Can Children Be Exposed to Asbestos?

How Children Encounter Asbestos

Children can be exposed to asbestos in several settings. The most common are older school buildings, homes built before the 1980s, and through secondhand contact with adults who work around asbestos. While children are less likely than adults to experience heavy occupational exposure, their exposure may occur over many years during childhood and adolescence, and the resulting health effects may not manifest until decades later.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified asbestos exposure in schools as a significant public health concern. The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) was enacted specifically to address the risk of asbestos exposure to children and school employees. However, not all schools comply fully with inspection and management requirements.

Exposure in Schools

Many schools built during the mid-20th century contain asbestos in floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, boiler insulation, and structural fireproofing. When these materials are in good condition, they generally do not release significant quantities of fibers. However, deteriorating, damaged, or disturbed materials can release fibers into classroom air. Children’s activities — running, playing, moving furniture, and hanging items from ceiling tiles — can contribute to the disturbance of asbestos materials.

School maintenance and renovation projects are particularly risky if asbestos materials are not properly identified and managed before work begins. Uncontrolled disturbance of asbestos during school maintenance has resulted in documented exposure incidents affecting students and staff.

Exposure at Home

Children living in older homes may be exposed to asbestos from deteriorating building materials. Crumbling pipe insulation in basements where children play, damaged floor tiles in living areas, and deteriorating vermiculite attic insulation can all release fibers into the home environment. Home renovation projects that disturb asbestos materials without proper precautions can create significant exposure for the entire household, including children.

Secondhand exposure is another important pathway. Children of workers in asbestos-exposed trades — insulators, construction workers, shipyard workers, mechanics, and others — can inhale fibers brought home on work clothing. Historical cases of mesothelioma in adults have been traced to childhood secondhand exposure from a parent’s work clothing.

Long-Term Health Concerns

Because mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years, children exposed to asbestos may not develop symptoms until they are middle-aged or older. This long delay makes it critical for adults who were exposed to asbestos as children to inform their physicians about their exposure history, even if they currently feel healthy. Medical monitoring can help detect asbestos-related conditions at their earliest and most treatable stages.

Legal Rights for Childhood Exposure

Adults who develop mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases as a result of childhood exposure have legal rights to pursue compensation. Claims may be filed against the manufacturers of asbestos products present in the schools, homes, or environments where the exposure occurred. Secondhand exposure claims against the employers and product manufacturers responsible for a parent’s workplace exposure are also recognized by courts. An experienced attorney can evaluate your situation at no cost.