The best way to prevent mesothelioma is to avoid asbestos exposure. Any level of asbestos exposure is unsafe. Wear protective gear at home or at work when working with products that may contain asbestos. Always consult a professional for asbestos testing and removal.
Learn more about mesothelioma, asbestos and the steps you can take to fight this disease.
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Mesothelioma is preventable if you take precautions to avoid asbestos exposure. It still lingers in the places we live, work and learn. Asbestos awareness can help prevent exposure, the cause of mesothelioma and other health issues.
Ways to Prevent Asbestos Exposure
Avoid old asbestos insulation products that can easily release dust when disturbed.
Check for asbestos before demolition or renovation work in homes built before 1980.
Follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations if you work with asbestos.
Legacy asbestos products may still linger in structures built before the 1980s, when builders across the United States used asbestos in homes, offices, factories and schools. Workers may encounter asbestos while on the job. Settings include shipyards, power plants, chemical plants, railroads and auto mechanic shops. Asbestos exposure can lead to malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis and other asbestos-related health conditions.
Mesothelioma Prevention at Work
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration began regulating employee exposure to asbestos in 1972. OSHA outlines specific standards for general industry (29 CFR 1910.1001) construction (29 CFR 1926.1101) and shipyards (29 CFR 1915.1001).
These standards require employers to develop a written plan that discusses exposure and establishes processes or procedures for minimizing the hazard. The plan must outline a training program for employees.
OSHA Requirements to Prevent Asbestos Exposure
Avoid using pressurized air to remove asbestos dust; use a HEPA vacuum.
Conduct air monitoring at least once every 6 months.
Create “regulated areas” where asbestos work is performed, limiting access to trained authorized personnel in proper personal protective equipment.
Display warning signs.
Maintain monitoring records, training records and medical records.
Prevent the removal of contaminated clothing from shower or changing rooms; store in closed containers until laundered or disposed of.
Prohibit eating, smoking, drinking, chewing tobacco or gum and applying cosmetics in these zones
Provide medical examinations for affected employees.
Seal waste in properly marked bags.
Someone must conduct air monitoring to determine if a plan is needed. If employees are exposed to more than 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air (1 f/cc) over an 8-hour time-weighted average day, or the short-term excursion limit of 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter of air (0.1 f/cc) as averaged over a sampling period of 30 minutes, a plan must be created.
Although awareness of asbestos health risks has improved over the years, some employers still don’t take the proper steps to prevent harmful workplace exposures. Workers must take their own precautions around asbestos and report any unsafe work conditions to OSHA. Never perform asbestos work for your employer if you’re not trained and certified. Leave asbestos removal to professionals.
Raeleen Minchuk
Verified Asbestos.com Survivor
Survivor Works With Canadian Prevention Group
Since being diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma nearly a decade ago, Raeleen Minchuk Prokopetz has been passionate about advocacy and raising awareness about the dangers of asbestos. Raeleen has worked with WorkSafe Saskatchewan, which shares information about the dangers of asbestos exposure. The Canadian workplace safety and injury prevention group’s mission is to help reduce the number injuries and deaths in the workplace.
Anyone performing renovation work on a home built before 1980 should be cautious of asbestos. The only way to tell if a construction material in your home contains asbestos is to have a sample sent to a certified laboratory for testing.
Homeowners can release asbestos dust into the air during renovations. Concealed asbestos materials in good condition are safe if undisturbed. Cutting, sawing, sanding, scraping or drilling into them creates a health risk.
An asbestos product that has become brittle and crumbly over time is called friable. Materials in this state are hazardous. Toxic asbestos fibers can break off and float through the air.
Asbestos use has declined since the 1970s, but many older homes still contain asbestos.
Asbestos Products Found in Homes
Because of the popularity of asbestos in pre-1980s construction, millions of homes across the United States harbor asbestos-containing products. The following are common asbestos products builders often used in building homes.
Asbestos Products Found in Homes
Attic insulation
Drywall and joint compound
Floor tiles and adhesives
Insulation wrapping on pipes, ducts and electrical wires
Popcorn ceiling textures
Roof shingles and tar
If you encounter any of these products, the best guidance is not to disturb them. Avoiding exposure should be your priority to keep you and your family safe from asbestos exposure.
How to Avoid Exposure at Home
As a homeowner, you can take several steps to minimize asbestos exposure. If you suspect a building material is asbestos, you should immediately contact an asbestos expert to test the material for asbestos. The following are other steps you should take to avoid asbestos at home.
Steps for Avoidig Asbestos in Your Home
Ask your home inspector or real estate agent if there is asbestos in your home.
If you have an older home, don’t perform DIY renovations without checking for asbestos first.
If you think you have found asbestos in your home, leave it alone.
Regularly check known asbestos products in your home for signs of wear.
If an asbestos product is worn or has become damaged, call an abatement specialist.
Never attempt to remove asbestos without help from a licensed professional.
Damaged or friable asbestos products should be encapsulated or removed from the home immediately. A licensed abatement company should perform the job. It’s the best way to protect you and your family from asbestos exposure.
Regulations on Asbestos in Schools and Public Buildings
Asbestos-containing materials, which are extensively used in home construction, were also used to build schools and other public buildings where people work, learn and visit daily. Government organizations such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have regulations for protecting people from asbestos exposure in these buildings.
The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants set strict rules for ensuring renovations and demolitions don’t put people at risk of asbestos exposure. The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act requires every school to inspect for asbestos-containing materials and prepare an asbestos management plan. Schools must keep the plan on site and update it with each inspection.
Many of America’s students, teachers and school staff are in danger of asbestos exposure because the deadly carcinogen lurks behind walls, above ceilings…
People with a history of asbestos exposure should monitor their respiratory and digestive health. Mesothelioma can develop 20 to 60 years after the initial asbestos exposure. Regular check-ups can lead to early detection, which may significantly improve your prognosis.
A well-rounded, nutritious diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains can lower your risk for cancer. Eat foods rich in antioxidants to help your body repair itself and fend off disease.
Keep track of changes to your health since your asbestos exposure. Note any new respiratory symptoms or new pains in your chest or abdomen. If new symptoms arise, journal the changes and share them with your doctor.
It’s essential to report any unusual symptoms to a healthcare provider immediately, as early intervention can increase treatment options. Additionally, being informed about new research and treatment options can empower patients and their families to make well-informed healthcare decisions.
This cancer is extremely rare, so not a lot of doctors have ever seen it in their entire time of practicing medicine. By going to somebody who specializes in it, they actually have a clinical interest in the disease itself. So they properly know how to treat it, and they can come up with different plans of treatment using a multidisciplinary approach.
Talk to Your Doctor About Regular Medical Tests
People exposed to asbestos long ago can undergo screening tests. These typically involve diagnostic imaging tests such as X-rays or pulmonary function tests, which measure how well your lungs work.
If you have a history of asbestos exposure, be sure to tell your doctor and ask how frequently you should get tested for signs of disease. If mesothelioma symptoms arise, especially chest pain, shortness of breath or a persistent cough, see a doctor immediately.
When doctors diagnose mesothelioma in its early stages of development, more treatment options are available. This can extend survival and improve quality of life.
Chemoprevention Research
Chemoprevention researchers are investigating ways to prevent the development of mesothelioma among asbestos-exposed workers. Chemoprevention uses natural substances or drugs to prevent disease. Much of this early laboratory research is still in the early stages.
For example, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are investigating flaxseed lignans as chemopreventative agents. According to a 2018 study published in Antioxidants, a synthetic version of a flaxseed lignan protects cells against asbestos-induced damage.
The difference about working in a cancer center is that every day you walk into a building and you’re surrounded by other physicians whose goal and whose focus is the prevention and treatment of cancer.
The researchers are also investigating new biomarkers. They may help identify asbestos-exposed workers who may be at risk of developing mesothelioma or lung cancer. The goal is to identify the people most at risk and use chemopreventative agents to prevent asbestos damage.
A 2021 research report concluded future genetic and genomic studies will further improve our knowledge of the genetic background of mesothelioma. This could allow scientists to develop better strategies for the prevention and treatment of this malignancy.
Smoking Cessation Programs
Smoking doesn’t cause mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer and there is no evidence smoking increases a person’s risk of developing mesothelioma. However, you may reduce your chances of developing asbestos-related lung cancer when you quit smoking.
Studies show smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer, and it can worsen the symptoms of asbestosis. If you have a history of asbestos exposure, find a smoking cessation program and stop smoking immediately.
The sources on all content featured in The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com include medical and scientific studies, peer-reviewed studies and other research documents from reputable organizations.
Pietrofesa, R.A. et al. (2018, March). Synthetic Lignan Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside (LGM2605) Reduces Asbestos-Induced Cytotoxicity in an Nrf2-Dependent and -Independent Manner. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5874524/
Dodson, R. and Hammar, S. Asbestos: Risk Assessment, Epidemiology, and Health Effects. Taylor & Francis: Boca Raton. 2006.
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Selby, K. (2024, October 8). Mesothelioma Prevention. Asbestos.com. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/prevention/
MLA
Selby, Karen. "Mesothelioma Prevention." Asbestos.com, 8 Oct 2024, https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/prevention/.
Chicago
Selby, Karen. "Mesothelioma Prevention." Asbestos.com. Last modified October 8, 2024. https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma/prevention/.
A medical doctor who specializes in mesothelioma or cancer treatment reviewed the content on this page to ensure it meets current medical standards and accuracy.
Please read our editorial guidelines to learn more about our content creation and review process.
Dr. Raja Flores is chairman of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital and a professor of surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York City. He is a world leader in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma.
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