Asbestos is considered a silent killer. You can not tell if materials or a building has asbestos without testing. Also if workers are exposed to asbestos, no instant side effects are felt. However, this common mineral used in building materials prior to 1980 can cause lung cancer, other cancers, serious health illnesses and even death if not properly handled. Mesothelioma is a cancer most commonly caused from asbestos exposure.

Asbestos dust or fibers is the danger when inhaled. Most patients that have developed mesothelioma have worked jobs where they have inhaled asbestos particles. Even family members have been known to develop mesothelioma after having washed a workers asbestos contaminated clothing.

Common asbestos contaminated materials are ceiling tiles, floor tiles, insulation and other general building materials. A common asbestos building material was known as popcorn ceilings. This was a material blown on to ceilings of buildings and homes to provide noise reduction and cover up for ceilings.

After much research and public debate, OSHA published the final rule for the Asbestos Standard in August of 1994. The Standard covers approximately four million workers in industrial, construction and shipbuilding environments. As part of the Asbestos Standard, all maintenance and custodial staff who work in buildings that may contain Asbestos must receive training, whether or not working directly with Asbestos or asbestos materials is considered to be part of their job.

OSHA Compliance Asbestos Safety Training:

This Asbestos Awareness Video Kit includes information on hazards of asbestos, OSHA's asbestos standard, composition and nature of asbestos, types of materials that may contain asbestos, and where they are encountered, limiting exposure to asbestos, how to protect yourself when disturbing a material that may contain asbestos, air monitoring and decontamination, and more.

Here are the Mayo Clinics list of Mesothelioma Symptoms:

In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs.

Pleural mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include:

(Vary depending on where the cancer occurs).

• Shortness of breath
• Painful breathing (pleurisy)
• Painful coughing
• Chest pain under the rib cage
• Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest
• Unexplained weight loss
• Dry (nonproductive) cough

Peritoneal mesothelioma signs and symptoms may include:

• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal swelling
• A change in your bowel habits, such as more frequent diarrhea or constipation
• Lumps of tissue in the abdomen
• Unexplained weight loss Read More...

Here's a helpful link to the:

National Cancer Institute's

Mesothelioma Fact Sheet : Questions & Answers

Gives great answers to questions about Mesothelioma and how symptoms are treated. Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases.

EPA (Envirnonmental Protection Agency) provides complete list of past uses of asbestos. Asbestos remains in use as an acoustic insulator, and in thermal insulation, fire proofing, roofing, flooring and other materials. A number of building materials and products still in use today contain asbestos.

Asbestos Testing - Directory of Accredited Laboratories

If you are wanting an asbestos test and need to find an accredited laboratory, here is a list (by states), known as the:

Asbestos Fiber Analysis (PLM Test Method)

Listed below are all laboratories accredited within this program as of August 31, 2009. For additional information, contact NVLAP at (301) 975-4016. The purpose of the Bulk Asbestos Program is to accredit testing laboratories to assure that they are competent to analyze bulk samples for asbestos using polarized light microscopy (PLM).