Which mineral fiber used in construction is linked to lung disease and mesothelioma?

• A. Lead pollution
• B. Asbestos
• C. Wetlands
• D. Noise pollution

Answer: (B)

Exposure to inhaled mineral fibers used in construction can cause serious lung diseases, including mesothelioma. Asbestos fibers are durable and can become airborne when materials containing them are damaged or disturbed. When these microscopic fibers are inhaled, they irritate and inflame the lining of the lungs and chest cavity, leading to scarring (asbestosis) and increasing the risk of mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the pleura or peritoneum. The onset of symptoms can be decades after exposure, which is why the health risks linger long after exposure ends. The other options refer to different kinds of pollution or environmental features that are not mineral fibers or linked to this specific cancer risk, so they don’t fit the scenario. Therefore, asbestos is the mineral fiber in question.