Gainey Wason Louie Charlie Phillips Noel Sonnek Asbestosis Historical Aspects Asbestos is a group of silicate fibers with a crystalline structure. These naturally occurring fibers have been mined and used for about the last 100 years with peak use in the 1970's. At that time adverse health effects were widely associated with the use of asbestos. Although asbestos use has drastically declined in the United States, it continues to be used in developing countries. Of importance is the fact that the negative health effects associated with asbestos may take years to develop.
Asbestos is a serious threat to one's health because it can cause severe forms of lung disease.
One form of disease and the topic of this pamphlet is asbestosis. Asbestosis is a fibrosis or scarring of the lung tissue. The lung is made of a delicate tissue which allows the blood to pick up oxygen and drop off carbon dioxide. As can be imagined, scarring of the lung tissue decreases the ability of the lung to exchange these gases. Second, one's chances of developing a tumor or cancer of the lung is five times greater than normal if exposed to asbestos.