Seals
Asbestos seals were once used in a number of applications like in boilers and furnaces, window frames, roofs, and in many more purposes related to construction. They were usually used in places that needed to contain or be shielded from extreme temperatures. These seals can contain between 10 and 30 percent asbestos.
One of the causes of lung cancer is exposure to asbestos. The only confirmed cause of asbestosis and mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the interior lining of the chest and abdomen, is almost always deadly and this form of cancer can take from 20 to 50 years to begin to show symptoms. Unfortunately, this latency period means that many sufferers do not immediately connect their asbestos exposure from years before to their present symptoms.
Being exposed for long periods of time to asbestos usually occurs with people who have spent their lives working where products that contain asbestos like seals are manufactured. Diseases related to asbestos exposure don’t usually occur from asbestos products found in the home, although they can occur. As long as the asbestos material remains in good condition the fibers are not likely to become airborne so that they can be inhaled.
Reference:
