Inhaling asbestos fibers from contaminated vermiculite can lead to which serious diseases?
Answer
Asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
The inhalation of asbestos fibers, regardless of whether they originated from insulation or soil amendments, introduces a severe long-term health risk because these fibers are physically capable of lodging deep within the lung tissue. Over time, this exposure can initiate the development of severe, often fatal, respiratory and cancerous conditions. These conditions include asbestosis, which is a chronic lung disease caused by scarring; lung cancer; and mesothelioma, which is a rare and aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. The onset of these diseases is often delayed by many years following the initial exposure event.
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