Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos is an extremely fibrous mineral. Mining, milling, processing and using asbestos and products made with asbestos can generate many small fibers. When these fibers are inhaled or ingested, serious health problems can result. Prolongued, intense exposure to airborne asbestos almost assuredly results in asbestosis, a chronic and debilitating condition resulting from scarring of the soft tissues of the lung.

While prolonged asbestos exposure nearly guarantees an averse result, even brief exposure can lead to asbestos-related diseases. The deadly cancer mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen, is all too often diagnosed in the family members of workers who washed clothes dusty with asbestos, or simply hugged dad when he came in the door, dirty from a long day of work.

Asbestos in many forms is present in a variety of places, and in some cases it is best left where it is. This is because asbestos in some forms in non-friable, meaning it is encased or in some way prevented from becoming airborne. It is when asbestos is friable that the risk of asbestos exposure is created.

Exposure to asbestos is a serious matter for you and your family. If you believe that you may have been exposed to asbestos, click here.