How much asbestos exposure is safe

Asbestos particles can be invisible to the naked eye. They may float through the air after a building collapses or a construction project unearths old materials containing the mineral. Many building materials, including insulation and drywall, used asbestos before the federal ban due to its fire-resistant properties.

You might face exposure to asbestos today if you are in a disaster such as a structural collapse or if you work in construction. If you worked in an industry such as architecture, shipbuilding, firefighting or auto repair before the ban, your job might have exposed you to asbestos years ago.

Asbestos causes illnesses by minuscule particles lodging in the lining of the lungs the mesothelium and other organs. Asbestos particles can enter the body by breathing them in through the nose or mouth, or by applying products that may contain asbestos to the private parts, such as baby powder. Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and gas fireplaces because the asbestos fibers in these products could be released into the environment during use.

In addition, manufacturers of electric hairdryers voluntarily stopped using asbestos in their products in In , the U. Environmental Protection Agency EPA banned all new uses of asbestos; however, uses developed before are still allowed.

The EPA also established regulations that require school systems to inspect buildings for the presence of damaged asbestos and to eliminate or reduce asbestos exposure to occupants by removing the asbestos or encasing it 2. In August , the EPA conducted a series of tests to evaluate the risk for consumers of adverse health effects associated with exposure to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite.

The EPA concluded that exposure to asbestos from some vermiculite products poses only a minimal health risk. The EPA recommended that consumers reduce the low risk associated with the occasional use of vermiculite during gardening activities by limiting the amount of dust produced during vermiculite use. Specifically, the EPA suggested that consumers use vermiculite outdoors or in a well-ventilated area; keep vermiculite damp while using it; avoid bringing dust from vermiculite into the home on clothing; and use premixed potting soil, which is less likely to generate dust 2.

The regulations described above and other actions, coupled with widespread public concern about the health hazards of asbestos, have resulted in a significant annual decline in the U. Domestic consumption of asbestos amounted to about , metric tons in , but it had dropped to about metric tons by 3 , 5. 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 6.

Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen a substance that causes cancer by the U. According to IARC, there is sufficient evidence that asbestos causes mesothelioma a relatively rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen , and cancers of the lung, larynx, and ovary 8.

Although rare, mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure. There is limited evidence that asbestos exposure is linked to increased risks of cancers of the stomach, pharynx, and colorectum 8. Asbestos exposure may also increase the risk of asbestosis an inflammatory condition affecting the lungs that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage and other nonmalignant lung and pleural disorders, including pleural plaques changes in the membranes surrounding the lung , pleural thickening, and benign pleural effusions abnormal collections of fluid between the thin layers of tissue lining the lungs 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 exposure to asbestos may be at increased risk for lung cancer 2 , 9. It is not currently regulated by the EPA. Everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time during their life. Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water, and soil.

However, most people do not become ill from their exposure. People who become ill from asbestos are usually those who are exposed to it on a regular basis, most often in a job where they work directly with the material or through substantial environmental contact. Since the early s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos. Health hazards from asbestos fibers have been recognized in workers exposed in the shipbuilding trades, asbestos mining and milling, manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products, insulation work in the construction and building trades, and a variety of other trades.

Demolition workers, drywall removers, asbestos removal workers, firefighters, and automobile workers also may be exposed to asbestos fibers. Studies evaluating the cancer risk experienced by automobile mechanics exposed to asbestos through brake repair are limited, but the overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure 3 , 8.

Individuals involved in the rescue, recovery, and cleanup at the site of the September 11, , attacks on the World Trade Center WTC in New York City are another group at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. Because asbestos was used in the construction of the North Tower of the WTC, when the building was attacked, hundreds of tons of asbestos were released into the atmosphere.

Those at greatest risk include firefighters, police officers, paramedics, construction workers, and volunteers who worked in the rubble at Ground Zero. Others at risk include residents in close proximity to the WTC towers and those who attended schools nearby.

These individuals will need to be followed to determine the long-term health consequences of their exposure However, it is important to note that any symptoms these individuals experience may be related to exposure to debris components other than asbestos.

Although it is clear that the health risks from asbestos exposure increase with heavier exposure and longer exposure time, investigators have found asbestos-related diseases in individuals with only brief exposures. Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after exposure. It can take from 10 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear 2. There is some evidence that family members of workers heavily exposed to asbestos face an increased risk of developing mesothelioma This risk is thought to result from exposure to asbestos fibers brought into the home on the shoes, clothing, skin, and hair of workers.

To decrease these exposures, Federal law regulates workplace practices to limit the possibility of asbestos being brought home in this way. Some employees may be required to shower and change their clothes before they leave work, store their street clothes in a separate area of the workplace, or wash their work clothes at home separately from other clothes 2.

Cases of mesothelioma have also been seen in individuals without occupational asbestos exposure who live close to asbestos mines Although all forms of asbestos are considered hazardous, different types of asbestos fibers may be associated with different health risks. For example, the results of several studies suggest that amphibole forms of asbestos may be more harmful than chrysotile, particularly for mesothelioma risk, because they tend to stay in the lungs for a longer period of time 1 , 2.

Many studies have shown that the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure is particularly hazardous. Smokers who are also exposed to asbestos have a risk of developing lung cancer that is greater than the individual risks from asbestos and smoking added together 3 , 6.

There is evidence that quitting smoking will reduce the risk of lung cancer among asbestos-exposed workers 4. Smoking combined with asbestos exposure does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma 9.

However, 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. Individuals who have been exposed or suspect they have been exposed to asbestos fibers on the job, through the environment, or at home via a family contact should inform their doctor about their exposure history and whether or not they experience any symptoms. The symptoms of asbestos-related diseases may not become apparent for many decades after the exposure.

It is particularly important to check with a doctor if any of the following symptoms develop:. A thorough physical examination , including a chest x-ray and lung function tests, may be recommended. The chest x-ray is currently the most common tool used to detect asbestos-related diseases.

Although chest x-rays cannot detect asbestos fibers in the lungs, they can help identify any early signs of lung disease resulting from asbestos exposure 2.

A lung biopsy, which detects microscopic asbestos fibers in pieces of lung tissue removed by surgery , is the most reliable test to confirm exposure to asbestos 2.

A bronchoscopy is a less invasive test than a biopsy and detects asbestos fibers in material that is rinsed out of the lungs 2. Asbestos fibers get into the air when asbestos materials are damaged, disturbed or removed unsafely. When asbestos is crushed, it does not make ordinary dust.

Asbestos breaks into tiny fibers that are too small to see, feel or taste. Asbestos fibers can be measured when they are in the air. A cubic centimeter is about the size of a sugar cube. The air is checked for asbestos fibers by taking samples of the air using air sampling methods. The Minnesota Department of Health has established a "clean air" level of 0.

When asbestos is released into the air, it enters the surrounding environment. You can be exposed to asbestos if you enter these environments. If exposed to asbestos, many factors contribute to whether harmful health effects will occur. These factors include:. Laboratory studies and studies of asbestos workers show us that asbestos can make you sick.

There is no cure for this disease. Asbestosis can be diagnosed by x-ray fibrosis looks cloudy in chest x-rays or a lung function test. If you have been exposed to asbestos in the past, it is important to stop smoking to reduce your risk of getting asbestosis.

If you stop smoking, you also reduce your risk of getting lung cancer. People exposed to large amounts of asbestos fibres over a long period of time have a significant risk of developing lung cancer.

The risk is many times greater in people who also smoke. The tumour, if not treated early, spreads through the lung and eventually to other parts of the body. The most common symptom people first notice is a persistent cough. It usually takes 10 to 20 years for lung cancer to develop after asbestos exposure. The pleura is the tissue that lines the chest cavity and covers the surface of the lungs.

Asbestos may produce thickened patches on the pleura pleural plaques or a widespread fibrosis of the pleura and pleural effusions fluid in the chest cavity. These conditions will show up on chest x-rays but they are not cancerous. They may not cause symptoms but will reduce lung capacity as shown in lung function tests. This rare cancer affects the pleura, the outer covering of the lungs. It is strongly associated with past exposure to asbestos.

The tumour begins in the pleura and spreads to the lung and chest wall. There is no cure currently available. It can take 30 to 40 years after exposure for asbestos to develop and be diagnosed. Australia has the highest national rate of reported mesothelioma in the world, presumably related to the large amount of asbestos used in the past. It is expected that there may be as many as 11, cases still to develop and be diagnosed. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:.

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