Sources of Exposure
How Asbestos Exposure Happens
Understanding how and where people were exposed to asbestos is the foundation of every asbestos-related case. That’s because the amount of compensation available to a victim—or their surviving family—depends directly on how many companies were responsible for that exposure. The more companies linked to a person’s exposure, the more trust funds and defendants we can pursue for financial recovery.
That’s why our team spends so much time reconstructing exposure histories: pinpointing not just where someone worked, but what they did, which materials they handled, and how asbestos reached them—sometimes at work, sometimes at home, and sometimes both.
This page explains the main ways asbestos exposure happens. It also links out to in-depth pages on specific occupations, industries, and products associated with asbestos.
Why Asbestos Is So Dangerous
Asbestos is made up of microscopic fibers that don’t break down inside the body. Once inhaled or swallowed, these fibers embed themselves in the lungs, abdomen, or other tissues, triggering inflammation, scarring, and—sometimes decades later—deadly cancers like mesothelioma.
Unlike a chemical poison that interferes with the body’s biology, asbestos causes mechanical injury. Its needle-like fibers are physically sharp, and once lodged in the body, they slice through tissues with every breath or movement. This relentless irritation leads to chronic inflammation, cellular damage, and eventually scarring or cancer. Because the harm is physical, not chemical, there’s no antidote to remove the fibers or reverse the damage. The injuries they cause are permanent—and in many cases, progressive.
Asbestos is most dangerous when it’s friable—a term that means the material can crumble easily, releasing fibers into the air. But even non-friable materials (like cement or vinyl floor tiles) can release fibers when they’re cut, sanded, or damaged.
Learn more about the six types of asbestos.
Why Asbestos Exposure Is So Easy to Miss—and So Hard to Escape
You can’t see or smell asbestos fibers. Most asbestos fibers are thinner than a single strand of human hair—many are less than half a micrometer wide. Chrysotile asbestos, the most common type, forms hollow cylinders just 20–25 nanometers in diameter on the outside—about 5,000 times thinner than a grain of sand. These fibers are so small and lightweight that they can stay suspended in the air for hours, making exposure easy and detection nearly impossible.【U.S. Department of Energy, 1980†source】.
There’s no safe level of exposure. Some people developed mesothelioma after living just half a mile from an asbestos plant or from washing the clothes of an exposed family member. In a landmark 1965 study, Dr. Muriel Newhouse found that even minimal environmental or household contact was enough to cause deadly disease【Selikoff, 1991†source】.
Symptoms don’t appear for decades. Asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma typically take 20 to 50 years to develop. In one large study from Northeastern Italy, the average latency period for pleural mesothelioma was nearly 49 years, with some cases taking as long as 75 years to appear【Bianchi & Bianchi, 2007†source】. That’s why people exposed in the 1960s, ’70s, or ’80s are only being diagnosed now.
Because asbestos was so widespread, exposure could happen in countless ways. Some people breathed it in at work, others brought it home on their clothes—and many never knew they were exposed at all.
Main Ways People Were Exposed
For most of the 20th century, asbestos was everywhere. By the 1960s, it was used in nearly every major industry—woven into textiles, sprayed onto ceilings, packed into walls, and molded into everything from brake pads to ironing boards. It was as common then as plastic is today. Although virtually everyone in that era was exposed to asbestos, some exposures are more likely to lead to disease than others. Here are the most dangerous types of exposure to asbestos:
Occupational Exposure - Some Jobs Were More Dangerous than Others
Most people who develop asbestos-related diseases were exposed through their jobs. Insulators, pipefitters, electricians, mechanics, boilermakers, and countless other tradespeople worked directly with asbestos materials—or alongside others who did. Whether it was cutting insulation, sanding brakes, welding near asbestos blankets, or sweeping up dust, these everyday tasks often released clouds of invisible, deadly fibers into the air.
See which occupations had the highest exposure
Industrial Exposure - Some Industries Exposed Every Worker
In many industries, asbestos wasn’t just part of the job—it was part of the environment. Shipyards, oil refineries, power plants, chemical facilities, and steel mills were built with and operated using asbestos-laden materials. Insulation wrapped around every pipe and boiler, gaskets sealed machinery, and fireproofing coated walls and beams. Even if a worker never touched asbestos directly, just being on-site meant breathing the same air. Secretaries, janitors, engineers, and clerks were all at risk—because when asbestos becomes airborne, it doesn’t care what your job title is.
Explore industries that used asbestos
Take-Home Exposure
The danger didn’t stop at the job site. Workers came home with asbestos on their clothes, shoes, hair, and tools—unknowingly contaminating their cars, homes, and families. This is called secondary or take-home exposure, and it’s tragically common. Many of our clients are wives and children who never stepped foot in a refinery or plant, but developed mesothelioma or asbestosis from laundering dusty work clothes or simply living in the same home.
Learn more about secondhand exposure
Asbestos in Products
Asbestos has been utilized in thousands of products, ranging from industrial applications to surprisingly ordinary household items, due to its heat resistance, tensile strength, and insulating properties. In the construction industry, asbestos was commonly used in building materials such as pipe insulation, ceiling tiles, roofing felt, drywall mud, and flooring. Consumer products also incorporated asbestos, including ironing board pads, hair dryers, and toasters. In the automotive sector, asbestos was a key component in brake pads, clutches, and gaskets. Industrial equipment, such as valves, pumps, boilers, and ovens, also relied on asbestos for its durability and resistance to heat. Additionally, specialty products like filters for wine and cigarettes, laboratory equipment, and fire blankets made use of asbestos for its unique properties.
Beyond these applications, asbestos was also employed in fireproof theater curtains, safety clothing, conveyor belts, and insulation for diesel exhaust pipes. It was used in the production of asbestos-cement products, such as water and sewage pipes, roofing shingles, and insulation boards. Asbestos was even found in gas masks, motion picture screens, and filters for processing fruit juices, acids, and beer.
Even today, many older homes, vehicles, and buildings still contain asbestos. Renovations, repairs, or any disturbance of these materials can release asbestos fibers into the air, creating significant exposure risks.
Learn about the kinds of products made with asbestos.
Environmental and Community Exposure
Asbestos exposure extended beyond workplaces and homes, occurring in various environmental settings. Individuals residing near asbestos mines, cement plants, insulation factories, and shipyards were often exposed to asbestos fibers released into the surrounding air. Research has identified clusters of mesothelioma cases among households located within 2,000 meters of industrial operations that utilized significant amounts of asbestos, highlighting the heightened risk associated with proximity to these facilities.
Each and Every Exposure to Asbestos Carries Risk
When experts say there is “no safe level of asbestos exposure,” they mean exactly that: every single exposure, no matter how brief or low in intensity, increases the risk of developing mesothelioma. It doesn’t guarantee disease—but it does raise the risk by a factor greater than zero. Even a few hours of exposure during a home renovation, a school maintenance job, or laundering a loved one’s dusty work clothes has been enough to cause mesothelioma in documented cases. Scientists have never found a threshold dose below which asbestos is harmless. In fact, Dr. Irving Selikoff—one of the foremost experts on asbestos disease—emphasized that the risk is cumulative and irreversible: each exposure adds to the total dose, and the body never forgets. As he warned, “the dose may be small, but the risk is there.” This is why even a brief or indirect exposure from decades ago can still justify legal compensation today.【Selikoff, 1980†source】.
Diseases Caused by Asbestos
Asbestos is a complete carcinogen—a substance that can cause cancer without needing to be combined with any other chemical or risk factor. All major health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agree: all six regulated forms of asbestos—including chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite—are known to cause cancer and non-cancerous diseases. They also agree that all asbestos types are capable of causing asbestosis, a serious lung-scarring condition, when inhaled in sufficient quantity.
Here are the major diseases directly linked to asbestos exposure:
Mesothelioma is an aggressive and almost always fatal cancer that forms in the thin lining of the lungs (pleural), abdomen (peritoneal), heart (pericardial), or testicles (tunica vaginalis). It is caused almost exclusively by asbestos, with no known safe exposure level. The disease can take decades to appear, but once diagnosed, it often progresses rapidly.
Asbestos exposure dramatically increases the risk of lung cancer, especially for smokers. Unlike mesothelioma, which forms in the lining, lung cancer originates inside the lung tissue itself. It can be caused by high-dose or prolonged asbestos exposure, and studies show a synergistic effect between asbestos and tobacco use—meaning the combined risk is greater than the sum of each factor alone.
Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease caused by the buildup of scar tissue in the lungs from inhaled asbestos fibers. The scarring stiffens the lungs, making it hard to breathe and often leading to respiratory failure. While not cancerous, it is progressive, irreversible, and can be disabling or fatal on its own.
Laryngeal and Pharyngeal Cancer
The inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to cancers of the throat, including the larynx (voice box) and pharynx (upper throat). These cancers are more likely in individuals with high levels of occupational exposure, especially when combined with smoking or alcohol use. The National Institutes of Health classifies asbestos as a proven cause of both.
Stomach and Colorectal Cancers
Swallowed asbestos fibers—through contaminated food, water, or mucus cleared from the lungs—can embed in the digestive tract. This has been linked to elevated rates of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer in exposed populations, particularly in industrial workers and miners.
Ovarian cancer is now recognized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as definitively caused by asbestos exposure. Fibers can reach the ovaries through the bloodstream or reproductive tract, and may also arrive via secondhand household exposure—such as washing asbestos-contaminated clothing. This has profound implications for spouses and daughters of asbestos workers.
Free Asbestos Health Testing for Workers and Families
You don’t need to wait for symptoms to take action. Our law firm offers free asbestos health testing to:
Individuals who worked around asbestos-containing products or in asbestos-contaminated job sites
Family members—including spouses and children—of those workers, who may have been exposed secondhand through contaminated clothing, tools, or home environments
This testing includes chest imaging and other diagnostic tools that can detect early signs of asbestos-related disease—even before symptoms appear.
See your free health testing options →
Legal Help for Asbestos Exposure Victims
The reason legal options exist today is simple: the asbestos industry knew. These weren’t accidents—they were choices made by corporations that put profits over human lives. By the 1920s, manufacturers had medical evidence that asbestos dust was harming workers. In the 1930s, they hired the Saranac Laboratory to study the health effects—but when the study confirmed serious lung damage, they buried the findings. By the 1940s, internal company documents show that executives were aware asbestos could cause cancer—but instead of warning the public, they suppressed the truth, manipulated research, and silenced scientists. For decades, these companies put profits over human lives, knowingly exposing millions to a deadly material while insisting it was safe.
Today, the legal system recognizes that injustice. If you or your loved one was exposed to asbestos—even many years ago—you may be eligible for significant financial compensation through one or more of the following options:
Asbestos Trust Claims
When asbestos companies began losing lawsuits in the 1980s and 1990s, many filed for bankruptcy—but courts required them to set aside insurance proceeds and other money in asbestos trust funds to pay current and future victims. These trusts were funded with over $30 billion across dozens of trusts. These claims don’t require a lawsuit and are often resolved in months.
Personal Injury or Wrongful Death Lawsuits
If the companies responsible for your exposure still exist—or weren’t covered by a trust—you may have the option to file a lawsuit. These claims can provide higher compensation than trust claims because they allow for recovery of pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills, and more.
Wrongful death claims can also be brought by surviving family members of someone who died from mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis. Most of these cases settle out of court, often without the need for a trial.
Disability Benefits for Veterans and Disabled Workers
Veterans—especially those who served in the Navy or worked in shipyards—were often heavily exposed to asbestos. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes several asbestos-related conditions as service-connected, allowing eligible veterans to receive monthly disability payments and free medical care.
In addition, individuals who are too sick to work due to asbestos-related disease may qualify for Social Security Disability or other public benefit programs. These benefits can supplement legal claims and help reduce financial stress.
Because asbestos exposure often involved multiple companies, products, and sites, many of our clients qualify for several different claims. It’s not unusual to recover compensation from a mix of trust funds, active companies, and government benefits—even if the exposure happened 40, 50, or 60 years ago.
We’re Here to Help—And to Hold Them Accountable
You didn’t choose to be exposed to asbestos. The companies responsible knew the dangers and hid them from the public. Now you’re left facing the consequences—and you deserve answers, justice, and compensation.
Our legal team has helped thousands of individuals and families recover money from asbestos trust funds, lawsuits, and veterans' benefits. We know how to trace exposure, identify responsible companies, and file the right claims—even if the exposure happened decades ago.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related illness, don’t wait.
Call us today at 833-4-ASBESTOS or contact us online for a free consultation. Let’s talk about your story—and how we can help make things right.