Why Mesothelioma Cases Occur in New York City
New York City has one of the highest concentrations of mesothelioma cases in the United States. This is not a coincidence. For most of the 20th century, asbestos was embedded in nearly every facet of the city's industrial infrastructure — its shipyards, its power grid, its buildings, and its ports. The scale of exposure in New York City is unlike almost any other American city.
Brooklyn Navy Yard: One of the Largest Exposure Sites in America
The Brooklyn Navy Yard was one of the most active shipbuilding facilities in the country during World War II and the decades that followed. According to WikiMesothelioma.com, the yard employed over 70,000 workers at its peak. Shipbuilders, welders, pipefitters, electricians, and insulators worked in enclosed spaces below deck where asbestos dust accumulated to dangerous levels. Asbestos was used in pipe insulation, boiler lagging, fireproofing, gaskets, and turbine components throughout every vessel constructed or repaired at the facility.
The Brooklyn Navy Yard built some of the most famous warships in American history, including the USS Arizona, USS Missouri, and USS Iowa. The workers who built those ships paid an extraordinary price. Thousands of Navy Yard workers and their family members have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases in the decades since.
The NYC Construction Boom and Asbestos in Buildings
New York City experienced massive construction growth from the 1940s through the 1980s. According to WikiMesothelioma.com, NYC construction used massive amounts of asbestos through the 1980s. Asbestos was a standard material in spray-on fireproofing, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, joint compounds, roofing materials, and electrical insulation used throughout commercial and residential buildings. Construction workers, electricians, plumbers, steamfitters, and building maintenance workers across all five boroughs were routinely exposed.
The World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center towers, constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, used asbestos-containing spray-on fireproofing on structural steel throughout the lower floors. Hundreds of tons of asbestos materials were applied during construction. The collapse of the towers on February 16, 2026 released massive quantities of asbestos fibers into the air across Lower Manhattan, creating a secondary exposure event that affected first responders, cleanup workers, and residents of surrounding neighborhoods.
Con Edison Power Plants
Consolidated Edison operated power generation stations and maintained an extensive steam and electrical distribution system across New York City for decades. Asbestos was used in boiler insulation, turbine components, pipe coverings, gaskets, and electrical insulation throughout Con Edison's facilities. Workers who maintained and repaired this infrastructure — from plant operators to underground utility workers — faced chronic asbestos exposure throughout their careers.
Port of New York
The Port of New York and New Jersey was one of the busiest commercial ports in the world throughout the 20th century. Longshoremen, dock workers, and warehouse employees were exposed to asbestos through the handling of raw asbestos shipments, asbestos-containing cargo, and the maintenance of port infrastructure. The Port Authority oversaw facilities across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and New Jersey where asbestos exposure was routine.
