Asbestos problems can go undetected from 20 to 50 years, but the tiny fibers embedded in the body, most often the lungs, are irritating and can conjure tumors.

Lung cancer and mesothelioma cancer are the two most likely cancers to develop as a result of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos side effects have been long thought to be a danger to those who work directly with the material such construction workers, shipyard workers and mechanics. But there are unknowing victims as well.

Asbestos Problems in Schools

Dangers from asbestos in U.S. school buildings is a real concern as well. Any school built before the 1980s is likely to contain some form of asbestos. Nearly half of all schools were built between 1950 and 1969, when asbestos materials were used most often in construction.

Over the years, asbestos materials can deteriorate, allowing asbestos dust to enter the air and be inhaled. Maintenance work can also disturb asbestos particles.

Teachers and students are at risk for asbestos problems such as an increased possibility for mesothelioma, lung cancer and other serious lung conditions.

The Environmental Protection Agency says that as long as asbestos building materials remain in good condition, they present minimal health risks and recommends that schools leave the materials in place.

However, careless maintenance work or improper removal of asbestos can cause serious exposure.

California Schools Asbestos Exposure

Parents and teachers in Huntington Beach, CA were distressed when they found out contractors had removed asbestos materials unsafely from many schools in 2014.

The Ocean View School District seriously violated EPA regulations by not using proper safeguards to prevent asbestos exposure to students and teachers. The district failed to warn parents and teachers that the removal was going to take place, which is another EPA violation in and of itself.

When air was tested at Lake View Elementary school, two classrooms were determined to contain asbestos levels that exceeded the federal safety standards.

The district closed the school and two others while the asbestos problems were being addressed, but alarmingly, only did so after pressure from parents and teachers who feared asbestos side effects.

As a result, the district is facing a lawsuit from families of students who hold the district’s elected leaders, other school officials and contractors accountable for failing to protect children from asbestos exposure during the removal.

Schoolchildren Most Susceptible

The U.K.’s Committee on Carcinogenicity released a study in 2013 that showed a five-year-old child’s lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma is five times greater that that of a 30-year-old adult who has been exposed to asbestos.

The U.S. released an EPA risk assessment study from the early 1980s that estimated approximately 1,000 early deaths related to asbestos exposure would happen over the next 30 years, and 90 percent would be people exposed as schoolchildren.

This sobering statistic led to the development of regulated asbestos control programs in schools.

Asbestos in Colleges

The National Center for Education Statistics states that there are nearly 4,500 degree-granting institutions in the U.S. that operate more than 10,000 locations, including campuses, research facilities and offices.

Millions of students and teachers enter and work in these buildings, which include all public and private, for profit and non profit colleges, universities and community colleges in the country.

The EPA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and a variety of state and municipal laws regulate asbestos removal procedures performed at colleges and universities to ensure avoidance of asbestos problems.

OSHA requires all colleges to:

• Survey their buildings and test for asbestos problems
• Maintain records of any samples taken during maintenance, construction or demolition activities
• Provide notifications regarding the locations of asbestos in their buildings
• Post appropriate warning signs when asbestos-containing materials are identified or suspected.
• Provide asbestos training to maintenance and custodial employees

If you or someone you love were exposed to asbestos and developed lung cancer or mesothelioma, you may be able to take legal action.