Asbestos in Heating Ducts
Concerned that exposure to asbestos in heating ducts could lead to asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma? Learn more below.
Asbestos was the perfect material for most insulation applications. Inexpensive, abundant, flame retardant and effective for thermal insulation, asbestos found its way into countless safety products for much of the last century until it was definitively linked to a wide range of serious illnesses, including mesothelioma.
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Most offices, commercial buildings, and large institutions such as schools use heating units with heating ducts to regulate the temperature of spaces where many people work and play. Heating ducts are narrow, pipe-like corridors that provide hot, cool or filtered air to and from the rooms in these buildings. The materials in heating ducts have to efficient enough to regulate the temperature effectively. And for most of the 20th century, the obvious material choice was asbestos.
Asbestos in heating ducts is generally dangerous only when disturbed or removed. But once it becomes damaged or worn, the asbestos fibers can easily become airborne and move quickly throughout a building’s HVAC system. Inhaling asbestos can lead to numerous asbestos related diseases, including asbestosis, pleural plaques, and even mesothelioma cancer, a rare but deadly disease that is only caused by asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. It generally attacks the lungs, stomach, and in rare cases, the heart. The symptoms of mesothelioma vary widely; the only way to know for sure if someone has mesothelioma is by a biopsy combined with a full work history. What investigators are looking for in work history is an exposure to asbestos.
If you believe you may have been exposed to asbestos, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may want to consider calling an attorney to discuss your legal options. A qualified mesothelioma attorney can help you get the compensation that you and your family need and deserve. Mesothelioma attorneys have helped thousands of mesothelioma patients win compensation for lost wages and medical costs.