127 Exposure Sites: Ohio Mesothelioma by the Numbers

Ohio’s industrial legacy runs through steel mills, auto plants, power stations, and chemical facilities that defined the Rust Belt economy for more than a century. Asbestos was woven into every layer of that industrial infrastructure, from the insulation on blast furnace pipes to the brake linings rolling off assembly lines in Toledo.

The result is a state that continues to record more than 100 new mesothelioma diagnoses every year. With 127 documented exposure sites, more than 7,100 known job sites with asbestos history, and a workforce that spent decades breathing fibers without warning, Ohio remains one of the hardest-hit states in the country for asbestos-related disease.

State Rankings

For a full comparison of all 50 states, see our mesothelioma rates by state rankings.

Where Exposure Happened

Ohio’s asbestos burden traces to three primary industrial sectors that shaped the state’s economy through the 20th century.

Steel Production

Cleveland and the surrounding Cuyahoga Valley anchored one of the largest steelmaking regions in the country. Republic Steel, LTV Steel, U.S. Steel, and Jones and Laughlin operated mills along the Cuyahoga River that employed tens of thousands of workers over decades. Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley formed a second major steel corridor, with Youngstown Sheet and Tube among the largest employers in the region. Together with Chicago’s southeast side mills, Gary, Indiana, and Pittsburgh’s steel corridor, Ohio’s mills formed the core of the Rust Belt’s asbestos exposure burden.

Inside these mills, asbestos insulated blast furnaces, ladles, pipes, and electrical systems. Workers who installed, maintained, or worked near insulated equipment inhaled fibers daily. The exposure was most severe for insulators, pipefitters, millwrights, and maintenance crews, but production workers on the floor were also exposed.

Auto Manufacturing

Ohio’s auto industry centered on Toledo, Cleveland, and the corridor connecting them. Jeep (originally Willys-Overland) operated in Toledo for decades. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler all ran major assembly and parts plants across the state. The same companies operated even larger facilities across the border in Michigan, where the Big Three’s Dearborn, Flint, and Pontiac plants used identical asbestos-containing brake linings, clutch facings, gaskets, and heat shields.

Workers who fabricated, tested, and installed these components handled asbestos-containing materials throughout their shifts. Mechanics who later serviced vehicles with asbestos brake pads and clutch assemblies faced ongoing secondary exposure for years.

Power Plants and Chemical Facilities

Ohio’s coal-fired power plants used asbestos extensively in boiler insulation, pipe lagging, and turbine wrapping. FirstEnergy (formerly Ohio Edison), American Electric Power, and Dayton Power and Light operated plants across the state where maintenance workers and boilermakers were routinely exposed.

Chemical and refining facilities along the Ohio River, particularly in the Cincinnati and Marietta areas, added another layer of exposure. These plants used asbestos gaskets, valve packing, and pipe insulation throughout their operations.

County-Level Data

Cuyahoga County accounts for a disproportionate share of the state’s mesothelioma burden, reflecting the concentration of steel production, manufacturing, and shipbuilding in the Cleveland metropolitan area. Hamilton County (Cincinnati) and Lucas County (Toledo) follow, driven by their own industrial histories.

Who Is Most at Risk

The occupations with the highest exposure in Ohio mirror the state’s industrial profile:

• Steelworkers at Republic Steel, LTV Steel, Youngstown Sheet and Tube, and smaller mills
• Auto workers at Jeep, GM, Ford, and Chrysler plants across the state
• Pipefitters and insulators in industrial and commercial construction
• Boilermakers at power plants and steel mills
• Railroad workers in maintenance yards across Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati
• Chemical plant workers at Ohio River facilities
• Construction tradespeople working in pre-1980 buildings

Secondary exposure also affects families. Workers carried asbestos fibers home on clothing, exposing spouses and children to the same material that caused their own disease. A landmark Cuyahoga County verdict of $27.5 million specifically addressed secondhand exposure. In January 2026, the Virginia Supreme Court affirmed a duty of care in a shipyard take-home exposure case, a ruling that reinforces the legal foundation for similar claims in Ohio and across the country.

Legal Landscape

For an overview of all current treatment options, see the 2026 mesothelioma treatment landscape. Cuyahoga County has been one of the most active jurisdictions for asbestos litigation in the country. In 2001, more than 8,000 asbestos cases were filed there, reflecting the scale of industrial exposure across the Cleveland area. Recent verdicts include a $27.5 million award for secondhand exposure, among the largest in Ohio history.

Ohio law allows claims against both solvent companies and bankrupt defendants through asbestos trust funds. An experienced mesothelioma attorney can identify all applicable trusts based on a worker’s employment history and the products used at their specific jobsites.