What are the health hazards associated with asbestos exposure?
A. Asbestos exposure is responsible for a number of diseases that range from being debilitating to incurably fatal. Some of the more common asbestos-related diseases include: • Malignant mesothelioma • Asbestos lung cancer • Asbestosis • Diffuse pleural thickening • Fibrosis • Asbestos warts Malignant mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer are the only two asbestos-related diseases that are directly fatal. Asbestosis is a type of inflammatory lung disease that can cause a decrease in total lung capacity and lead to heart failure; however, the disease itself is not a direct cause of death.
