Is Asbestos Still Used Today?

No, the United States does not have a full asbestos ban. In March of 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) placed a ban on imported chrysotile asbestos, which is the only type of asbestos currently being used. This ruling also established phaseout guidelines for products that contain chrysotile asbestos.

The United States has banned all new uses of asbestos, asbestos-containing paper, flooring felt and spray-applied surface materials. However, asbestos may still be present in some consumer products and building materials if they were manufactured before 1989.

Countries where asbestos is banned

More than 50 countries have banned asbestos. This includes:

Countries that still haven’t banned asbestos include the U.S., Canada, China, India and Russia.

New consumer products should not contain asbestos. But products made before 1989 may still contain the mineral. Older buildings may also still contain asbestos products and materials.

Products that may have asbestos include:

• Automotive parts: Adhesives, brake pads and linings, clutch linings, heat shields and gaskets.
• Building materials: Ceiling products, ducts, pipe wrap, insulation, plaster, shingles, siding, tiles and vinyl.
• Fireproofing products: Protective gear, including clothing, fire blankets and gloves.

If you're unsure whether a product contains asbestos, you can get it tested. Understanding the age of a product can also help you determine if there’s a likelihood that asbestos may be present. Original manuals for older products may specifically list asbestos components as well.

If you aren’t able to find any information on the products, you can hire a certified asbestos professional to test the product to see if asbestos is present. It’s important to stay away from any older, damaged products, as the asbestos fibers may become airborne, leading to toxic exposure.

Asbestos in the chlor-alkali industry

Asbestos is used as a fiber-like barrier inside industrial equipment that produces chlorine and sodium hydroxide. It separates the two sides of the process so the chemicals don’t mix and react. This process still allows electricity and charged particles to pass through.

By 2025, the chlor-alkali industry accounted for essentially 100% of U.S. asbestos fiber use, with no other domestic industrial uses remaining. Total U.S. consumption of asbestos fiber had decreased to 50 metric tons in 2025, which is down from hundreds of thousands of tons in the 1970s. This reflects the decades-long slow phaseout of asbestos.

Asbestos is still a legal and public health issue because of the length of time it takes to develop asbestos-related diseases (asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma) and the ongoing exposure risks that still exist in older buildings and materials. Diseases can develop long after initial contact with asbestos, which means people are still being diagnosed from exposures that occurred years and even decades ago. Because of this long latency period, asbestos exposure lawsuits are ongoing as individuals continue to seek compensation for illnesses linked to past asbestos exposure.

An asbestos attorney can help build your case, gather evidence and litigate for you in court to potentially receive compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other relevant damages. Employers, manufacturers and property owners may all face legal responsibility for failing to properly manage or disclose asbestos hazards, making it a large focus for public health authorities and the legal system.

If you think you’ve been exposed to asbestos, it’s important to first and foremost limit any additional exposure. You should also inform your employer or property manager if the exposure occurred in the workplace or in a residential building and request an asbestos inspection by a licensed professional.

After exposure to asbestos, consider speaking with a healthcare professional about your exposure, especially if you start experiencing asbestos-related symptoms. It’s also important to have proper documentation of your exposure to help protect your legal rights and determine whether you may be entitled to compensation for the resulting illness.

Motley Rice attorneys have been involved in asbestos litigation for decades, representing thousands of individuals harmed by asbestos-related diseases. Our legal team has also uncovered information that corporations knew about the risk of asbestos exposure. We continue to hold those companies accountable for asbestos-related diagnoses.

Read more on our toxic exposure litigation experience.