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•  Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral composed of soft and flexible fibers that are resistant to heat, electricity and corrosion. These qualities make the mineral useful, but they also make asbestos exposure highly toxic. Asbestos is an effective insulator, and it can be used in cloth, paper, cement, plastic and other materials to make them stronger. But when asbestos dust is inhaled or ingested, mineral fibers can become permanently trapped in the body.
  
• Over decades, trapped asbestos fibers can cause inflammation, scarring and eventually genetic damage. A rare and aggressive cancer called mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestos also causes other forms of cancer as well as progressive lung disease. 

Learning important asbestos facts helps people reduce their exposure to asbestos and may help prevent public exposure when whistleblowers speak up about dangerous working conditions. 

Exposure Facts:

• Asbestos has been banned in more than 60 countries, but not in the U.S.
• Asbestos exposure is the No. 1 cause of work-related deaths in the world.
• Approximately 90,000 people die from asbestos-related diseases globally each year.
• An estimated 125 million people worldwide remain at risk of occupational exposure to asbestos.
• About 1.3 million U.S. workers in construction and general industry are at risk of exposure today.

• Although asbestos comes from all over the world, the main exporters are Russia, Kazakhstan and China. The toxic mineral was once mined throughout North America.
• Asbestos may be found in large deposits or as contaminates in other minerals such as talc and vermiculite. Chrysotile asbestos is usually found as veins within serpentine rock.
• While most commercial asbestos deposits contain 5% to 6% asbestos, some deposits, such as the Coalinga deposit in California, contain 50% or more asbestos.

During the 20th century, American industries used many types of asbestos products for construction, manufacturing and chemical refining. Asbestos products are still commonly used in developing nations such as Russia, China, India and Mexico.

Common Types of Asbestos Products:

• Asbestos Adhesives: Roofing sealant, pipe lagging, duct tape, furnace cement and glue for flooring, wall panels, ceiling tiles and interior fixtures
• Asbestos Construction Mastics & Gunning Mix: Used to repair or fill industrial materials such as furnaces, tile or flooring.
• Asbestos Duct Connectors: Fabric that connects HVAC system parts together
• Asbestos Electrical Components: Ebonized panels, electrical shielding, molded cement bases, flash guard paper, wire insulation and cable wrap
• Asbestos Felt: Used in roofing, flooring and paper mills
• Asbestos Fireproofing: Firefighter gear, tar paper, paint and spray-on fireproofing
• Asbestos Gaskets: Heat-resistant seals for joining machine parts, valves and hoses
• Asbestos Insulation: Loose-fill insulation, pipe wrap, block insulation, acoustic tiles and spray-on insulation
• Asbestos Plastics: Used in tools, cookware, appliances and vehicles, especially for brake pads
• Asbestos Sheets: Corrugated cement sheets, flat cement sheets, drywall and “asbestos lumber” for roof shingles and siding
• Asbestos Textiles: Protective clothing, upholstery and fire blankets
• Asbestos Vinyl Products: Floor tiles, sheet flooring and wallpaper

Other Products That Have Contained Asbestos

• Asbestos Cigarette Filters: Used in Kent Micronite cigarettes between 1952 and 1956
• Asbestos Consumer Products: Pot holders, ashtray coasters, wicking for gas ranges, fake snow for Christmas decorations and insulation linings in hair dryers and cooking appliances
• Asbestos Laboratory Equipment: Laboratory fume hoods, equipment insulation linings, Bunsen burner mats, gauze pads and gloves
• Asbestos-Contaminated Makeup: Cosmetics made from contaminated talc
• Asbestos-Contaminated Talcum Powder: Baby powder and other personal hygiene products made from contaminated talc
• Asbestos-Contaminated Zonolite Insulation: Pour-in attic insulation made from contaminated vermiculite

• The most common way for asbestos fibers to enter the body is through breathing. In fact, asbestos containing material is not generally considered to be harmful unless it is releasing dust or fibers into the air where they can be inhaled or ingested. Many of the fibers will become trapped in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat where they can then be removed, but some may pass deep into the lungs, or, if swallowed, into the digestive tract. Once they are trapped in the body, the fibers can cause health problems.

• Asbestos is most hazardous when it is friable. The term "friable" means that the asbestos is easily crumbled by hand, releasing fibers into the air. Sprayed on asbestos insulation is highly friable. Asbestos floor tile is not.

• Asbestos-containing ceiling tiles, floor tiles, undamaged laboratory cabinet tops, shingles, fire doors, siding shingles, etc. will not release asbestos fibers unless they are disturbed or damaged in some way. If an asbestos ceiling tile is drilled or broken, for example, it may release fibers into the air. If it is left alone and not disturbed, it will not.

• Damage and deterioration will increase the friability of asbestos-containing materials. Water damage, continual vibration, aging, and physical impact such as drilling, grinding, buffing, cutting, sawing, or striking can break the materials down making fiber release more likely.

Because it is so hard to destroy asbestos fibers, the body cannot break them down or remove them once they are lodged in lung or body tissues. They remain in place where they can cause disease.

There are three primary diseases associated with asbestos exposure:

• Asbestosis
• Lung Cancer
• Mesothelioma