Tuesday, December 28th, 2010
The naturally occurring and toxic mineral asbestos was widely used in a variety of domestic and industrial products throughout the 20th century. The construction industry may have felt one of the biggest impacts from the toxic substance as more than 3,000 building materials were made with asbestos.
The shipyard industry was also one of the biggest hit, as more than 300 contaminated products were used in the construction of Navy vessels. Products used to build ships had to be fireproof and asbestos-containing materials were excellent fire retardants. When shipbuilding was at its peak during the World War II era, asbestos-contaminated insulation was one of the most utilized materials on board.
While the construction and shipyard industries may have been the hardest hit by asbestos, other industries such as the power plant, chemical plant, automotive and manufacturing industries were affected as well. Former employees of these industries have since begun to develop malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases as a result of their occupational exposure.
Exposure to asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma cancer. Exposure takes place through either inhaling or ingesting asbestos fibers, often after disturbing asbestos-containing materials. Construction and shipyard employees faced an increased risk of exposure due to the continuous repair and removal of asbestos-containing products during their work.
It can take several decades for mesothelioma cancer to develop. Symptoms of this rare condition do not typically arise until 20 to 50 years have passed since the initial asbestos exposure occurred. As a result of this severe latency period, many patients are diagnosed when the cancer has already reached the latest stages of development.
Once the disease has developed into a Stage 3 or Stage 4 cancer, treatment options for mesothelioma patients tend to be palliative (aim to relieve symptoms) rather than curative. Although reports of mesothelioma survivors are increasing, there still is no cure for this cancer and research continues with hopes of discovering a curative treatment.
More than 50 countries around the world have banned asbestos. The toxic mineral has not been banned in the United States, but is regulated by a number of agencies. Even though strict regulations have been placed on the use and removal of asbestos, the risk for exposure still exists in many ways. If asbestos-containing materials are suspected to be present at a construction site or in an older building where you may be employed, caution should be taken.
Additional information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
>This entry was postedon Tuesday, December 28th, 2010 at 4:10 pmand is filed under Asbestos Abatement, Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Legislation, Mesothelioma.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed.Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.
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