Who gets mesothelioma and why?

The primary known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. Throughout the 20th century, especially prior to the mid-1970s, asbestos was found in thousands of products, especially insulation and construction materials.
Here is a list of some products that at one time contained asbestos:
Pipe Covering/Pipe Insulation
Insulating cement
Insulating block
Refractory cement
Floor and ceiling tile
Fireproofing
Insulation
Firebrick
Gaskets
Joint compounds
Brake pads and linings
Clutches
Electraical wires
Boilers
Furnaces
Turbines
Wallboard/Millboard
Asbestos cloth, blankets, felt or paper
Asbestos packing
Asbestos rope
Shingles
Roofing materials
Plastic cement
Drilling additivesHere is a list of some trades that at one time were commonly exposed to asbestos on the job:
Insulators
Pipfitters
Plumbers
Boiler room tenders
Boilermakers
Steel workers
Shipyard workers
Electricians
Carpenters
Drywall finishers
Painters
Plasterers
Iron workers
Crane operators
Floor coverers
Masons
Brickmasons and blockmasons
Laborers
Construction workers
Pot tenders
Welders
Sheet metal workers
Railroad workers
Brake mechanics
Refinery workers
Power plant workers
Paper mill workers
Navy men
Particularly from the 1940s to the mid-1970s, many workers throughout the U.S. were exposed to asbestos at their jobs. In some cases, a member of the worker’s family may have been exposed to asbestos carried home on the worker’s clothes and developed mesothelioma many years later.