The Dangers of Secondary Asbestos Exposure

Since the mid-1950s, doctors and researchers have recognized that mesothelioma is primarily the result of exposure to the insulating material asbestos. For a long time, only firsthand asbestos exposure was recognized as a danger. However, it is only now that physicians are realizing that many people, especially spouses and children, came into contact with asbestos through secondary exposure. This is equally as dangerous as first-hand contact.

Due to the known hazards of asbestos, the United States government severely restricted or even banned asbestos in many industries. For people who must work with asbestos, there are specific safety protocol that must be followed, such as wearing thick protective gear that is impermeable to asbestos, or using special ventilating masks to filter out airborne asbestos fibers.

However, these safety processes were not utilized in the earlier half of the 20th century. This means that people who worked with asbestos, such as in shipyards or construction, often came home with asbestos fibers attached to their clothing. These workers, typically men, could come home and embrace their families, sending clouds of deadly asbestos into the air. Additionally, as women primarily took care of laundry, they again endured secondary asbestos exposure in the supposed safety of their own homes.

Sadly, this was often the case with World War II soldiers and affiliated servicemen. During WWII, the government mandated the use of asbestos for ships, submarines, and other facilities. Thus, anyone who built or worked in these structures came home with asbestos-contaminated clothing. Now, many wives and children of WWII servicemen have developed asbestos-related diseases.

Additionally, you can suffer from second-hand asbestos exposure if you live or work in a community that is near an asbestos mine or processing plant. Microscopic fibers can be carried on the breeze to infiltrate parks, baseball fields, schools, homes, and stores. Therefore, even if these structures do not contain asbestos themselves,  the air inside may carry the tiny destructive particles, possibly resulting in secondary exposure.

If you have any doubts about your exposure to asbestos, you should talk to your doctor immediately about early cancer-detection tests and other measures that you can take to determine the damage.