What happens to asbestos when it enters
the environment?
Asbestos can enter the air and water from the weathering
of natural deposits and the wearing down of manufactured
asbestos products. Small fibers may remain suspended in
the air for a long time before settling. Asbestos fibers
are not able to move through soil and are not broken
down to other compounds in the environment, therefore,
asbestos fibers can remain in the environment for
decades.
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Why is asbestos harmful?
When asbestos fibers become damaged, they break down
into smaller fibers, which float into the air and are
inhaled or swallowed. These fibers can lodge in the
lining of the lungs and cause scarring. The scarring
continues even after exposure is stopped. The fibers
also can also lodge in the lining of the digestive
tract. Asbestosis and mesothelioma are two diseases
caused exclusively by asbestos exposure. A link has also
been shown between asbestos exposure and lung cancer.
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How might I have been exposed to
asbestos?
Some ways may include:
-
Breathing in low levels from the air
-
Breathing higher levels in while working in industries
that make or use asbestos products
-
Breathing higher levels in air near an asbestos
related industry or near an asbestos containing waste
site
-
Drinking water containing asbestos from natural
sources or from asbestos containing cement pipes in
drinking water distribution systems
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How can asbestos affect my health?
Asbestos mainly affects the lungs, and has been known to
cause a number of disabling and fatal diseases such as
asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma and cancers of the
digestive tract. There is no safe level of exposure to
asbestos, therefore, all exposure to asbestos should be
avoided.
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Who is at risk?
Health hazards from asbestos dust have been recognized
in workers in the shipbuilding trades, chemical
manufacturing, asbestos mining and milling, demolition
workers, drywall removers, firefighters, manufacturing
workers of asbestos textiles, insulation workers in the
construction and building trades, brake repair, and a
several other trades. Even workers who may not have
worked directly with asbestos but whose jobs were
located near contaminated areas have developed
asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other cancers associated
with asbestos exposure.
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Is there a medical test to show whether
I've been exposed to asbestos?
Low levels of asbestos fibers can be measured in urine,
feces, mucus, or lung washings. Higher levels in tissue
can confirm exposure but not determine whether you will
develop a disease related to your exposure. A thorough
physical exam and chest x-rays are the best screening
tool to identify lung changes resulting from asbestos
exposure.
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When would I exhibit symptoms of the
disease if I am going to get it?
Generally, workers who develop asbestos related diseases
show no signs of illness until many years after first
exposure. For example, the time between first exposure
to asbestos and the appearance of lung cancer is
generally 15 years or more. The period for the
development of mesothelioma and asbestosis is even
greater-- sometimes as long as 40 to 45 years!
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Could my family members have been
exposed if I had the fibers on my clothing when I got
home?
There is some evidence that family members of workers
heavily exposed to asbestos face an increased risk of
developing mesothelioma and perhaps other asbestos
related diseases. This risk is thought to result from
exposure to asbestos dust brought into the home on the
shoes, clothing, skin, and hair of workers.
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Does smoking affect my risk of
developing cancer from asbestos?
Many studies have shown that the combination of smoking
and asbestos exposure is particularly hazardous. Smokers
who also are heavily exposed to asbestos are as much as
90 times more likely to develop lung cancer than are
non-exposed individuals who do not smoke. There is
evidence that quitting smoking will reduce the risk of
lung cancer among asbestos exposed workers, perhaps by
as much as half after at least 5 years without smoking.
People who were exposed to asbestos on the job at any
time during their life or who suspect they may have been
exposed should not smoke.
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What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelial cells which
form a lining around the lungs and the ribs or around
the abdominal organs. The only known cause of
mesothelioma in the United States is previous exposure
to asbestos fibers. Studies have not demonstrated an
association between cigarette smoking and the
development of mesothelioma.
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Who needs to be examined?
Individuals who believe they have been exposed to
asbestos dust should inform their physician of their
exposure history and any symptoms. A thorough physical
examination, including a chest x-ray and lung function
tests, may be recommended. As noted earlier, the
symptoms of the disease may not become apparent for many
decades after exposure. If any of the following symptoms
develop, notify your physician immediately:
-
Shortness of breath
- A
cough
-
Blood coughed up from the lungs
- Pain
in the chest or abdomen
-
Difficulty in swallowing or prolonged hoarseness
-
Significant weight loss for no apparent reason
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What are the treatments for asbestos
related diseases?
The key to successful treatment is early detection.
Early medical attention and aggressive treatment offer
the best chance of success in controlling infections
such as pneumonia. Treatment of cancer may include
surgery, anticancer drugs, radiation, or combinations of
these therapies.
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How can workers protect themselves?
Employers are required to follow OSHA regulations
regarding asbestos exposure of their employees. Workers
should use all protective equipment provided by their
employers and follow recommended work practices and
safety procedures.
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If I think that I have been exposed, what
should I do?
-
Contact your physician for a thorough exam
- Get
prompt medical attention for any respiratory illnesses
that you develop
-
Follow all safety procedures outlined by your employer
- If
you are a smoker, stop immediately
- Get
regular physical exams
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Can I file an asbestos-related lawsuit?
Yes, but there is a time limit in which you have to file
a suit. Each state has different laws, but the statute
of limitations can be as low as 2 years from the date
you discovered the asbestos related disease, in which to
file suit. Be sure to contact an attorney immediately to
be sure that you will not be prevented from filing suit.
(It's important to realize that the statute of
limitations is in regards to when the disease was
discovered, not the last time of exposure.)
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Can I file a lawsuit if a family member
has died from an asbestos-related disease?
You may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
Contact an attorney to discuss your particular case.
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