Until the 1980s, asbestos was everywhere in homes and businesses and in many forms. It was used in thousands of industrial and household products.
Work-related exposure delivered the most potential for exposure, but it also can occur at home, at the office, in public buildings, in industrial settings, and even in urban areas that are generally considered environmentally friendly because asbestos occurs naturally.
With so many materials once manufactured with asbestos, there are a number of ways a person could have experienced exposure, including:
Work-related exposure delivered the most potential for exposure, but it also can occur at home, at the office, in public buildings, in industrial settings, and even in urban areas that are generally considered environmentally friendly because asbestos occurs naturally.
With so many materials once manufactured with asbestos, there are a number of ways a person could have experienced exposure, including:
- Working at an asbestos mine or asbestos processing plan
- Living in a residential area near an asbestos mine
- Working in a high-risk occupational setting such as the construction or automotive industry
- Renovating an asbestos-containing home without adequate safety measures
- Serving on military facilities or ships where asbestos was used in construction
it generally takes repeated, heavy exposure to asbestos in an occupational setting to be at risk for asbestos-related disease. Once asbestos fibers accumulate in the body, they can trigger a number of biological changes that may lead to mesothelioma.
