Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) Certification Practice Exam

What term describes the scarring reaction created when asbestos fibers damage lung tissue?

1. Pneumonitis

2. Fibrosis

3. Pleurisy

4. Pleural plaque

The correct answer is: Pleural plaque

The term that accurately describes the scarring reaction created when asbestos fibers damage lung tissue is fibrosis. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can lead to inflammation and scarring within lung tissue, a process known as fibrosis. This occurs as the body attempts to heal the damage caused by the foreign fibers, leading to thickening and stiffening of lung tissue. Over time, this scarring can significantly impair lung function and can be associated with a variety of respiratory diseases. Pneumonitis refers to inflammation of lung tissue, which can occur due to a variety of causes, but it does not specifically imply the scarring response to asbestos. Pleurisy involves inflammation of the pleura, the double-layered membrane surrounding the lungs, but it is not specifically related to the scarring effects of asbestos. Pleural plaques are localized, thickened areas of pleura that can form as a reaction to asbestos exposure but do not refer to the broader scarring response in lung tissue itself. Therefore, the term that encapsulates the scarring process due to asbestos exposure is fibrosis.