Asbestos and the Immune System

Once embedded, the asbestos particles are attacked by the body's immune system. The immune system releases digestive molecules called macrophages, which target and devour foreign objects in the body. Unfortunately, because asbestos is a hard, fibrous mineral, the macrophages are unable to eliminate them from the lungs. As the macrophages attempt to wipe out the asbestos, they create scar tissue in the area where the asbestos is embedded. But since the macrophages are unable to remove the asbestos, the body’s immune system sends more and more macrophages, creating more scar tissue. This creates a chain reaction that cannot be stopped. People who are exposed to airborne asbestos particles inhale hundreds or thousands of asbestos fibers, which means that hundreds or thousands of these chain reactions occur, all of which create scar tissue.