Can your lungs clear out asbestos?

Your lungs have some natural ability to clear out small amounts of dust and fibers, but they cannot effectively clear out asbestos fibers, especially long-term. When you inhale dust, your respiratory system uses mucus and tiny hair-like structures called cilia to trap and move particles up and out, and immune cells called macrophages try to engulf and remove foreign particles. However, asbestos fibers are very long, thin, sharp, and durable. They are resistant to chemical breakdown and too long for macrophages to fully engulf, a process called frustrated phagocytosis. This causes chronic inflammation and scarring. Short, small chrysotile fibers may be partially cleared over weeks to months, but amphibole fibers like amosite and crocidolite, which were used in many Johns Manville and Owens Corning products, can remain in the lung tissue for decades. Over 10 to 40 years, this persistent irritation can cause asbestosis, which is scarring of lung tissue, pleural plaques, and cancers like mesothelioma and lung cancer. There is no cure to remove asbestos already lodged in lungs. The only protection is prevention through proper respirators and avoiding disturbance of asbestos-containing materials. If you suspect exposure, talk to a doctor, but you cannot detox or cleanse asbestos from lungs once inhaled.