Why Restoration Professionals Are at Risk of Asbestos Exposure

Insights from Dr. Catherine Perrault, Chief Medical Officer with The Mesothelioma Center’s Medical Outreach Program and a Board-Certified Family Physician.

Twentieth-century buildings that restoration workers spend much of their careers in were constructed with asbestos products from the floors to the roofs. Much of that legacy asbestos remains in products like floor tiles, insulation, popcorn ceilings and roofing tiles. The risk of asbestos exposure isn't historical. It's ongoing and specific to the cutting, drilling, scraping and demolishing work you do that can release asbestos fibers into the air.

Asbestos fibers are microscopic and can't be distinguished from ordinary dust. When inhaled, they lodge in tissues in the body, causing scarring and inflammation that over time can change healthy cells to become cancerous.

Diseases that asbestos causes, like mesothelioma, can take 20 to 60 years to develop after the initial exposure, which means workers who were exposed decades ago may only now be facing a diagnosis. If you've spent years working in older buildings, share that history with your doctor and ask whether screening makes sense for you. Restoration professionals who are still in the field can take concrete steps to reduce their exposure on every job.

Asbestos exposure isn't a risk limited to older buildings. Salvaged and reclaimed materials, as well as some imported building products, can introduce asbestos into newer structures too.

Millions of Older Buildings Still Contain Asbestos

Nearly half of owner-occupied homes in the U.S. were built before 1980, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Asbestos was valued for its resistance to heat, fire and corrosion, which is why manufacturers worked it into so many different building products. Restoration professionals may encounter it across multiple systems in a single structure.

Common Legacy Asbestos Products

Caulk and window glazing
Cement board siding
Duct connectors and electrical components
Fireproofing materials
Flooring adhesive and vinyl floor tiles
Joint compound and drywall
Pipe, attic and wall insulation
Popcorn ceilings and acoustic ceiling tiles
Roofing felt and shingles

Asbestos dust doesn't stay where it's disturbed. It moves through air systems and settles on surfaces throughout a work area, which means people on the jobsite who aren't directly handling a material can still be exposed to asbestos. Any pre-1980 structure should be professionally tested before restoration work begins.

Asbestos Risks in Newer Buildings

Renovation projects that incorporate salvaged, vintage or reclaimed materials can introduce asbestos into otherwise newer structures. Vintage floor tiles, wallpaper, decorative brick panels and fireplace components are all popular in restoration and renovation work and can contain asbestos. These materials are often sold through architectural salvage dealers without any testing or disclosure about their composition.

While the U.S. largely phased out asbestos in building materials decades ago, imported products have been found to contain it. According to federal trade records, roofing materials containing asbestos were shipped to building supply warehouses across the country as recently as 2014. These materials used in newer structures mean the risk isn't limited to historic buildings.

The overall asbestos risk in newer buildings is lower than in structures built before 1980. However, U.S. law only requires disclosure for materials containing greater than 1% asbestos. Products with trace amounts can be legally produced or imported without any requirement to disclose it. Any salvaged, reclaimed or imported materials should be professionally tested before installation.

Serious Diseases Asbestos Can Cause

Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer. It also causes laryngeal, lung and ovarian cancer, as well as chronic conditions like asbestosis.

List: Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestosis: Scarred lung tissue from asbestos fibers makes breathing increasingly difficult and can lead to disability.
Effusions: Asbestos causes fluid buildup in the linings around organs, including pleural, peritoneal and pericardial effusions, ranging from benign conditions to malignant effusions.
Laryngeal cancer: Research finds people exposed to asbestos are 3.68 times as likely to develop laryngeal cancer, which forms in the voice box.
Lung cancer: Asbestos fibers can alter specific genes in the body, leading to both small cell and non-small cell lung cancer over the course of 15 to 35 years.
Mesothelioma: Mesothelioma develops on the membranes lining the lungs, stomach, heart or testes can spread rapidly to surrounding tissue.
Ovarian cancer: The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies asbestos as a known cause of ovarian cancer, and researchers have documented asbestos fiber accumulation in ovarian tissue across multiple studies.
Pleural plaques: Pleural plaques are hardened calcium deposits that form on the lining of the lungs after asbestos exposure and can make breathing painful when they thicken.

Symptoms of asbestos-related disease can be easy to miss at first. Shortness of breath, a persistent cough, chest tightness and unexplained weight loss are all warning signs that overlap with other conditions, unfortunately making misdiagnosis common, which can delay treatment. If you've worked in restoration for years and experience symptoms like these, speak with your doctor and mention your work history.

Protecting Yourself on the Job

Restoration professionals can take real steps to protect themselves from the risk of legacy asbestos. Wearing proper respiratory protection, changing out of work clothes and showering before leaving the jobsite make a real difference. The responsibility for safe working conditions, though, sits with employers.

Before any restoration project begins in a structure built before 1980, employers should require professional asbestos testing and arrange for a qualified abatement contractor to safely remove any confirmed asbestos-containing materials. Employers are also obligated to provide personal protective equipment and conduct proper training. Workers who notice safety violations should report them to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Restoration professionals who understand this risk are also in a position to help address it. Not only can taking precautions protect them, it can protect their families from the risk of secondary exposure when fibers are accidentally brought home. Talking openly with colleagues and the wider restoration community about asbestos risks and exposure prevention can make a difference well beyond any single jobsite.