His coat was filled with tiny fibers that made their way into Heather’s lungs and eventually developed into a form of cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. He died in 2014 from renal carcinoma, a different cancer also linked to asbestos exposure. Asbestos was banned from use in insulation products in the 1970s, but it remains in many old buildings. And if workers are unprotected, they could be bringing asbestos fibers home just as Heather’s dad did, leaving family members of workers at risk for asbestos exposure as well. More information about asbestos can be found at the EPA and National Cancer Institute and more information on mesothelioma can be found at the American Cancer Society.

Source: Forbes March 24, 2017 10:30 UTC