 Asbestos
Dangers
A
Short History of Asbestos Dangers
and Mesothelioma
Well
over a century ago, asbestos
was seen as an ideal building
material, it was an excellent
insulator, fireproof, and relatively
inexpensive. During the
twentieth century, some 30 million
tons of asbestos was used in
the construction of industrial
sites, office buildings, schools,
shipyards homes, and everyday
items such as ironing boards,
dryers, toasters, and low-density
insulation products. Beginning
at the turn of the 20th century,
researchers began to see a correlation
between the unusually large
numbers of deaths and lung problems
in asbestos mining towns.
In
the 1930's, numerous and well-known
medical journals published scientific
studies that linked asbestos
to cancer. In 1935, the American
Journal of Cancer published
"Pulmonary Asbestosis: Carcinoma
of the Lung in Asbesto-Silicosis."
In 1955, scientists confirmed
what they had long suspected;
there was a unmistakable connection
between the ingestion of asbestos
fibers and the development of
certain forms of lung cancer
(what later came to be known
as mesothelioma).
Despite
the growing evidence of asbestos’s
health risks, manufacturers
and companies continued its
use for many of their projects.
In all likelihood, these manufacturers
were aware of the potential
health risks but choose to ignore
them. These same companies also
ignored using safer alternative
materials like fiberglass that
were then being developed. Unfortunately,
the victims were, for the most
part, men of working families
who had no knowledge of the
potential health risks they
faced.
The
first lawsuits against the manufacturers
and companies responsible for
asbestos related cancer were
brought to suit in 1929. Since
then, numerous lawsuits have
been filed against those responsible
for asbestos use and proliferation.
Many if these cases have resulted
in large settlements for victims
and the families of victims
of mesothelioma.
What
is Asbestos?
Asbestos
refers to a group of naturally
occurring silicate minerals
whose fibers are strong, durable,
and resistant to heat and fire.
They are long, thin and flexible,
allowing them to be turned into
cloth.
Of
the many forms of asbestos fibers,
three are primarily used for
commercial purposes:
- Chrysotile,
or white asbestos, has been
very widely used in the US.
It is white-gray in color
and found in serpentine rock.
- Amosite
or brown asbestos.
- Crocidolite
or blue asbestos.
Amphibole
asbestos (e.g. amosite and crocidolite)
is very dangerous because of
its dusty, needlelike fibers.
Individuals that are exposed
to this type of asbestos ingest
the dust, which then becomes
trapped in the lungs indefinitely.
Over time, this can lead to
asbestosis or malignant mesothelioma.
Asbestos
fibers not often used for commercial
purposes include tremolite,
actinolite and anthophyllite.
However, these fibers are occasionally
used as contaminants in asbestos-containing
products.
Which
Products Contain(ed) Asbestos?
Asbestos-containing
products are used to contain
heat—otherwise known as thermal
insulation. Most insulation
materials before the mid-1970s
did contain some degree of asbestos.
Countless products have, at
one time or another, contained
asbestos, including (but not
limited to): thermal seals,
insulating cement, asbestos
cloth, asbestos cement pipe,
pipe-covering, refractory and
boiler insulation materials,
packing materials, fireproofing
spray, transite board, gaskets,
insulating block, joint compound,
duct insulation for heating,
vinyl floor tile, ceiling tile,
adhesives, mastics, coatings,
roofing products, acoustical
textures, insulated electrical
wire and panels, ventilation
and air conditioning (HVAC)
systems, and brake and clutch
assemblies.
Does
Asbestos Still Pose a Health
Risk?
Asbestos
continues to be a health risk
because it may still be part
of buildings and products that
were built decades ago. Asbestos-containing
products may still be in industrial
facilities, buildings, ships,
and other structures and products
where the fibers can become
airborne. The ingestion of these
fibers is the cause of malignant
mesothelioma.
More
importantly, malignant mesothelioma
can develop up to 40 years after
the initial exposure. The incidence
of mesothelioma rises with the
intensity and duration of exposure
to asbestos. Cases have been
documented of mesothelioma among
people with very little exposure
to the dangerous asbestos fibers.
Many of those who are being
diagnosed with mesothelioma
today were unknowingly exposed
during their time in the Navy
many years ago.
Tradesmen
who have a risk of asbestos
exposure and mesothelioma include:
- Insulators
(also known as asbestos workers)
- Boilermakers
who constructed boilers filled
with insulation
- Plumbers,
pipe fitters, and steamfitters
who worked in poorly ventilated
compartments with large quantities
of insulation
- Plasterers
- Shipyard
workers and Navy personnel
- Electricians
and mechanics
- Bricklayers,
millwrights, carpenters, etc.
- Steel
workers and refinery and other
industrial workers
- Maintenance
workers and laborers
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