Information about asbestos effects on health is mostly gathered from the studies conducted on people who worked in and lived in environments containing high levels of asbestos. Asbestos effects on health are observed in people who were previously exposed to asbestos fibers that are equal to or greater than 5 µm in length in the air surrounding the workplace containing about 5 million fibers/m3 or 5 fibers/mL. People who repeatedly inhale asbestos fibers that are equal to or greater than 5 µm are more likely to develop scars on the tissues in the lungs and in the outer skin membrane surrounding the lungs. These scared tissues are unable to expand and contract as normal lung tissues do making breathing difficult. This may also reduce the flow of blood to the lung causing the heart to expand. This asbestos effect on health is called asbestosis. Symptoms of asbestosis include breathlessness and coughing. This is a difficult condition and can later cause disability and even death in people exposed to high levels of asbestos over a longer period of time. However, asbestosis is not generally of worry to people exposed to low amounts of asbestos. Scaring on the tissues or skin that surrounds the lung, referred as pleural plaques, are quite general in people exposed to asbestos because of their occupation and is some of the times observed in people residing in areas with higher levels of asbestos.

                Cancer of the lungs and mesothelioma are two of the most dangerous and deadly asbestos effects on health. These diseases don’t occur instantly because of the asbestos exposure but take many years to develop. Studies performed on workers that breathe in air with high concentration of asbestos fibers shows the increase in chances of developing cancer in other parts of the body too like stomach, kidneys, intestines and pancreas. Also people exposed to asbestos may have more chances of developing cancer than others, but the risks are generally less and studies made are not certain. Lung cancer caused by asbestos effects on health could be fatal, while mesothelioma is found to be, nearly all the time, fatal, often inside the couple of months of identification.
                 Harmful asbestos effects on health depend upon various factors. But the two most important factors are the duration of the actual exposure and how long it’s been since it began. The other factor that could trigger the hazardous asbestos effects on health is smoking. Chances of developing lung cancer have been found to increase in people who smoke cigarettes and were exposed to asbestos previously.
               The asbestos effects on health by swallowing or consuming foods containing asbestos fibers are not clear. However, study of cases about people suffering from cancer of stomach, intestines and esophagus who drank water that contained asbestos fibers have shown a slight increase than normal. Although different studies and researches performed could not conclusively prove that the diseases were caused only by asbestos fibers. Asbestos effects on the health of the animals that were exposed to very high doses of asbestos in their foods didn’t develop deadly cancer than normal.
                Evidence collected from various studies on carcinogenic asbestos effects on health has been taken into consideration by many governments and regulatory authorities. DHHS (Department of Health and Human), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and IARC (International Agency for Research) have all recognized the carcinogenic asbestos effects on health.
               Asbestos effects on health may lead to life threatening diseases. And if you have been exposed to high levels of asbestos fibers in past, you should consider getting your toxicological profile done.