Asbestos is a fibrous silicate material that is resistant to heat and can be woven into fabric for insulating purposes. In the past, there have been many construction uses for asbestos including roofing, flooring, insulating purposes, pipe covering, ceiling tile, siding, caulking, stucco, and many more.

Asbestos is commonly found in houses that were built prior to the 1970s. This can cause fear to many homeowners because of the danger it can cause to a person's health, especially the lungs. Among the most common conditions that are caused by exposure to asbestos is asbestosis. One of the symptoms is shortness of breath. Lung cancer can also be caused by asbestos getting trapped in the lungs. Symptoms include coughing, chest pain, anemia, and a hoarse voice. Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is located in the membranes of the lungs, heart, chest, and abdomen. Treatment options for mesothelioma include radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery; however there is no cure for this fatal cancer. Early diagnosis is crucial, but may be difficult because early symptoms mask themselves and do not become significant until the condition has extended into late stages.

The use of asbestos was popular because the substance was readily available and relatively cheap. Construction uses for asbestos were numerous because it could be used to cover and fill cracks, mix into paint, insulate, and keep cement extra strong. The main parts of the home that usually contain asbestos are basements, attics, and roofs. It was used around beams, pipes, ducts, wiring, shingles, panels, and tiles.

Asbestos is only harmful when part of it breaks apart and floats in the air. Asbestos is so small that it never leaves the lungs. As the body tries to get rid of it, deadly conditions arise. The discovery of asbestos usually happens when a family decides that it is time for home renovation. When asbestos is detected, the area should not be scraped, drilled, dusted, or swept. Everyone in the area must remove all clothing that came in touch with the asbestos and leave the home. A professional will need to be called who is trained with the knowledge of how to correctly remove and deal with asbestos.

In the past, there were a number of construction uses for asbestos. It was a versatile building material that provided insulation and other benefits to the creation of a home at an inexpensive cost. As time went on, it was discovered that asbestos was responsible for a host of health problems that affect the lungs. One of the most serious conditions is Mesothelioma, which is often deadly. When asbestos is found in an older home, it is imperative to seek professional guidance concerning further action. If needed, it can be removed to maintain a healthy living environment.

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The deadly nature of asbestos was first documented in the early 1900s after the first recorded death, leading to subsequent regulations regarding its use in construction. Despite what many people today believe, even developed countries have not totally eliminated asbestos use. Although asbestos exposure is known to cause mesothelioma and other heath problems, lobbying by manufactures of asbestos keep the dangerous mineral from being phased out entirely.

In the U.S., exposure limits were first put in place by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1971. Medical, labor, and scientist were a key force in founding these regulations with the help of the Consumer Safety Product Commission and the EPA. 

Since the first regulations were put into place, OSHA has made its regulations increasingly strict. At first, the permissible exposure limit (PEL) was 12 fibers for each cubic centimeter of air. Later, this was reduced to 5 fibers per centimeter within 8 hours with a peak of 10 fibers.

Unfortunately, these life-saving regulations were not yet applied to asbestos uses in construction. It wasn't until 1986 that the construction industry gained exposure limits for its workers, which today stands at the general labor industry's limit of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter over an 8 hour period. It is estimated that this newest limit has cut in half the exposure risk of almost 4 million employees.

When pressured by the labor industry, the EPA held several meetings in hopes of coming to an agreement regarding asbestos' presence in public buildings. Representatives of various industries were present including insurance companies, asbestos makers, unions, banks and property developers. While attempts on an agreement met with failure, those present did concede that employees deserve to be informed about the asbestos status of their workplace.

Regulations prohibit smoking in workplaces where there exists an occupational asbestos hazard. Also, employers are required to see that workers are aware of all warning signs and conduct training sessions that educate them about the meanings of the signs.

An industry regulation issued in 1992 required that all construction employees and managers assume certain types of materials in accessible areas contain asbestos. The rule further states that workers are to treat these items as though they contain the toxic fiber, including the use of safety measures. If it is able to be definitively proven that the questionable materials contain no asbestos, the procedures for dealing with it don't have to be complied with. 


If you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos, you should seek the counsel of a mesothelioma lawyer. 
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Asbestos is a group of fibers that are resistant to heat and chemicals. These characteristics make asbestos ideal for use in a variety of products, but exposure to asbestos has been linked as the cause of mesothelioma. Learning where asbestos is likely located and what can be done to protect against exposure to asbestos can potentially save many lives.

Where is Asbestos Found

For homeowners, the main asbestos exposure concern is in their home's insulation. A subtype of insulation that is known to frequently have asbestos is vermiculite. This insulation looks like pebbles and is a gray, brown or silver color. Other types of insulation may be infected with asbestos, also. Homeowners and construction workers may find asbestos is a variety of other building materials, such as roof shingles, roofing and flooring felt, vinyl tile, and wrapping pipes.

Asbestos can also be found in certain industries. Individuals who work in the shipbuilding industry use asbestos for boiler insulation and insulation for other pipes. Workers who renovate ships can also be exposed to asbestos. Mechanics use asbestos on brakes. General industry workers may be exposed to asbestos that is used in other products, such as adhesives, gaskets, specialty paper and plastics.

Exposure to asbestos is still possible since the EPA has not eliminated the use of asbestos in all products. In most cases if a building has asbestos in it, the EPA does not require the extraction of the asbestos either.


What are the risks?There are many asbestos health risks. Mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer that individuals develop from exposure to asbestos, while other connections have been found between asbestos exposure and several types of cancer, including gastrointestinal, kidney, esophagus, gallbladder and throat. Lung disorders and pleural disorders and asbestosis are other medical conditions that can develop as a result of asbestos exposure.



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  • The Dangers of Asbestos have been known for centuries. Asbestos usage can date back as far as the ancient Greeks and Romans. During the Industrial Revolution and up until the 1970s, asbestos was used very heavily, and during the industrial revolution, safety inspectors noticed that those who had worked with asbestos would fall ill, and even the British Parliamentary Commission confirmed the first cases of asbestos deaths. In 1927 the term "asbestosis" was coined, and referred to a disease caused by Asbestos. Yet, the use of Asbestos went on for many years after this. 
  • Asbestos is still widely mined and exported. Not only is it bad that there isn't a ban on asbestos in many countries, despite the health risks: there are still countries that mine asbestos. Russian, Chine, Italy, Greece, Kazakhstan, India, and parts of Canada such as Quebec, British Colombia all mine and export asbestos. Asbestos is also used in construction in many developing countries due to the low cost and utility.
  • The human body cannot expel Asbestos fibers. The human body is remarkable, and capable of cleaning out many different types of toxins, however asbestos fibers can remain in the system once they are inhaled or ingested, where they can bypass the lungs' natural filtration system. 
  • Asbestos is the direct cause of many different diseases. There are common diseases such as the non-fatal pleural plaques, the noncancerous respiratory disease asbestosis which is often fatal, pleural effusions which can lead to breathing issues, and the incurable mesothelioma cancer which claims roughly 3,000 Americans each year. 
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