Is One-Time Exposure to Asbestos Cancer-Causing?
Most people would have learned about the dangers of asbestos at different times of their life. You might have been quite young when your parents mentioned it, or it might have been something you learned while undertaking home renovations as an adult.
If you only learned about this natural mineral’s dangers later in life, you may be wondering if you’ve ever accidentally been exposed to it before. If so, is one-time exposure to asbestos cancer-causing, or does it take more than one?
Let us dive deep into this topic so that you can understand how asbestos exposure works and what the risks of it can be.
Are all types and forms of asbestos dangerous?
If you’re concerned about having been exposed to asbestos, you may wonder if some types are more dangerous than others. Maybe there are some you can be exposed to that aren’t risky?
The EPA has actually given up on projects aimed at working out which asbestos fibres are the most toxic, mainly because they are all now classified as cancer-causing substances. All asbestos types have the potential to cause harm during an exposure event – and, yes, even once.
However, some can put you at higher risk of cancer than others. Amosite asbestos, or brown asbestos as it is also called, is the second most commonly used asbestos in the world.
It has been used in cement sheets, fire protection, insulation, roofing products, gaskets, vinyl tiles, and more. The American Cancer Society states that it creates a higher risk of cancer than common chrysotile asbestos, which is used in brake pads, roofing, drywall, vinyl tiles, insulation, gaskets, and other products.
Even if some asbestos types are more dangerous than others, that doesn’t make those less dangerous varieties any safer to be exposed to.
How does asbestos cause cancer?
It can be hard to understand how ripping up your kitchen vinyl or removing old insulation can put you at risk of cancer, but it’s actually quite straightforward. Asbestos-related cancers are quite often caused by swallowing or inhaling microscopic asbestos fibres.
Over time, these become stuck within sensitive tissue, and your body can’t remove them or break them down. As the years pass, the fibres cause inflammation and irritation, leading to damaged DNA and cells. These genetic changes can sometimes create abnormal cell growth and cancer.
Does one-time asbestos exposure cause cancer?
Who gets cancer and who doesn’t get cancer can be a game of chance. While most people may not develop asbestos-related cancer from a single exposure event, some people will.
You can compare this situation to a smoker. A 40-a-day smoker may live a long and healthy life. In contrast, a social smoker who has a packet a month may develop lung cancer.
However, it’s fair to assume that, in general, long-term exposure to anything can put you at an increased risk of a related illness. One-time exposure may come with low risk, but not no risk. As asbestos-related diseases can take decades to present themselves, it’s not a risk you should be willing to take.
How to manage the exposure risk
You can’t change your potential exposure risks of the past, but you can change them in the future. If you know you are going to be in an area with either friable or non-friable asbestos, take all necessary precautions to protect yourself and those around you. We’ve included some information on how you can do this below.
Know your legal requirements
If you are undertaking renovations with friable asbestos, contact a licensed asbestos removalist. Only WorkSafe New Zealand licensed asbestos removalists are able to undertake this job. You may remove non-friable asbestos if it is in an area 10m2 or smaller.
There are plenty of helpful resources on the internet that offer insight into what you can and can’t do in your home or business.
Wear PPE
To prevent having that ‘one-time exposure’ event, personal protective gear can be paramount. Respiratory masks, coveralls, and boot covers can all be necessary purchases during your asbestos removal project.
However, careful containment measures of this PPE and your entire home are also crucial for managing your exposure risk. The more homework you do, the safer you may be.
Hire the experts
The Ministry of Health’s ‘Removing Asbestos From Your Home’ guide is 11 pages long. That’s 11 pages of instructions for making sure you don’t put yourself and your family at risk of illness. If you have never managed asbestos before, that’s a lot of information to remember in a short space of time. And a lot of pressure on your shoulders.
As a result, you may see the value in hiring licensed asbestos removal experts to take care of the job instead. They are trained in how to keep them, you, and your neighbours safe, while getting rid of asbestos from your property as quickly as possible.