Asbestos fibers are strong, resilient, and malleable. While the shorter fibers are not of much use, long fibers could be used in combination with a large number of adhesive materials for producing a variety of materials, including furniture. Asbestos was a popular supplement in furniture because of its strength and fire-resistant properties.

Why Is Asbestos Lawn Furniture Dangerous?

Quite recently, federal investigators in the US have found lethal forms of asbestos in fireproof lawn furniture. A piece of furniture is always subject to lots of wear and tear. As long as the asbestos fibers are encased in their adhesive material, they are not a serious health hazard. However, the moment a piece of furniture suffers damage through wear and tear, or other disruptive forces (like a child at play) it releases microscopic fibers that start floating about in the air.

Furniture that contains asbestos should be handled carefully. If damaged, it should never be dusted or vacuum cleaned as this will release more fibers into the environment. Asbestos-contaminated furniture should always be cleaned with a wet mop only.

Asbestos is dangerous for humans because its microscopic, free-floating fibers accumulate in the human lungs. Since these fibers are small, they easily get into the respiratory tract and fill up the lungs. When the concentration of asbestos exceeds the capacity of the lungs, they cannot function in a normal manner. This leads to a condition called asbestosis. Eventually, this may trigger lung cancer, also known as mesothelioma. However, the latency period (the lag between exposure and development of the disease) can extend well over 40 years. Since there is no exposure threshold for asbestos, it is difficult to say with any amount of certainty how much is too much.

The sad part is that it is extremely difficult to detect the presence of asbestos in your lawn furniture and other consumer items. Early cases of passive asbestos exposure were detected only after autopsies revealed high concentration of asbestos fibers in the body. Vendors often sell asbestos contaminated furniture at discount prices and conveniently ‘forget’ to inform consumers about the presence of asbestos in the furniture. As a clinical professor at Harvard Medical School questioned, “who would have known that these products contained asbestos in the first place?”

If you have cause to worry about asbestos exposure, you should contact an asbestos lawyer immediately to discuss the possibility of insurance coverage.