Asbestos FAQs

What is asbestos?

• Asbestos is the name for a group of fibrous minerals that are mined and mixed into building materials.
• Asbestos is very resistant to heat and chemicals.
• Asbestos has been used in a wide range of manufactured goods including floor and ceiling tiles, coatings, texturing materials and thermal insulation.
• Currently, asbestos is used only in products where another material has not been found to replace it.
• Generally, asbestos is not a health risk when bound together with a substance that prevents the fibers from entering the environment.

When is asbestos a hazard?

Asbestos is not always an immediate hazard. In fact, if asbestos can be maintained in good condition, it is recommended Related Subjects that it be left alone and periodic surveillance performed to monitor it's condition. Only when materials containing asbestos are disturbed or those materials become damaged that it becomes a hazard. When asbestos containing materials become damaged, the fibers separate and may then become airborne. Airborne fibers are a hazard.

How might someone be exposed?

By far, the most common form of exposure is by breathing in air containing asbestos fibers. Ingesting the fibers is also a health risk.

What are the possible health risks of asbestos?

• The body cannot breakdown or eliminate inhaled fibers.
• A slow buildup of scar-like tissue in the lungs (called asbestosis) can occur.
• Asbestosis has typically been observed in asbestos workers.
• Asbestos is known to cause cancer.
• There are no symptoms of exposure such as coughing, sneezing or itching and therefore you cannot tell if asbestos is in the air or if you have inhaled it.

Can asbestos cause cancer?

Yes, Asbestos has been proven to cause cancer. Three types of cancer have been observed in individuals exposed to asbestos:

• Lung cancer - both small and large cell
• Mesothelioma ( a cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen)
• Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract