Asbestos in the ceiling: am i in danger? before i moved in to my apartment, there was a small asbestos problem. my landlord told me the asbestors was found in the ceiling, texture, but was painted over and should not cause any harm unless i drill holes.

While : While it is true that inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause many forms of respiratory disease later in life (lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis or lung fibrosis), there are many factors that influence this risk. First, it is important to note that asbestos is found in thousands of everyday products and is ubiquitous in our environment. We are all exposed to low levels of asbestos fibers on a day-to-day basis, either in the ambient air on in drinking water. Exposure to these low levels does not cause disease later in life. Secondly, many everyday construction products such as plaster, ceiling tiles, cement products and roofs are termed as high-density asbestos containing products - these are very unlikely to emit asbestos fibers unless actively damaged. This is in contrast to low-density asbestos containing products that have an increased likelihood of emitting asbestos fibers into the atmosphere when damaged. Finally, there is also variability in the type of asbestos fiber that poses a health risk. Crocidolite ("blue asbestos") or amosite ("brown asbestos") fibers are many times more potent that chrysotile ("white asbestos") fibers in causing damage to the lungs. As a result, in clinical practice, asbestos-related lung disease is typically only seen in people who have had prolonged exposure to aerosolized asbestos fibers (especially crocidolite fibers) arising from significant occupational exposure (e.g. Ship yard workers).

No: "i'm a doctor, not a lawyer." however, it's my opinion that you are safe as long as the asbestos isn't stirred up. The increased cancer risk, mesotheliomas, and serious lung disease happened only in folks who at some point in their lives obviously were inhaling the stuff.