How does asbestos cause health hazards?
The harmful asbestos fibers are much too small to be seen by the naked eye. An average human hair is approximately 1200 times thicker than most asbestos fibers. Asbestos has been identified as a cancer-causing material (carcinogen) and most uses have been banned in the United States. Asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer have all been attributed to occupational exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of these diseases generally do not appear for approximately 10-40 years. There is no known safe level of asbestos exposure.
