Asbestos can be hidden in plain sight — inside the walls, ceilings, and floors of older homes and buildings across the country. Understanding how asbestos behaves, where it hides, and why it’s so serious is the first step in keeping your family safe.
5 Essential Facts About Asbestos You Should Know
1. Many products still contain asbestos today
Asbestos hasn’t completely disappeared. It’s still used in certain products — particularly those that need to be heat-resistant. Common applications include acoustic insulation, thermal insulation, fireproofing, and building materials. You can also find it applied to structural steel beams, crawlspaces, and walls. While its use is far less common than it once was, asbestos-containing products do still exist in new structures.
2. Asbestos only becomes hazardous when it’s disturbed
This is one of the most important things to understand. Asbestos that is left alone and undamaged generally poses little immediate risk. The danger comes when it becomes “friable” — meaning it can be crumbled or crushed by hand pressure. Friable asbestos releases fibers that can travel into your lungs when you breathe. This is most common with fibrous, fluffy, sprayed-on materials used in insulation, fireproofing, and soundproofing. Non-friable materials like floor tile and roofing felt rarely release airborne fibers on their own. That said, renovation work can easily disturb even stable asbestos — which is why you should always use licensed professionals and not attempt to remove asbestos yourself.
3. Symptoms of asbestos exposure can take decades to appear
This is part of what makes asbestos so concerning. There is a well-documented link between inhaling asbestos fibers and the development of serious illness — but that illness may not show up for many years. Mesothelioma and asbestosis are among the most common asbestos-related diseases. Asbestosis is a non-malignant but often fatal respiratory disease caused by asbestos scarring in the lungs, which can also lead to heart issues and pain. Approximately 3,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year — a cancer that spreads throughout the tissue of the lungs. Many people with these conditions don’t realize they have them until the disease has advanced.
4. Asbestos fibers can stay in your body permanently
Unlike many toxins, asbestos fibers cannot be “flushed out” of the body. They are microscopic and needle-like, capable of penetrating through the membrane surrounding the lungs and chest cavity. Swallowed fibers can also make their way into the stomach. Because there is no way to remove the fibers once they are in the body, prevention is everything. Always use appropriate respiratory protection and personal protective equipment when working near asbestos.
5. Asbestos is still mined and used in other parts of the world
While asbestos use has been heavily restricted in the United States, it remains a commodity in countries such as Greece, Canada, Russia, Italy, China, and India. It’s cheap, making it still common on construction sites in many developing nations. Understanding this global context is a reminder that asbestos hasn’t gone away — it just may not be where you expect it.
Source: Asbestos.net
If you have concerns about asbestos in your home or building, our team at Environmental Services of America is here to help. Reach out to us anytime at services@es-america.com.