Environmentalists Urge Caution From Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos and Other Toxins at the San Bruno Explosion Site
According to the California Environmental Protection Agency, the San Bruno area that was affected by the explosion and fire caused by a ruptured gas pipeline likely will be impacted by poor air quality and contaminated soil from toxins released from asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, herbicides and pesticides. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and is proven to cause mesothelioma, a serious cancer caused by breathing in the asbestos fibers that then become lodged in the thin membrane that lines and encases the lungs.
Agencies are scrambling to clean up and remove the contaminated ash before the rainy season begins in mid-October. If the toxins are caught up in runoff they can enter the watershed causing pollution to the San Francisco Bay and potentially affecting the drinking water supply. According to the Mercury News, health officials have already removed 10 55-gallon drums of hazardous waste from the burn site and placed sandbags around the storm drains that lead to San Bruno Creek.
The good news is that the state EPA and the Department of Toxic Substances Control said that there is less asbestos than they expected. According to the spokesperson, many of the older homes, those built in the 1950s, had been remodeled and had the asbestos removed during the process.
Homes built prior to the 1970s more than likely were built with some asbestos-containing materials. Insulation, ceiling tile, floor tiles, textured paint and patching compounds are all examples of products that were made with some level of asbestos. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for being diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for the disease.
