It’s easy to understand the concept of second-hand exposure when it comes to smoking tobacco or other substances. But what about asbestos? What exactly is second-hand exposure to asbestos, and can it be dangerous enough to threaten the development of deadly diseases like mesothelioma? Here’s what you need to know about secondary asbestos exposure, and why it’s too dangerous to ignore.

Defining Secondary Asbestos Exposure

Whether we call it occupational exposición, o environmental exposición, we understand that these terms refer to people who come into direct, primary contact with asbestos. This happens when people are exposed to asbestos because of work-related tasks they are engaged in on a frequent basis, or simply because of the presence of asbestos in the soil or air around them. Even if someone does not know that they are exposed to asbestos in either of these cases, they are both distinct from secondary asbestos exposure.

“The overall evidence suggests there is no safe level of asbestos exposure.”

Fuente: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH)¹

We can define second-hand asbestos exposure as the kind of asbestos exposure that takes place when those who do not work directly with asbestos are exposed to fibers, often because they share a workplace or home dwelling with someone who does. Here are some ways we can further explain these scenarios:

Para-Occupational Exposure

Health researchers will sometimes refer to second-hand asbestos exposure as para-occupational exposure, using it as a general term to define all types of secondary exposure. But this term can also be used to explain more specific scenarios in the work environment.

Even though certain workplaces may have asbestos present in the facility, this does not mean that everyone will be directly exposed to those locations. However, those who do work directly with asbestos can contaminate their clothing, tools, and other items, resulting in the spread of asbestos fibers to other people and in different locations. This scenario quickly escalates direct exposure to asbestos into a very dangerous secondary exposure risk.

Las personas que trabajaron en estas industrias antes de mediados de la década de 1980 tienen un mayor riesgo de desarrollar enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto:

Construcción	Fábricas	Fundiciones	Refinerías	Astilleros	Minería / Molienda
Demolición	Aislamiento	Trabajadores del acero	Instalación de tuberías	Construcción naval	Mecánicos
Techumbre	Textiles	Trabajadores del hierro	Calderas	Extinción de incendios	Reparación de frenos
Piso	Cemento	Electricistas	Reparación de juntas	Ferrocarril	Climatización

Desafortunadamente también lo hacen sus familias.

Domestic Asbestos Exposure

Exposición doméstica al asbesto is closely connected to the scenarios included in the umbrella term of para-occupational exposure, and sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. However, domestic exposure is more specifically the household asbestos exposure risks.

For example, when the tiny asbestos fibers attach to work clothing, tools, vehicle interiors, and even lunch boxes, those fibers are taken into the home. These fibers can be spread throughout the entire house, making the worker’s spouse and children at risk of being exposed to asbestos. This is also known as take-home exposure risk.

“[S]ome [asbestos] fibers may bypass…your body’s natural defenses…and lodge deep within your lungs. Those fibers can remain in place for a very long time and may never be removed.”

Fuente: Asociación Americana del Pulmón

Is Secondary Asbestos Exposure Really That Dangerous?

Unfortunately, the risks associated with second-hand asbestos exposure is not a simple matter of quantity. While it is true that the risk factors are higher for people who have a history of long-term exposure to asbestos, this does not downplay the risk of second-hand exposure.

Whether we are considering the take-home exposure risks of asbestos for family members, the exposure risk of other coworkers, or the direct risk for someone who deals with asbestos on a daily basis, research shows that it only takes one instance of exposure to asbestos to be at risk to the dangerous and even life-threatening effects of this mineral. In fact, there is no hay nivel seguro de la exposición al asbesto.

“Por lo general, quienes desarrollan enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto no muestran signos de enfermedad durante mucho tiempo después de la exposición”.

Fuente: Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH)²

Second-Hand Exposure Still Causes Mesothelioma

Unfortunately, uno de cada cinco people with an asbestos-related illness never had a job working with asbestos. Instead, they lived with someone else who did. In fact, it is indisputable, based on the available data, that second-hand exposure can be, and often is, linked to mesotelioma.

To put this fact into perspective- that even people who never worked around asbestos have developed mesothelioma – is sobering to say the least. It is easy to assume that the risk of asbestos is a localized issue. But once it is discovered that asbestos can travel from a worksite to the home, it’s much easier to see how the dangers apply equally to anyone who finds themselves in regular contact with work items (clothing, boots, tools) or the places they’re located (laundry room, garage, or family vehicle).

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What Mesothelioma Means

What matters when it comes to the dangers of mesothelioma, as well as any disease related to asbestos exposure, is not how someone was exposed to asbestos, but whether they have been exposed. Regardless of their origin, asbestos fibers do enormous damage over time, once they’re in the body.

Unfortunately, asbestos diseases have a latency of 20-50 years, meaning that the damage being done over time will often go unnoticed until significant lung scarring and other health problems related to asbestos exposure have taken place. In the case of mesothelioma, this cancer affects the mesothelium, which is a thin tissue that forms a protective layer around the body’s organs. Almost all instances of mesothelioma are due to exposición al asbesto. Many people never find out about their exposure to asbestos until it’s too late.

¿El Mesotelioma es Contagioso?

Maybe you are wondering if asbestos is something that can be threatening to people with various types of exposure, what about mesotelioma? This is a fair question to ask, but the simple answer is no. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is not transferred to other people from close contact. However, it is important to consider how a friend or loved one developed mesothelioma. While you cannot get mesothelioma from them, you should consider whether their exposure to asbestos happened due to an environment that you have also been exposed to.

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Mesothelioma and Legal Help

Asbestos can cause life-threatening illnesses, even after minimal exposure, and mesothelioma is one of the more notorious examples. Learning that you have developed mesothelioma can be a stressful example, but it doesn’t have to be. Having an asbestos attorney can take away the stress and help you determine whether you qualify for an asbestos claim.

Asbestos attorneys get paid only once clients cash their compensation checks. This means that there are no upfront out-of-pocket costs when hiring an asbestos attorney. What’s more, there are many instances when compensation can be received without having to file a lawsuit, thanks to asbestos bankruptcy claims, If you have been exposed to asbestos or have developed mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness, reach out to AsbestosClaims.Law right away.

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Para Justinian C. Lane, obtener una indemnización por las víctimas del asbesto es algo personal.

Los abuelos de Justiniano y su padre trabajaron con asbesto en su juventud y murieron de cánceres relacionados con el asbesto en sus últimos años.

En el momento de cada una de sus muertes, nadie en la familia de Justiniano sabía que eran elegibles para presentar una demanda por asbesto y buscar una compensación de los fideicomisos de asbesto.

Debido a que nadie en la familia de Justiniano conocía sus opciones, nunca recibieron compensación alguna por la muerte de sus seres queridos.

Si cree que su lesión o la de su familiar estuvo relacionada con la exposición al asbesto, podría tener derecho a una compensación significativa.

Este es dinero que podría usar para cubrir los costos de los servicios de remoción de asbesto, pagar el tratamiento médico y proteger de manera preventiva su bienestar físico.

También hay fideicomisos de asbesto que ofrecen compensación mucho más rápida y fácilmente (sin presentar una demanda).

Si desea ayuda para presentar un reclamo, ponerse en contacto por correo electrónico a [email protected] o llámenos o envíenos un mensaje de texto al (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) o (206) 455-9190. Escucharemos su historia y le explicaremos sus opciones. Y nunca cobramos por nada a menos que reciba dinero en su bolsillo.

Además de demandas legales, discapacidad de veteranos, seguridad social y protección del empleo como compensación de trabajadores, FELA y La ley de Jones para los trabajadores marítimos, hay fideicomisos de asbesto que se han establecido para indemnizar a los perjudicados por el asbesto sin tener que presentar una demanda.

No hay riesgo ni costo para hablar con uno de nuestro personal sobre su litigio de asbesto. No hay cargos a menos que reciba dinero.

Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes adicionales relacionadas con el asbesto, visite nuestro sitio web y página de YouTube para ver videos, infografías y respuestas a sus preguntas sobre el asbesto, incluida la salud y la seguridad, prueba de asbesto, la eliminación del asbesto de su hogar y edificio, y información legal sobre la compensación por lesiones de asbesto.

Presentamos la base de datos de información sobre asbesto más grande del planeta.

W.A.R.D., que significa Worldwide Asbestos Research Database, ayuda a los clientes a reducir cuándo y dónde pueden haber estado expuestos, así como qué productos aún pueden contener asbesto.WARD también ayudará a indicar los tipos de compensación ya cuánto puede tener derecho una persona.

1 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH) Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.
2 Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NIH), Hoja informativa sobre asbesto.