Asbestos and Your Lungs

What it is

Asbestos is a group of minerals with long, thin fibers — too small to see. It was once widely used as insulation, and it also occurs naturally in the environment.

How it harms

1. Disturbed asbestos releases fibers that float in the air.
2. They are easy to breathe in, and some lodge in the lungs.
3. Breathing high levels over a long time lets fibers build up, causing scarring and inflammation that can affect breathing.

Diseases it can cause

• Asbestosis — scarring of the lungs that makes it hard to breathe;
• Mesothelioma — a rare cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen;
• Lung cancer.

These diseases usually take many years to develop.

Who is at risk

• People who get sick from asbestos were usually exposed at work, over long periods.
• Smoking raises the risk.

Sources

Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Asbestos," National Library of Medicine, drawing on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; a work of the United States government in the public domain.