At least one Harvard undergraduate student has been relocated after asbestos was found in a Winthrop House dorm room.

The asbestos was discovered after student Matthew W. noticed dust on his clothes after a piece of the dorm room’s ceiling had fallen into his closet. During repairs, facility workers tested the plaster and found asbestos.

“Asbestos has been found in rooms at Winthrop House, either during repair work or during episodes where something breaks and materials behind the wall are exposed,” Harvard officials stated, adding that they believe that no one has been effected by the asbestos exposure and notes that the problem was immediately addressed once identified.

Winthrop House is scheduled to be renovated in the upcoming 2016-2017 school year, where Harvard’s Director of Facilities indicated that workers will remove any asbestos “that could be disturbed” during the reconstruction.

Many old college buildings contain asbestos.  As a matter of fact, it’s very likely that most buildings constructed prior to the mid to late 1970s may contain materials laden with asbestos.

The mineral was once used in thousands of construction products ranging from cement to tiles.  Generally, it is safe if undisturbed, but once disturbed it can release fibers into the air, which can cause diseases like mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer if inhaled.

What is Asbestos?

Occurring naturally in the environment in soil and rocks, asbestos is a group of minerals that are resistant to heat and fire and do not conduct electricity. Because of this, manufacturers began incorporating asbestos on a massive scale into products in the late 1800s.

Asbestos products were used to insulate everything from factories to schools, homes, and ships. It can also be found in automobile parts, roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, and cement.

Asbestos Exposure

People are exposed to asbestos primarily by inhaling fibers in an environment where asbestos has been disturbed, such as during mining, processing, making, or installing products that contain asbestos. Asbestos fibers can also be disturbed when older buildings are demolished or renovated.

In addition, asbestos fibers can be swallowed, such as in drinking water that has flowed through asbestos cement pipes. Family members of workers may also be exposed to asbestos through secondhand asbestos exposure from a person’s clothing or skin.

Asbestos Cancer Risk

Lung cancer is a type of malignant tumor that originates in the lungs. Although smoking is recognized as the most common cause of lung cancer, working with or being near certain hazardous materials can also pose an asbestos cancer risk. Asbestos is one such carcinogen and it can cause asbestos lung cancer. In the United States, asbestos lung cancer claims nearly 5,000 lives annually.

One reason asbestos lung cancer is so deadly is that it is hard to detect in its early stages. There may be no symptoms at first. Unfortunately, by the time someone has developed symptoms, the cancer may have already reached advanced stages. In fact, most cases of lung cancer due to asbestos exposure can be traced back 15 years or more.

There are typically physical symptoms that are apparent if you have asbestos lung cancer. They can include:

• New, chronic cough
• Changes in a chronic cough
• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Unexpected and unusual weight loss
• Repeated bouts of pneumonia or bronchitis

Many victims of asbestos lung cancer have legal rights to financial compensation from the manufacturers of asbestos products as well as other defendants who are deemed liable for the injuries.