Raising Awareness of the Risk of Mesothelioma from Asbestos Exposure
by Nancy Meredith
With the recent headlines of the re-opened asbestos mine in Canada, the public’s awareness – and fear – of the health hazards of the toxic mineral has grown. Although many Americans have heard of the deadly cancer mesothelioma, and understand that it is caused by asbestos, many are still unsure of the potential for contracting the disease in the United States.
Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer or other asbestos-related diseases. Currently, 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. According to researchers at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, more than 20 million people in the United States are at risk of developing malignant mesothelioma.
Usage of Asbestos in the United States
While Canada is continuing to mine and export asbestos, here in the United States, the federal government has banned mining of the mineral and the EPA has banned all products that contain at least 1% of asbestos. In addition, the EPA has banned the following six asbestos-containing product categories: 1) corrugated paper, 2) rollboard, 3) commercial paper, 4) speciality paper, 5) flooring felt, and 6) new uses of asbestos.
Asbestos is still imported into the U.S. and used in manufacturing products such as roofing shingles, water supply lines, fire blankets and automotive parts such as gaskets, clutches and brake linings.
Because of the fiber strength and heat resistant properties of asbestos it was widely used in building materials and various types of insulation in the U.S. until the 1980s. As a result, asbestos is still present in many older houses, factories, power plants and automobiles. In addition, there was wide use of asbestos in military structures and ships between the 1940s and the 1970s.
Who is Impacted by the Presence of Asbestos?
Thousands of workers in a variety of industries have been affected by the dangerous nature of asbestos fibers. Some of the trade workers most at risk from asbestos include insulators, plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, sheet metal workers, auto mechanics and shipbuilders. Military personnel and Navy veterans exposed to asbestos in ships are also susceptible to ill health effects from the asbestos fibers.
Second-hand exposure to asbestos fibers has been identified when those who worked around asbestos brought the fibers into the home on their clothing, shoes and in their hair, putting their family members at risk of inhaling the asbestos. Regulations are in place today for workplaces where asbestos is handled to prevent this from happening, but it is important to change clothes and shower before leaving the job site.
An additional population at risk of asbestos-related diseases are the Ground Zero workers at the site of the New York terrorist attacks. About 400 tons of asbestos were used in the towers, and upon their collapse, asbestos and other toxic substances such as mercury and lead were released into the air putting workers at risk of mesothelioma and other respiratory diseases.
Mesothelioma has an extended latency or incubation period, and the symptoms of the disease may not appear until up to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. Due to the occupation of workers exposed to the fibers, mesothelioma patients are frequently men in their late 60′s to 70′s who typically began working around asbestos-containing materials in their 20′s. Most often it is women that become sickened via second-hand exposure.
Many people don’t realize how widespread asbestos remains in older products, buildings and factories, or how many workers the disease affects. It is important to understand that the only way to truly prevent mesothelioma from developing is by eliminating exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing products.
