Medical Questions » Lungs Questions » Question No. 597
| Question: | They have recently removed lots of asbestos from inside the ceiling of our office. When and why is asbestos dangerous? |
| Answer: | Asbestos is made from long, thin microscopic fibres. If this fibre is inhaled, it sticks in the tiny tubules deep inside your lung and cannot escape. -In this position, it causes constant irritation which can lead to emphysema, chronic bronchitis or cancer. Usually a considerable amount of asbestos fibre must be inhaled for any significant disease to develop.
In commercial use, asbestos is normally combined with cement to make building boards or pipes. In this form it is totally safe. Only if the material is sawed or broken can the fibres escape to be inhaled. Anyone using asbestos cement should wear a face mask to prevent inhalation of any particles when sawing.
Asbestos as a dust or powder is also used as an insulating material. This is usually placed in walls or ceilings, and again it is unlikely to be inhaled in these situations, but if someone walks in the ceiling space and stirs up the asbestos dust, or if the plaster wall is broken allowing the asbestos to escape, inhalation may be dangerous.
It takes many years for any disease to develop after the asbestos is inhaled, and in many people, no disease ever develops. Asbestos is safe if used carefully and workers are adequately protected.
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