Health And BodyAsbestos is a health hazard because of which it is composed of fibers that may be present in work environments and life and inhale.
Releasing fibers into the environment can be done either at a physical handling / treatment or spontaneously, as in the case of brittle materials, worn or subjected to vibration, air currents, shocks, etc..
Exposure to asbestos fibers is associated with respiratory diseases (asbestosis, lung cancer) and serous membranes, especially the pleura (mesothelioma).
They occur many years after exposure: 10 – 15 for asbestosis to even 20 to 40 for lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Asbestosis is a chronic disease, and is that which first was related to inhalation of asbestos.
It consists of a fibrosis with thickening and hardening of lung tissue resulting in difficult exchange of oxygen between inspired air and blood.
It occurs to medium-high exposures and is therefore typically an occupational disease, currently, it is increasingly rare.
Lung cancer also occurs for exposures at low doses.
This serious disease is also caused by: cigarette smoke, chrome, nickel, radioactive materials, other environmental pollutants (aromatic hydrocarbons from industrial tar derivatives, gas engine exhaust).
Cigarette smoking greatly enhances the carcinogenic effect of asbestos and therefore substantially increased the likelihood of contracting this disease.

Mesothelioma is a rare tumor of the membrane lining the lung (pleura) or bowel (peritoneum), which is strongly associated with exposure to asbestos fibers even at low doses.
Have been described also to diseases of the larynx and gastrointestinal tract for which the association with asbestos is weaker and it remains to be definitively established a safe addiction.
Exposures in living environments in general are much lower than professional, but nevertheless not be underestimated because the effect cancer has theoretically the threshold values.