B1ack_Iron t1_ixxzdne wrote on November 27, 2022 at 6:34 AM

Reply to comment by AnnieTheDog in How to best cover fiber cement dangling tiny fibers (carcinogenic)? by UsefulBeginning

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/malignant-mesothelioma/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html

Most people exposed to asbestos even in large amounts do not get meso. It’s loosely tied to the length and amount of exposure. BAP1 can make you more likely to develop so we do BAP1 testing to rule out genetic causes. I worked as a paralegal in meso law for about 10 years. Even in places with heavy exposure like asbestos mines and places with NOA (naturally occurring) meso rates are just not that high.

Yes the fibers are dangerous and permanent but it’s not like a few fibers are going to increase your risk above a reasonable threshold. Same as a few cigarettes aren’t going to have a measurable effect on your risk of lung cancer.

AnnieTheDog t1_ixzijhz wrote on November 27, 2022 at 4:46 PM

Studies have tied acute exposure to deleterious effects, asbestos just takes 10-40 years to kill you. That means it used to not really matter if you were 30+ because by that point you were going to die from smoking, drinking, and a 1950's American diet. People live longer now.

It is not like smoking because inhalation of tobacco smoke constituents have removal pathways. Carcinogenic asbestos fibers stay in your lungs and cultivate cancer for 10-40 years until they kill you.