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Most people exposed to small amounts of asbestos, as we all are in our daily lives, do not develop health problems. However, if disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers that can be inhaled into the lungs, potentially increasing the risk of disease. Asbestos material that may crumble easily if handled, or that has been sawed, scraped or sanded into a powder, is more likely to create a health hazard.
The risk of developing mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. The risk also is greater if you smoke. People who get asbestosis or mesothelioma usually have been exposed to high levels of asbestos over a long period of time, with symptoms appearing 20 to 30 years after the first exposure.
Sources of asbestos exposure
Most products made today do not contain asbestos. Those few products that still contain asbestos that could be inhaled are required to be labeled as such. However, until the 1970s, many type of building products and insulation materials used in homes contained asbestos. Common products that might have contained asbestos in the past, and conditions that may release fibers include:
Insulation. Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have used asbestos as insulation.
Steam pipes, boilers and furnace ducts. Insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape, these materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired or removed improperly.
Resilient floor tiles. Vinyl asbestos, asphalt and rubber tiles, as well as the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives used for installing floor tile may contain asbestos. Sanding or scraping the tiles or backing material during removal can release fibers.
Cement sheet, millboard and paper. Used as insulation around furnaces and wood-burning stoves, these materials may release asbestos fibers during repair or removal of the appliances or by cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling or sawing the insulation.
Door gaskets in oil furnaces, wood stoves and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use.
Soundproofing or decorative material sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly or water-damaged material may release fibers, as will sanding, drilling or scraping the material.
Textured paint and patching/joint compounds for walls and ceilings. Use of these materials was banned in 1977. Sanding, scraping or drilling these surfaces may release asbestos.
Asbestos cement roofing, shingles and siding. These products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, drilled or cut.
Household products. These include artificial ashes and embers for use in gas-fired fireplaces, as well as older products such as fireproof gloves, stovetop pads, ironing board covers and certain hairdryers.
Automobile parts. These include brake pads and linings, clutch facings and gaskets.
Preventing exposure
It is impossible to remove irritant fibers once they have reached the lungs, as they become included in the tissues and lead to a scarring process called fibrosis that can lead to cancer. Therefore, every effort should be made to prevent inhalation of any irritant particles (including asbestos) by keeping dust from being released into the air. Regular medical examinations are the best way to determine whether you are affected by inhaled irritants. Proper use of respirators and masks in hazardous environments can decrease the risk of inhalation.
At the first sign of chronic lung irritation from any inhaled particles (including asbestos fibers), it is essential that a person change jobs or move to another living environment.
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External Sources
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American Cancer Society
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American Institute for Cancer Research
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American Thoracic Society
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Cancer Directory
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National Lung Transplant Patient Association
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Rosenbaum, EH, Rosenbaum, I. Everyone's Guide to Supportive Cancer Care: The Complete Guide for Patients and Their Families, Fourth Edition, Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005
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Dollinger M, Rosenbaum, EH, Tempero M., et al. Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy, Fourth Edition, Kansas City, Missouri: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2002
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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