Frequently Asked Questions
- Are Glass Fibers the same as Asbestos?
- No. Ordinary fiberglass insulation is fundamentally different from asbestos. Studies prove that ordinary fiberglass insulation does not cause cancer in animals by inhalation (which is how fiberglass typically enters your body).
- Are workers who handle fiberglass every day at risk?
- No. Scientists have looked at current and former workers in glass fiber manufacturing plants and at workers who install fiberglass insulation. The studies have not established a relationship between exposure to glass fibers and cancer or any other disease in the workers.
- Are insulation glass fibers biosoluble?
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Our scientists have made important contributions to research into the safety of long fibers. This research shows that fiber composition determines the durability of these fibers within the lung. If fibers are durable enough, they can accumulate and lead to disease.
Based on this research, Owens Corning makes its fiber compositions so that fibers disappear from the lung at a rate equal to or faster than normal dust. These are efficiently removed from the lung by macrophage-mediated clearance.
- If fiberglass is safe, why is there a cancer warning on package labels in the United States?
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Several decades ago animal studies, using an unusual, invasive exposure procedure never encountered in the normal use of insulation, indicated the possibility of tumor formation in rats. As a result, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined that glass wool was a “possible human carcinogen” and federal regulatory requirements then required labeling. Subsequent research has shown that there is no link between human exposure to fiberglass insulation and cancer, and therefore, IARC revised its classification of the carcinogenic potential of glass wool. In October 2001, IARC removed insulation glass wool from the list of possible carcinogens. This reclassification may lead other agencies that also classified glass wool in the early and mid 1990’s, to review their assessments and possibly reclassify these fibers. We expect labeling requirements to change in the near future.