What are the effects of exposure to asbestos?

While scientists have not been able to determine a "safe," or threshold, level for exposure to airborne asbestos, EPA, OSHA, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) believe there is no known safe level of asbestos exposure.

In short, some people exposed to asbestos develop asbestos-related health problems; some do not. Some known diseases caused from asbestos exposure include:

Asbestosis (scarring of the lungs resulting in loss of lung function that often progresses to disability and to death);

Mesothelioma (cancer affecting the membranes lining the lungs and abdomen), lung cancer, or cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum.

If inhaled, asbestos fibers can easily penetrate body tissues, and may be deposited and retained in the airways and lung tissue. Because asbestos fibers remain in the body, each exposure increases the likelihood of developing an asbestos-related disease.

Asbestos-related diseases may not appear until years after exposure. Ingesting asbestos may be harmful, but the consequences of this type of exposure have not been clearly documented.

Note: The risks of asbestos exposure are multiplied 10-fold or more if a worker smokes.