At Significantly Higher Risk Anyone exposed to asbestos fibers, even for a few months, particularly: • Miners and millers in contact with asbestos. • Producers of asbestos products. • Laborers who install plumbing, boilers and heating equipment in ships, factories and homes. • Workers who are near the material but do not handle it directly (carpenters, electricians and shipyard welders, for example). • Heating and construction tradespeople. • People living near asbestos mines have an increased chance of developing asbestosis , the associated scarring of the lung, as well as mesothelioma. • Inhabitants of the Anatoli region of Turkey, where zeolite is found in the soil and in homes. At Somewhat Higher Risk • Spouses and children of asbestos workers presumably because of asbestos fibers brought home in the hair and on clothing. • Demolition workers and workers who repair structures that contain asbestos. • Although smoking greatly increases the risk of lung cancer in asbestos workers, it does not increase the risk of mesothelioma.