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Asbestos becomes a problem when it enters the body and becomes lodged within the tissues. There it can trigger changes to the body's cells and cause uncontrolled cancerous growth of the tissues, Asbestos can enter the body by being inhaled or ingested. Asbestos ore is made up of visible fibrous strands. These strands break down into bundles of fibers and then into individual fibers. These fibers in turn break further becoming as small as microscopic dust particles. This process is unique to asbestos. When the extremely small particles of asbestos become airborne, being so small they can remain airborne for long periods of time. Additionally their very small size causes them to be almost invisible and therefore people can be unaware that they are being exposed to airborne asbestos. When the particles of asbestos fiber are breathed in, they pass through the respiratory passages and can bypass the body's defense mechanisms. Larger particles of dust or other foreign substances can become lodged in the airways closer to the opening to the respiratory passages. The body is therefore more likely to be able to physically remove these particles through sneezing or coughing. The very small particles of asbestos travel deep within the respiratory passages before becoming lodged and are not easily ejected. Once they are in the body they can cause disease-causing changes to the tissues.
