What Asbestos Is

U.S. regulations generally list six asbestos minerals. Chrysotile belongs to the serpentine group and has curly fibers. The other five belong to the amphibole group: amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite. Chrysotile was by far the most widely used in the United States, while amosite and crocidolite appeared in certain insulation and cement products. Tremolite and other amphiboles also turned up as contaminants in other minerals, such as some vermiculite and talc deposits. When you see a product described as containing asbestos, it may have held one type or a blend of several.

Asbestos fibers can split lengthwise into ever thinner strands that are too small to see. Once inhaled, many are cleared by the body, but some lodge deep in the lungs or migrate to the linings around the lungs and abdomen. The body struggles to break them down, and chronic irritation over many years can lead to scarring, pleural plaques, asbestosis and cancers including mesothelioma. Disease typically appears decades after exposure. That long delay is why people diagnosed today often trace their exposure to jobs or homes from the 1950s through the early 1980s.

Asbestos found its way into thousands of products. Industrial uses included pipe and boiler insulation, gaskets, packing, fireproofing and friction materials such as brake linings. In buildings it appeared in floor tile, roofing, siding, joint compound, ceiling texture and cement pipe. Ships, power plants, refineries, factories, schools and homes all contained it. Because use was so broad, people in many trades and many ordinary households came into contact with asbestos without being told of the risk. Much of that material remains in older buildings and equipment today. Knowing this history helps explain why exposure lists often look long and varied.

1. 1

   List the jobs, job sites and homes where you spent time before the mid-1980s.

2. 2

   Note any products you remember handling, such as insulation, gaskets or brake parts.

3. 3

   Tell your doctor about possible asbestos exposure, even if it happened decades ago.

4. 4

   Keep any old photos or paperwork that show where you worked and what materials were used.