The fact that asbestos was referred to as the “miracle” mineral has a lot to do with the inherent properties of the mineral, i.e., Asbestos is nearly indestructible, Asbestos is extremely fire retardant, Asbestos is a low conductor of electricity, Asbestos is easily woven, and Asbestos does not transmit temperature.  All of these properties made asbestos a commodity which was used in everything from insulation, to grinding wheels, to break liners to dry-wall additives and joint compounds.

When the term “exposed to asbestos” is used, this typically means that one is exposed to the small fibers of asbestos which are then inhaled.  In some cases, asbestos was sold merely as bags of asbestos which workers used for a variety of industrial functions, and workers could easily breathe in the asbestos fibers.  In other instances, asbestos was merely an additive ingredient of the product or device that an individual was working on or around.  As example, asbestos was a large additive in insulation.  Thus insulators who manipulated asbestos insulation could cause some of the fibers to become dislodged as it was moved, and exposure could occur in this fashion.  Asbestos was also a large part of brake liners.  As the brakes wore down, those asbestos fibers would become part of the dust contained in the drum.  When an individual would change the brakes, they would often breathe in that dust from the liners.  An additional way exposure could occur was in the construction industry or through home remodeling.  If an individual sanded drywall which contained asbestos, or sanded down joint compounds which contained asbestos, the sanded dust could enter the individuals' lungs and exposure could occur that way.

A more recent trend has become what is called, “take home” exposure.  In these instances, an individual who worked around asbestos would bring home asbestos fibers on their clothes, and their family would then be exposed to the fibers and develop asbestos related illnesses.  Courts have held that these family members are able to maintain lawsuits for their asbestos-related diseases.

Though these are some common ways in which someone can be exposed to asbestos, there are many different methods in which a person could be exposed to asbestos.  When considering whether you may have been exposed to asbestos, you should consider whether the following applies to you:

• Did you work with, or around, asbestos containing products or around friable or loose asbestos fibers?
• Did a close family member with whom you lived work with, or around, asbestos containing products or around friable or loose asbestos fibers?
• Did you work in a profession with a documented incidence of high rates of asbestos-related diseases? 
• Have co-workers, or relatives of co-workers, been diagnosed with mesothelioma, or another form of asbestos related disease?