Asbestos Risk Assessment

Researchers are still discovering new sources of asbestos risk--sometimes in surprising places. A recent report from a panel of Mesothelioma experts in Italy shows that a man who upholstered furniture for a living--and who was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma--was found to have an unusually high number of asbestos fibers in his lung. This is an unusual instance of connecting the activities of the upholstering profession to possible asbestos risk. In the U.S. many upholstery cleaning companies also offer air duct cleaning and asbestos abatement services--either of which could cause significant exposure.

Exposure to asbestos fibers can occur if someone who's worked doing these types of work comes into the home and bits of asbestos remaining on their clothes or hair fall onto carpets or upholstery. Homeowners of older homes, especially if remodeling or other tearing down or out is going on, may put themselves, their family members, and their neighbors at risk. Anyone can easily be breathing in these deadly fibers without even being aware of it.

While you can view images of asbestos types, it's important to realize that you can't know what asbestos looks like in a particular product. The best and only way to be sure is to have a professional asbestos risk assessment done in your home or workplace.

Visit www.mesothelioma-advice.org for more information on asbestos exposure, potential medical consequences, and how to get help with mesothelioma legal advice if you've been diagnosed.