The physical properties that give asbestos its resistance to heat and decay are linked with several adverse human health effects. Asbestos tends to break into a dust of microscopic fibers. Because of their size and shape, these tiny fibers can remain suspended in the air for long periods of time and can easily penetrate body tissues when inhaled. Because of their durability, these fibers can lodge and remain in the body for many years.
Asbestos is known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Asbestosis is a chronic disease of the lungs which makes breathing progressively more difficult, and can lead to death. Mesothelioma, a cancer of the chest and abdominal membranes, is exclusively linked to asbestos exposure. Other cancers, primarily of the digestive tract, also have been associated with exposure to asbestos. These asbestos related diseases have a long latency period, that is, symptoms may not appear until 20 to 40 years after exposure. Last Update on November 25 1996.