Learn about sites of asbestos exposure throughout Hawaiʻi

While it’s well-established that the deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma is caused solely by exposure to asbestos, thousands of people throughout the U.S. mainland and Hawaii continue to die from the disease every year. About 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are registered each year in the United States. In Hawaii, there are approximately 38 asbestos-related deaths a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Mesothelioma was discovered in the late nineteenth century and gradually came to be associated with exposure to asbestos. The mineral has been used throughout history, but as the Industrial Revolution took hold, more and more uses were found.

The serious health risks associated with asbestos exposure have been known for generations. The naturally occurring fiber is the only known cause of mesothelioma, an incurable and deadly form of cancer of the lining of the lungs and internal organs. Legal and regulatory scrutiny of asbestos use has ramped up over the years — including a 2024 ban on chrysotile asbestos — but an alarming number of Americans continue to die from mesothelioma every year. While mesothelioma diagnosis rates have fallen among men, they have remained steady among women.

Cases of mesothelioma around the world have been increasing along with a rise in the global use of asbestos, despite an acknowledgment more than 40 years ago by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) that all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic. Asbestos exposure causes mesothelioma, a cancer of the tissue that lines the lungs, chest wall, and abdomen. Given that asbestos continues to be used globally in a variety of commercial products, it’s not surprising that mesothelioma cases and deaths associated with the disease have been rising too.

After years of tireless work by advocacy groups on behalf of cancer victims, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finally taking action against asbestos, a dangerous substance known to cause cancer, severe illness and countless fatalities each year. In March 2024, the EPA took a major step toward protecting Americans from asbestos exposure with a historic ban on a common type of asbestos known as chrysotile. It was the first substantive move to protect Americans from asbestos exposure in decades.

Until about four decades ago, most structures in Hawaii were built with material containing asbestos, including the state’s military bases, state buildings, homes and even schools. While the health risks from these materials are well-known today, the use of asbestos – while highly regulated in Hawaii – is still allowed in certain products, creating serious risk for anyone who comes in contact with them. Asbestos is composed of six minerals that occur naturally in the environment as bundles of fibers that can be separated into extremely fine threads for commercial and industrial uses. The fibers are resistant to heat, fire and chemicals and do not conduct electricity.