Asbestos Exposure, "Where Was I Exposed?"

Why Asbestos Exposure is Dangerous

Asbestos is a natural occurring mineral that is found in the soil in many parts of the country. Initially, asbestos was highly regarded because it is resistant to heat and flame. Before the health dangers of asbestos were fully understood, it was used in protective clothes for those who worked around open flames and electricity. It was even used in many home building products because of the strong insulation properties that it had. Asbestos, for a time, was considered a wonder mineral.

As is often the case, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Asbestos exposure is linked to mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer, and asbestosis, a chronic lung condition that eventually leads to respiratory failure. When these health concerns about asbestos became widely known, it was removed from the market, but not before many people were exposed.

Determining if You Were Exposed

There is no one way to determine if you were exposed to asbestos. The best way to determine if you suffered from exposure is to think back over your history and determine if you have participated in any activities that put you at high risk for asbestos exposure. There are a variety of risk factors for asbestos exposure. The first is living in an area that has high levels of naturally occurring asbestos. If you live in an area with naturally high levels of asbestos, a windy day may be all that is necessary to inhale the microscopic particles of asbestos that become airborne. To determine if you live in an area with naturally high levels of asbestos, contact your local environmental regulatory agency or health department. They can let you know if naturally occurring exposure is a risk in your area.

If you at any time in your life worked in an industry that used asbestos, you may have suffered from asbestos exposure. In the years prior to 1978, much of the insulation on electrical wires contained asbestos. Clothes and gloves worn by those exposed to heat and flame was often woven, at least in part, with asbestos fibers. Brake pads in vehicles also contained asbestos. Generally, any industry that used insulation for heat or sparks wove its protective gear from asbestos fibers.

If you live in a home or work in a building that was constructed prior to 1978, the chances are great that at least some of the materials contain asbestos. Because of the excellent insulation properties of asbestos, as well as its ability to withstand a good deal of abuse, asbestos was commonly used in the manufacture of vinyl floor coverings, floor and ceiling tiles and roofing paper and shingles. While these materials do not increase your risk of developing asbestos related disease if they are in good condition, if they are damaged, the asbestos fibers are released into the air, where they can be inhaled or ingested.

If someone in your family worked in an industry where they were exposed to asbestos on the job, there is a chance that they carried asbestos fibers home on their clothing or shoes. If this happened you can develop asbestos related disease just as easily as if you worked around asbestos yourself. This secondary exposure is a growing concern for health professionals.

Getting Help From Your Doctor

There are a variety of ways that you can be exposed to asbestos. Because it is often decades between the time that a person develops asbestos related disease and their exposure to asbestos, it is not always possible to narrow down when you were exposed. If you suspect that you may have been exposed to asbestos at some point, your doctor can conduct screening tests to determine if the level of asbestos in your body is higher than normal. While there is nothing that can be done about the asbestos that is in the body, your doctor can make a note of this on your chart and be ready to perform aggressive diagnostic tests if you begin to exhibit symptoms of mesothelioma.

Early awareness of asbestos in your body also increases the odds that you can determine where you were exposed. In the event of a lawsuit, you will need to determine where the exposure to asbestos occurred, and the longer period of time between your employment and narrowing down your exposure, the more difficult this becomes. If you worked for a company that has settled lawsuits in the past relating to asbestos exposure, you will have a good idea where your exposure occurred. For many people, however, the exposure was in such a nontraditional setting, such as a school or office building, that determining exactly where the exposure happened can prove to be problematic. If you find yourself in a situation where you must determine where your exposure occurred, an experienced legal professional can help narrow down the options by reviewing your work history.