Asbestos is a soft and flexible mineral, widely used beginning in the late nineteenth century for a variety of things. The name asbestos was given to this mineral by the Ancient Greeks, and literally the word means inextinguishable. They gave it this name because of its amazing fireproof qualities, although they also noted the harmful effects that asbestos had upon workers.
The modern use for asbestos is for insulation, and it is used in a wide range of items and structures, from ceilings and walls to toasters and hairdryers. This mineral became popular during the industrial revolution as an effective and safe form of insulation–safe in that it was fireproof, but certainly not safe in any other sense.
Asbestos means technically a group of six different fibrous minerals (amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, and the fibrous varieties of tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite) that occur naturally in the environment. All forms of asbestos are hazardous, and all can cause cancer in general and Mesothelioma in particular.
That is why we believe that brief list of common products containing asbestos can be useful in finding if a person has been exposed to asbestos without know it:
asbestos pipe covering, asbestos cement, asbestos packing, asbestos gaskets, asbestos fire brick, asbestos furnace cement, asbestos flexible duct connectors, asbestos tape, asbestos blankets, asbestos wire, asbestos cable, asbestos containing heater cord, asbestos brake linings, asbestos clutches, asbestos corrugated sheets, asbestos gloves, asbestos leggings, aprons or other clothes, asbestos ceiling tiles, asbestos floor tiles, asbestos fire-proof spray insulation, asbestos wall board, asbestos joint compound, asbestos roofing shingles, asbestos roofing paper or felt. These are some of the products that could have caused mesothelioma or other forms of asbestos lung cancer injuries.
Asbestos and mesothelioma
When asbestos is intact, it does not pose a health threat. But when the material deteriorates, asbestos fibers can be released into the air and inhaled.
The chance of getting an asbestos lung cancer, like mesothelioma, increases with the level and duration of exposure. More than 1.3 million employees in the construction industry are exposed to asbestos on the job and risk developing mesothelioma. Construction workers face heavy exposure to asbestos especially during the removal of asbestos meanwhile renovating or demolition. Employees working in areas of manufacturing of asbestos such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials, are also likely to be exposed.
The Center for Disease Control says that thousands of Americans continue to be over exposed to the mineral dust in the workplace and news cases of mesothelioma are still occurring. There is a current battle with Congress to create a USD 140 billion fund to compensate victims of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos exposure
Small asbestos fibers that enter the air do not evaporate and can remain suspended in the air for a long time. When breathed into the body, are toxic. We can differentiate:
• Occupational asbestos exposure: people working in factories that manufacture asbestos who are likely to have a high exposure to asbestos and a higher risk of developing the cancer.
• Paraoccupational asbestos exposure: family members of the workers exposed in the workplace are susceptible to exposure from asbestos dust brought home on clothes or skin.
Neighborhood asbestos exposure: those who live in the vicinity of an
asbestos manufacturing plant are also at risk of mesothelioma.
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