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Can A Person Get Mesothelioma From Working With Fiberglass?

Writer Ethan Hayes

It’s common for people to wonder if a person can get mesothelioma from working with fiberglass. Some people seem to think that it does happen. However, this has to be backed with science and evidence to be able to make that determination. In this article, I will discuss whether or not a person can get mesothelioma from fiberglass. It certainly is an interesting topic.

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Can You Get Mesothelioma From Fiberglass?

To dive deeper into this, we have to figure out what fiberglass is. Fiberglass goes by other names such as glass-reinforced plastic, wool, and fibrous glass. In fact, fiberglass has been around since as far back as the 1930s. It is strong and is used in cars, pools, aircrafts, ships, buildings, and more. Fiberglass is everywhere.

In the 1950s, there was a shift from asbestos to fiberglass due to the effect that it has on people’s health.  A lot of studies and tests have been done on asbestos, however, not so much with fiberglass. It is understood that there are risks to one health because of fiberglass, however, they aren’t as bad as what we know about asbestos.

It is believed that fiberglass can cause mesothelioma and other cancers. However, there aren’t any concrete tests or studies that definitively proves that it does. Currently, it is not believed by researchers that fiberglass causes mesothelioma or cancer in general. In fact, 2012, cancer warnings were removed from fiberglass products by the North American Insulation Association.

Health Risks of Fiberglass

Even though fiberglass isn’t known to cause cancer, there are still risks that are associated with it. Safety measures still have to bee taken when using and making contact fiberglass. The tests that were done showed that fiberglass does not cause mesothelioma in humans. However, there were tests that were done in a lab that shows that fiberglass can cause cancer in animals.

Conclusions

You can’t get mesothelioma from working with fiberglass; it’s not the same as asbestos. However, you still have to be careful and take safety cautions and measuring when using fiberglass. The construction industry has greatly benefited from fiberglass. Things have certain changed. There are risks but it’s not as dangerous as asbestos.