Asbestos fibres
Asbestosis is caused by asbestos fibres. Usually, when you breathe in a foreign body, such as a particle of dust, or metal, small cells, known as macrophages, will break down these particles before they reach your lungs.
However, asbestos fibres are too tough for the macrophages to break down. In an attempt to break down the asbestos fibres, the macrophages release substances that are designed to destroy the fibres. These substances damage the tiny air sacs in your lungs which are known as alveoli.
Alveoli
When you breathe in, the alveoli help transfer oxygen from your lungs into your blood. Also, when you breathe out, the alveoli help to transfer carbon dioxide out of your blood, through your lungs, and out of your mouth.
If you have experienced a prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres lasting for many years, the damage to the alveoli becomes more severe and causes scarring. This scarring is known as fibrosis.
Once the alveoli become scarred, their ability to inhale oxygen, and exhale carbon dioxide, becomes adversely affected, resulting in the symptoms of breathlessness.
Occupational risk factors for asbestosis
The use of asbestos significantly increased after World War Two, peaked during the 1970s and then slowly declined during the 1980s and 1990s. If, during this time, you worked in an industry, or occupation, that used asbestos, you may have been exposed to it.
Occupations that are known to be associated with exposure to asbestos during these times include:
- insulation workers,
- boilermakers,
- plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters,
- shipbuilders,
- sheet metal workers,
- plasters,
- chemical technicians, and
- heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics.
Industries that are known to have used asbestos during these times include:
- construction,
- shipbuilding and repair,
- chemical manufacturing,
- non-metallic mineral stone production,
- railways,
- yarn, thread, and fabric mills,
- rubber and plastic production, and
- trucking services.
