The most common way that asbestos fibers enter the human body is through breathing. So they normally come through the nose or mouth. Unless something containing asbestos actually releases the fibers into the air and they are inhaled or ingested, asbestos is not considered harmful. When asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested they often get caught in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. If they’re in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat they can be removed, but sometimes the fibers pass deep into the lungs or, if the fibers are swallowed they can get into the digestive tract. Once the dangerous fibers are trapped in a body they can cause some very serious health problems.

Even though as asbestosis always dangerous when the fibers can be inhaled or ingested is most dangerous when it is in a friable form. Friable means that the asbestos could be easily crumbled by hand, this would be releasing the dangerous fibers into the air. An example of a form of asbestos that is friable is sprayed-on asbestos insulation. An example of a form of asbestos that is not viable is floor tile.

The most common way that asbestos fibers enter the human body is through breathing. So they normally come through the nose or mouth. Unless something containing asbestos actually releases the fibers into the air and they are inhaled or ingested, asbestos is not considered harmful. When asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested they often get caught in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. If they’re in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat they can be removed, but sometimes the fibers pass deep into the lungs or, if the fibers are swallowed they can get into the digestive tract. Once the dangerous fibers are trapped in a body they can cause some very serious health problems.
Even though as asbestosis always dangerous when the fibers can be inhaled or ingested is most dangerous when it is in a friable form. Friable means that the asbestos could be easily crumbled by hand, this would be releasing the dangerous fibers into the air. An example of a form of asbestos that is friable is sprayed-on asbestos insulation. An example of a form of asbestos that is not viable is floor tile.
Going back to how asbestos is only hazardous when it is disturbed, here is a list of some commonly containing asbestos materials that will not release asbestos fibers unless they’re Disturbed in any way. shingles, ceiling tiles, undamaged laboratory cabinet tops, floor tiles, fire doors, siding shingles, etc. For example, if an asbestos ceiling tile is broken or drilled into it would release the dangerous fibers into the air. But if it was not Disturbed and left alone it would not be there for not be hazardous. If asbestos-containing material has any damage or deterioration to it that will increase friability in it.
Next, I am going to talk about the dangerous health effects of asbestos. It is very hard to destroy asbestos fibers. The body cannot naturally break them down and they can’t be removed once they are stuck in a lung or body tissues. They stay in place and that is what causes some very dangerous diseases. The three top diseases that come from asbestos exposure are asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Asbestosis is a very serious (but non-cancerous) respiratory disease. Asbestosis occurs when inhaled asbestos fibers aggravate lung tissues and it causes them to scar. There is no found effective treatment or cure for asbestosis. Lung cancer is one of the three that causes the most number of deaths related to exposure of asbestos. Lung cancer often occurs in people who are directly involved in the mining, manufacturing, milling, and use of asbestos products. People exposed to asbestos and also exposed to something called carcinogens, such as cigarette smoke, have an even bigger risk of developing lung cancer than those who have just been exposed to asbestos. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer normally occurs in the thin membrane lining of the lungs, abdomen, chest, and heart. It is a pretty rare disease about 200 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.