People are mainly exposed to asbestos via inhalation of fibers in the air they breathe. This may occur during mining and processing of asbestosinstalling asbestos insulation and for the production of products containing asbestos or . It can also occur when materials containing asbestos older begin to deteriorate. In either situation, the asbestos fibers tend to create a dust composed of tiny particles that can float in the air. In addition, asbestos can enter the body through ingestion, what happens when people consume contaminated food or liquids (such as water flowing through asbestos cement pipes). It can also occur when people cough who have inhaled asbestos and then swallow their saliva.

Many people are exposed to very low levels of naturally occurring asbestos in outdoor air as a result of the erosion of rocks containing asbestos. The potential for such exposure is greater in regions where the rocks have a higher content of asbestos. After the collapse of World Trade Center building in 2001, generated concern about the presence of asbestos in the dust. Recommendations were made to test and clean residences waste in the area of Lower Manhattan to minimize any risk of such exposure.

However, persons with higher exposure were those who worked in the asbestos industry, such as shipbuilding and isolation. Many of these people I remember working in dense clouds of asbestos dust, day after day.

Family members of asbestos workers are also potentially exposed to higher levels of asbestos, since workers are the fibers home on clothing and can be inhaled by others in the home. The removal of asbestos from homes and other buildings can cause some exposure, but recent workers removing asbestos are trained in the use of appropriate protective equipment to minimize exposure.

Exposure to construction materials containing asbestos is also a concern, particularly in older buildings. If building materials such as insulation, tiles and slabs begin to decompose over time, can be found asbestos fibers in indoor air, which could pose a threat to human health (Environmental Protection Agency, EPA) . There is no risk to human health if the asbestos is bound into finished goods intact, such as walls and slabs. Whenever the material is not damaged or altered, for example due to perforation or renewal, there is no way that the fibers can be released into the air and inhaled. Maintenance workers who sweep and dispose of asbestos dust, or handle damaged building materials containing asbestos are often exposed to higher levels than other occupants of these buildings.

Asbestos can be detected in the water and in air. Water can be released through various sources such as erosion of natural deposits, corrosion of asbestos cement pipes and decomposition of materials containing asbestos roofing, which are subsequently transported to the sewage system.

Although asbestos use has declined in many industrialized countries, its use remains a hazard in other parts of the world. Over 70% of world production of asbestos is used in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia.