Asbestos Textiles & Cloth

Asbestos textiles encompass a family of woven, braided, and knitted products made from asbestos fibers — including cloth, blankets, gloves, mittens, aprons, leggings, curtains, rope, cord, thread, yarn, tape, and tubing. These products exploited the unique property of chrysotile asbestos that allows its fibers to be spun into thread and woven on textile machinery, producing fabrics that were virtually fireproof, heat-resistant to over 1,000°F, and resistant to chemical degradation.¹

Asbestos textiles were used wherever workers or equipment needed protection from extreme heat and flame. Foundry workers wore asbestos gloves, aprons, and leggings while handling molten metal. Steel mill workers used asbestos blankets and curtains to shield against radiant heat. Firefighters were issued asbestos proximity suits. Military personnel used asbestos blankets for fireproofing. Industrial facilities used asbestos cloth as insulation wrap, gasket material, and welding protection. Asbestos rope and cord were used as furnace door seals, pipe wrapping, and boiler gaskets.²

The workers at greatest risk were those in asbestos textile mills — the factories where raw asbestos fiber was carded, spun, woven, and cut into finished products. These facilities, concentrated in towns like Manville, New Jersey (Johns-Manville), and Ambler, Pennsylvania (Keasbey & Mattison), exposed workers to extraordinarily high fiber concentrations during every stage of textile production. Epidemiological studies of asbestos textile workers have documented devastating rates of mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer, with some mill cohorts showing asbestos-related disease rates comparable to those of insulation workers.³

End users of asbestos textiles — the foundry workers, firefighters, and industrial workers who wore or handled these products — were also exposed, though generally at lower levels than textile mill workers. The flexing, abrasion, and wear of asbestos fabrics during normal use released fibers into the breathing zone of the wearer and those nearby. Heat exposure could also break down the fiber structure, increasing fiber release from worn or damaged textile products.¹

Asbestos textiles were manufactured in numerous product forms for different applications:²

• Asbestos cloth and fabric — Woven sheets used as heat shields, insulation wraps, and protective covers. Available in various weights and weaves
• Asbestos blankets — Heavy, flexible blankets used for fire suppression, welding protection, and heat shielding in foundries and industrial plants
• Asbestos gloves and mittens — Protective handwear for workers handling hot materials in foundries, glass plants, and steel mills
• Asbestos curtains and drapes — Fire-resistant curtains used as heat barriers in theaters, industrial facilities, and welding shops
• Asbestos rope, cord, and yarn — Braided or twisted asbestos fiber products used as furnace door seals, boiler gaskets, pipe wrapping, and thermal insulation packing
• Asbestos tape — Woven or knitted asbestos strips used to wrap pipes, electrical wires, and exhaust systems
• Protective clothing — Full suits, aprons, hoods, and leggings made of asbestos cloth for heat-intensive occupations and firefighting

Health effects from asbestos textile exposure follow the standard pattern of asbestos-related disease, with symptoms appearing decades after initial exposure:³

• Progressive shortness of breath — The hallmark symptom of asbestosis and pleural disease
• Chronic nonproductive cough — Persistent dry cough not attributable to other causes
• Chest pain — May be pleuritic (sharp, worsening with breathing) or dull and persistent
• Inspiratory crackles — Fine bibasilar crackles on lung auscultation indicating pulmonary fibrosis
• Finger clubbing — Enlargement of distal phalanges indicating chronic hypoxia
• Weight loss and anorexia — May indicate developing malignancy

Asbestos textile exposure occurred through production and end-use activities:¹

• Textile manufacturing — Carding (separating and aligning fibers), spinning (twisting fibers into thread), weaving (interlacing threads into cloth), and cutting (trimming finished products) all generated extreme airborne fiber concentrations in textile mills
• Product handling — Cutting, sewing, and fitting asbestos cloth and blankets released fibers from cut edges and disturbed surfaces
• Wear and abrasion — Normal use of asbestos gloves, blankets, and clothing caused mechanical wear that progressively released embedded fibers
• Heat degradation — Exposure to high temperatures could break down the binder or weave structure, accelerating fiber release
• Laundry — Washing or shaking out asbestos textiles released accumulated fibers into the air

The following groups had the highest exposure to asbestos textiles:³

• Textile mill workers — Employees in asbestos spinning, weaving, and cutting operations experienced the most intense and prolonged exposures
• Foundry workers — Used asbestos gloves, blankets, and aprons daily while working with molten metals
• Steel mill workers — Wore asbestos protective clothing and worked near asbestos heat shields and curtains
• Glass plant workers — Used asbestos gloves and pads to handle hot glassware during manufacturing
• Firefighters — Wore asbestos proximity suits and handled asbestos fire blankets
• Boilermakers and furnace workers — Used asbestos rope, cord, and blankets for sealing and heat protection

Diagnosis of asbestos textile-related disease requires:³

• Occupational exposure history — Documentation of work in asbestos textile mills, foundries, steel mills, or other settings where asbestos textiles were used
• Chest imaging — X-ray and high-resolution CT to identify pleural plaques, fibrosis, or masses
• Pulmonary function testing — Spirometry and DLCO to characterize lung impairment
• Biopsy — Tissue sampling for definitive diagnosis when malignancy is suspected

Treatment is based on the specific disease that develops from asbestos textile exposure:⁴

• Mesothelioma — Multimodal therapy with surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation as indicated
• Lung cancer — Standard treatment protocols including surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiation
• Asbestosis — Supportive care with supplemental oxygen, pulmonary rehabilitation, and complication management
• Pleural disease — Monitoring, drainage, or pleurodesis depending on severity and symptoms

Health outcomes for workers exposed to asbestos textiles depend on the intensity and duration of exposure:³

• Textile mill workers — Studies of asbestos textile mill cohorts show some of the highest asbestos-related disease rates, comparable to asbestos insulation workers in some populations. The continuous handling of loose raw fiber during carding, spinning, and weaving created extreme exposure conditions
• End users — Foundry workers, firefighters, and others who used asbestos textile products experienced lower but still meaningful exposure levels. Risk was proportional to the frequency and duration of product use
• Mesothelioma — Median survival of 12–21 months, consistent across all exposure sources
• Community exposure — Residents of towns with asbestos textile mills (such as Manville, NJ and Tyler, TX) experienced elevated mesothelioma rates from environmental contamination

Asbestos textiles have been largely replaced by modern alternatives:¹

• Modern replacements — Aramid (Kevlar/Nomex), fiberglass, ceramic fiber, and silica-based textiles have replaced asbestos in virtually all heat-protection applications
• Identification of legacy products — Older facilities, especially foundries, steel mills, and naval vessels, may still contain asbestos textile products that should be identified and replaced
• Safe handling — If asbestos textiles are encountered, do not shake, tear, or disturb them. Wet the material and seal it in labeled containers for proper disposal
• Disposal — Asbestos textiles must be disposed of as regulated asbestos waste at approved landfill facilities