Mesothelioma Risk by Occupation: Jobs With Asbestos Exposure

Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 25 Mar 2009 - Updated: 3 Oct 2026
Publication Type: Informative

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This information reviews the occupations most closely tied to mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissue lining the chest and abdomen that is caused mainly by asbestos, drawing on federal sources that include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Veterans Affairs. With 2,669 new cases reported in the United States in 2022, it sets out which trades carried the heaviest exposure, why illness can surface long after a job has ended, and how fibers reached people who never handled asbestos themselves. It is useful for retired tradespeople, veterans, seniors, people with disabilities and family caregivers who need to give doctors a complete work and household exposure history, and for anyone looking into veteran or World Trade Center health programs.

At a Glance

• 1 - Mesothelioma usually appears 20 to 40 years after first asbestos exposure, and delays as long as 71 years have been recorded.
• 2 - Insulation workers had the highest occupational ratio in CDC death data, with mesothelioma deaths 26.9 times the expected share.
• 3 - A U.S. case-control study attributed 88 percent of pleural mesothelioma in men to asbestos exposure, compared with 23 percent of cases in women.
• 4 - Homemakers made up 22.8 percent of women who died of mesothelioma in 2020 and had work history recorded. Fibers carried home on work clothing are a recognized route of exposure for family members.

Topic Definition

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer that develops in the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue covering organs in the chest and abdomen. It most often arises in the pleura around the lungs and less often in the peritoneum lining the abdomen, with rare cases in the tissue around the heart or testicles. Exposure to asbestos fibers, usually decades before diagnosis, is the major known risk factor.

Overview

Mesothelioma (mez-uh-thee-lee-O-muh) is a cancer that forms in the mesothelium, the thin layer of tissue that covers organs in the chest and abdomen. It most often starts in the pleura, the lining around the lungs, and less often in the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen. Tumors in the tissue around the heart or testicles are rare [National Cancer Institute, 2025d].

The disease is uncommon, with 2,669 new cases reported in the United States in 2022, and 81.0 percent of cases recorded from 2003 through 2022 began in the pleura [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025]. Median survival is about one year from diagnosis [Mazurek et al., 2017].

Causes of Mesothelioma

Asbestos exposure is the major risk factor. Most people with mesothelioma have worked or lived in places where they inhaled or swallowed asbestos [National Cancer Institute, 2025a]. Asbestos is the name given to six naturally occurring minerals whose fibers can be separated into thin, durable threads. Because the fibers resist heat and chemicals and do not conduct electricity, they were used widely in insulation and building materials. Disturbing these products releases tiny fibers that, once breathed in, can stay trapped in the lungs for a long time [National Cancer Institute, 2021].

The connection has been documented for more than 60 years. In 1960, researchers in South Africa described 33 cases of pleural mesothelioma in which all but one patient had probable exposure to crocidolite asbestos [Wagner et al., 1960]. In the United States, federal regulation of asbestos use began in the mid-1970s [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d.].

Latency, Symptoms and Treatment

Mesothelioma develops slowly. It usually appears 20 to 40 years after a person was first exposed, and delays as long as 71 years have been recorded [Mazurek et al., 2017]. Many people are retired, and their exposure long forgotten, by the time they become ill.

Symptoms can include trouble breathing, cough, pain under the rib cage, pain or swelling in the abdomen, weight loss for no known reason and fatigue [National Cancer Institute, 2025b]. These symptoms have many other causes, so it is important to tell a doctor about any past asbestos exposure, however long ago it happened.

Treatment may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy, depending on the stage of the cancer and the person's overall health [National Cancer Institute, 2025c]. In October 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved the immunotherapy drugs nivolumab and ipilimumab together as a first treatment for adults with pleural mesothelioma that cannot be removed by surgery [U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2020].

Occupations at Risk

Work has been the main route of exposure. A U.S. case-control study estimated that 88 percent of pleural mesothelioma cases in men could be attributed to asbestos exposure, compared with 23 percent of cases in women [Spirtas et al., 1994].

Annual U.S. deaths from mesothelioma rose from 2,479 in 1999 to 2,597 in 2015, even as the age-adjusted death rate fell. Where death certificates recorded work history, the share of deaths from mesothelioma was 26.9 times the expected level among insulation workers, 4.8 times among pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, and 3.5 times among sheet metal workers. By industry, the ratio was highest in ship and boat building, at 6.7 [Mazurek et al., 2017].

Occupations in which workers may have handled or worked near asbestos-containing materials, particularly before federal regulation, include:

• Asbestos Abatement Workers
• Auto Mechanics
• Blacksmiths
• Brake Mechanics
• Bulldozer Operators
• Carpenters
• Cement Finishers
• Construction Workers
• Demolition Workers
• Drywall Tapers
• Electricians
• Firefighters
• Foundry Workers
• Inspectors
• Insulators
• Janitors
• Mason Laborers
• Merchant Marine Seamen
• Millwrights
• Miners
• Navy Personnel
• Painters
• Pipefitters and Pipe Coverers
• Plasterers
• Plumbers
• Railroad Workers
• Refinery and Chemical Plant Workers
• Roofers
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Shipbuilders
• Veterans
• Welders

Veterans may have been exposed through shipyard work, insulation work, demolition of old buildings, and carpentry and construction. Those who believe a health problem is related to asbestos exposure during service may file a claim for disability compensation [U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d.].

The risk has not ended. Asbestos-containing materials remain in older buildings, so demolition, drywall removal, asbestos abatement, firefighting and automotive repair can still expose workers [National Cancer Institute, 2021]. Chrysotile is the only form of asbestos known to be imported, processed or distributed for use in the United States, and in March 2024 the Environmental Protection Agency issued a final rule that prohibits its remaining uses, with phase-out periods that vary by industry [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2024].

Short-Term and Environmental Exposure

Everyone is exposed to asbestos at some point in life, because low levels are present in the air, water and soil [National Cancer Institute, 2021]. Asbestos-related disease usually follows long or heavy exposure, but exposures lasting only a few days have caused mesothelioma [Occupational Safety and Health Administration, n.d.]. Hundreds of tons of asbestos were released at the World Trade Center site on September 11, 2001, and firefighters, police officers, paramedics, construction workers, volunteers and nearby residents may also be at risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses [National Cancer Institute, 2021]. Mesothelioma is on the list of cancers covered by the World Trade Center Health Program [World Trade Center Health Program, 2026].

Family and Non-Occupational Exposure

Men account for about three of every four cases - 75.4 percent of those reported from 2003 through 2022 [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025]. Even so, family members of heavily exposed workers face an increased risk, because fibers can be carried home on clothing and personal items [National Cancer Institute, 2021].

Among women who died of mesothelioma in 2020 and had work history recorded, 22.8 percent were homemakers. Earlier research cited in the same report found a 10-fold increase in mesothelioma risk among women whose husband or father worked in an asbestos-related industry [Mazurek et al., 2022].

For older adults and their caregivers, the practical step is to give doctors a full exposure history, including military service and the work done by a spouse or parent in the same household. Questions about compensation or benefits are best taken to a qualified professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a safe level of asbestos exposure?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration states that there is no safe level of exposure for any type of asbestos fiber. Federal workplace rules therefore require employers to monitor exposure, train workers, control work practices and provide protective equipment.

What is the legal limit for asbestos in the workplace?

The OSHA general industry standard sets a permissible exposure limit of 0.1 fiber per cubic centimeter of air, averaged over an eight-hour shift. A short-term excursion limit of 1.0 fiber per cubic centimeter, averaged over 30 minutes, also applies.

Does smoking make asbestos exposure more dangerous?

Yes, for lung cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, people who smoke and have also been exposed to asbestos face a lung cancer risk greater than the two individual risks added together.

What other cancers are linked to asbestos?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has concluded that asbestos causes cancers of the lung, larynx and ovary in addition to mesothelioma. It reports limited evidence linking asbestos to cancers of the stomach, pharynx and colorectum.

How is mesothelioma diagnosed?

Doctors usually start with imaging such as a chest x-ray or CT scan. A biopsy, in which cells or tissue are removed from the pleura or peritoneum and examined by a pathologist, is used to check for cancer.

Is asbestos in an older home dangerous?

Asbestos-containing materials that are left undisturbed generally pose little risk, because fibers are released mainly when the material is disturbed during maintenance, repair, remodeling or demolition. Anyone who suspects a problem can contact the state or local health department or an EPA regional office about testing and professional removal.

How much has asbestos use in the United States declined?

The decline has been steep. The National Cancer Institute reports that domestic consumption dropped from about 803,000 metric tons in 1973 to about 360 metric tons in 2015.

What noncancerous diseases does asbestos cause?

Asbestos can cause asbestosis, a scarring of lung tissue that leads to breathing problems, and pleural plaques, which are areas of scarring around the lungs and rib cage. The Department of Veterans Affairs lists both, along with lung cancer and mesothelioma, as health problems associated with asbestos exposure.

References:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Incidence of malignant mesothelioma. U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Briefs.
• Mazurek, J. M., Blackley, D. J., and Weissman, D. N. (2022). Malignant mesothelioma mortality in women - United States, 1999 - 2020. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 71(19), 645 - 649.
• Mazurek, J. M., Syamlal, G., Wood, J. M., Hendricks, S. A., and Weston, A. (2017). Malignant mesothelioma mortality - United States, 1999 - 2015. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 66(8), 214 - 218.
• National Cancer Institute. (2021). Asbestos exposure and cancer risk fact sheet.
• National Cancer Institute. (2025a). Mesothelioma causes and risk factors.
• National Cancer Institute. (2025b). Mesothelioma symptoms.
• National Cancer Institute. (2025c). Mesothelioma treatment.
• National Cancer Institute. (2025d). What is mesothelioma?
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (n.d.). Asbestos. U.S. Department of Labor.
• Spirtas, R., Heineman, E. F., Bernstein, L., Beebe, G. W., Keehn, R. J., Stark, A., Harlow, B. L., and Benichou, J. (1994). Malignant mesothelioma: Attributable risk of asbestos exposure. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 51(12), 804 - 811.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (n.d.). Asbestos exposure. Public Health.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2024). Asbestos part 1; chrysotile asbestos; regulation of certain conditions of use under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Federal Register, 89(61), 21970 - 22010.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2020). FDA approves nivolumab and ipilimumab for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
• Wagner, J. C., Sleggs, C. A., and Marchand, P. (1960). Diffuse pleural mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in the North Western Cape Province. British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 17(4), 260 - 271.
• World Trade Center Health Program. (2026). Covered conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: Asbestos use in the United States has fallen for decades, yet the yearly death toll from mesothelioma has barely moved - 2,479 deaths in 1999 and 2,597 in 2015 - because the disease reflects exposures from a working lifetime ago. The 2024 federal rule ending the remaining uses of chrysotile asbestos closes one door, but it does not remove the material already built into older structures, which is where today's demolition, abatement and repair crews meet the same fibers. For former shipyard hands, pipefitters, sheet metal workers and the relatives who shared their homes, the practical lesson is to put that history on the medical record now rather than waiting for symptoms to prompt the question.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability, a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.