Table of Contents
Development of asbestos-related disease that cause this restriction, as well as other symptoms, has a latency period anywhere between 10 and 50 years. Symptoms usually only present themselves 20 to 30 years after exposure to asbestos, once the disease has already started to develop.
Who is most at risk for asbestos disease?
Currently, the people most heavily exposed to asbestos in the United States are those in construction trades. This population includes an estimated 1.3 million construction workers as well as workers in building and equipment maintenance [American Thoracic Society 2004].
How many asbestos-related deaths in the UK each year?
In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive puts the number of asbestos-related deaths at around 5,000 deaths per year.
Your chance of getting an asbestos-related disease depends on certain conditions called risk factors. The first risk factor is how much asbestos was in the air you breathed, or the “concentration.” The second risk factor is the cumulative length of all exposures or “duration.”
What is the threshold of safe asbestos exposure?
There are six types of the mineral, all of which can cause asbestos-related diseases. These diseases, such as mesothelioma, may develop with very little exposure to the mineral. There is no recorded threshold of safe asbestos exposure. However, consistent exposure and other risk factors may increase the likelihood of developing a disease.
Is it dangerous to have a little asbestos exposure?
Even brief or infrequent asbestos exposure can be dangerous. There are six types of the mineral, all of which can cause asbestos-related diseases. These diseases, such as mesothelioma, may develop with very little exposure to the mineral. There is no recorded threshold of safe asbestos exposure.
How long does it take to get sick from asbestos exposure?
However, most asbestos-related diseases arise only after many years of regular exposure. An extremely intense short-term exposure also heightens the risk of disease later in life. For example, a history of working with insulation products in the 1950s or 1960s is a major risk factor.