Key Takeaways
- Mesothelioma can be caused by secondary (secondhand) asbestos exposure — not just direct workplace contact. Spouses, children, and other family members have developed mesothelioma from asbestos fibers brought home on a loved one’s clothing, skin, and hair.
- Secondhand exposure is just as dangerous as primary exposure. In one documented case, a woman developed mesothelioma after washing her husband’s dust-covered work clothes for 34 years while he worked as a machinist at a shipyard.
- Common ways secondary exposure occurs include washing contaminated work clothes, hugging a loved one after work, sitting on contaminated furniture, wearing a family member’s work jacket, and even sitting on a parent or grandparent’s lap as a child.
- Women and children are the most commonly affected by secondary exposure, as husbands and fathers typically worked in asbestos-heavy industries like shipyards, steel mills, power plants, and construction.
- Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50+ years, meaning someone exposed secondhand decades ago may only now be developing symptoms and receiving a diagnosis.
- Asbestos fibers are extremely difficult to wash out of clothing. Contaminated garments should be placed in a watertight container or bag rather than a regular washing machine.
Mesothelioma, an extremely rare form of cancer, affects approximately 3,000 in the US annually. Although rare, it is extremely aggressive. The sole cause of mesothelioma is through asbestos exposure. Asbestos, a naturally occurring silicate material is extremely harmful to breathe in and can cause diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Most mesothelioma cases are through direct exposure to asbestos; there are many occupations in which mesothelioma is associated. Some of these occupations include construction workers, carpenters, painters, welders and insulators. Industries that are common sources of asbestos exposure include, but are not limited to, steel mills, power plants, oil refineries and shipyards. Something not commonly known about mesothelioma is that people can get the disease through secondary exposure. Sons, daughters and spouses have gotten mesothelioma through inhaling asbestos that was on the clothes of their loved ones.
Latency Period of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma has a long latency period, meaning that it can take decades for symptoms to develop and for someone to be diagnosed with the cancer. Therefore, someone could be exposed to asbestos secondhand and have no idea that they are at risk until many years later. Secondary exposure is the most common for women and children as their husbands or fathers normally would work in the industries previously mentioned and come home with asbestos fibers on their clothing.
Secondhand exposure is just as dangerous as primary exposure. For instance, one case of mesothelioma in a 76-year-old non-smoking woman was through secondary exposure. Her husband worked for 34 years as a machinist at a shipyard. Machinists are known to have been exposed to asbestos during work. The woman’s husband dismantled boilers and other equipment during his time at the shipyard and said that his work clothes were covered in dust when he came home after a day’s work. His wife would normally wash his clothes for him. When doing so, she exposed herself to asbestos and decades later was diagnosed with mesothelioma.
How Loved Ones Can Get Secondary Asbestos Exposure
It is difficult to wash asbestos out of clothes, as doing so can expose the person washing the clothes to the asbestos fibers. Instead of putting clothes that contain asbestos in a regular washing machine, they must be put into a watertight container or bag. Another way secondary asbestos exposure can occur is through furniture. If someone working with asbestos sat down on a couch or another piece of furniture without changing their clothes, the asbestos fibers could then transfer to the furniture and could be inhaled by family members.
Additionally, hugging loved ones after they have come home from work could result in secondary asbestos exposure. In another instance, a woman was diagnosed with asbestos decades after hugging her father and wearing his jacket. “Many nights while growing up, she says, she greeted her father with a hug at the door when he returned from his job sanding drywall, a fine white dust powdering his jacket. She often put on that jacket before running outside to feed her pet rabbits” (Reuters.com). She later developed mesothelioma in her early 40s. Some people have even gotten mesothelioma just from sitting on their father or grandfather’s lap as a child.
The risks of mesothelioma are sneaky and sometimes unknown. It is important to know when you could have been exposed and to detect the cancer as early as possible. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, call 800-505-6000 or fill out our contact form on our Homepage for more information and legal help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is secondary asbestos exposure?
Secondary asbestos exposure — also called secondhand or take-home exposure — occurs when someone who never worked directly with asbestos inhales asbestos fibers that were brought home by a family member who did. Microscopic asbestos fibers can cling to work clothes, skin, hair, and shoes, and can then be released into the air at home — exposing spouses, children, and anyone else in close contact.
Is secondary asbestos exposure as dangerous as direct exposure?
Yes. Secondhand exposure carries the same risk of developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis as direct workplace exposure. Even brief or seemingly minor contact with asbestos-contaminated clothing or surfaces can be enough to cause disease decades later. In one documented case, a woman developed mesothelioma in her early 40s after years of hugging her father when he came home from work and wearing his dust-covered jacket as a child.
How does secondary asbestos exposure happen?
The most common ways secondary exposure occurs include:
- Washing contaminated work clothes — shaking out or machine-washing garments covered in asbestos dust releases fibers into the air
- Hugging a loved one — embracing someone still wearing work clothes can transfer fibers to skin and clothing
- Contaminated furniture — if a worker sat on a couch or chair without changing, asbestos fibers could transfer to the fabric and be inhaled by family members later
- Wearing a family member’s jacket or clothing
- Close physical contact — children who sat on a parent or grandparent’s lap after work could inhale fibers from their clothing
Who is most at risk for secondary asbestos exposure?
Women and children are most commonly affected by secondary exposure. Historically, husbands and fathers worked in asbestos-heavy industries — shipyards, steel mills, power plants, oil refineries, construction, and auto repair — and came home with fibers on their clothes and bodies. Wives who laundered work clothes and children who had close physical contact with their parents were unknowingly exposed, often repeatedly over many years.
Can you wash asbestos out of clothing?
Asbestos fibers are extremely difficult to remove from clothing through regular washing. Putting contaminated garments into a standard washing machine can actually release fibers into the air and contaminate the machine itself. Instead, clothing that may contain asbestos should be placed in a watertight container or sealed bag and handled according to proper hazardous material disposal guidelines.
How long after secondary exposure can mesothelioma develop?
Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years or more. Because of this long delay, many people who were exposed to asbestos secondhand as children or young spouses are only now being diagnosed — often decades after the exposure occurred. This is why understanding your family’s occupational history is important, even if you never worked with asbestos yourself.
Can family members who were secondarily exposed to asbestos file a legal claim?
Yes. Secondary exposure victims — including spouses, children, and other household members — have successfully pursued legal claims against the companies responsible for the original asbestos exposure. Courts have recognized that employers and manufacturers who knew about asbestos dangers had a responsibility not only to their workers but to their workers’ families as well. Documenting the family member’s work history and the nature of contact at home is a critical part of building a case.
What should I do if I believe I was exposed to asbestos secondhand?
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease and believes the exposure occurred secondhand — through a family member’s work clothes, physical contact, or contaminated home environment — your case may still be viable. Call (800) 505-6000 or fill out our contact form for a free consultation and to learn more about your legal options.
