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Asbestos - From Miracle Mineral
To Mesothelioma Menace
Grant Davis
During World War II Asbestos
was hailed by many as a miracle
mineral. Almost anything could
be built or manufactured from
this mineral. The building and
construction industries used it
as an additive to strengthen
cement and plastics. Asbestos
fibers can be separated into
thin threads which do not
conduct electricity and are not
affected by heat or
chemicals.
The four main types of asbestos
are: Amosite with brown fibers,
Anthophyllite with gray fibers,
white Christie, and blue
Crocidolite. Chrysotile has
curly fibers while the other
three have rod like fibers.
These fibers break into dust
quite easily and drift in the
air. They can stick on skin,
clothing, and can easily be
swallowed or inhaled.
Use of asbestos skyrocketed
during World War II.
Shipbuilding used asbestos
extensively in freighters and
support vessels to insulate
boilers, steam pipes and hot
water pipes. Asbestos became
the miracle construction
material as it was easily
obtained, processed, and
transported.
After WWII cars used asbestos
in break shoes and clutch pads.
Asbestos found its way into
residential and industrial
building materials, water
supply, sewage materials,
ceiling and floor tiles, and
vermiculite garden materials to
name a few products.
In the 1970's the U.S Consumer
Product Safety Commission
banned the use of asbestos in
several products that could
release asbestos fibers into
the environment during use,
following the discoveries of
the health dangers of asbestos
dust inhalation. Regulations
governing the use of asbestos
and concern of public opinion
since 1970 have created a
significant drop in the use of
asbestos in the United
States.
In 1989 all new uses of
asbestos were banned by the
Environmental Protection Agency
while any old uses before that
year were still permitted. The
EPA suggested that schools
inspect for damaged asbestos
and eliminate any exposure or
enclose it in protective
barriers. Vermiculite, widely
used in horticulture, became a
concern of the EPA that
recommended outdoor use,
limiting the amount of dust
used, and keeping vermiculite
damp.
Asbestos may create serious
health hazards such as
coughing, lung damage,
shortness of breath, and lung
cancer. Most people do not
become sick in the early stages
of development, but usually
need continued exposure, often
on jobs such as mining,
milling, manufacturing asbestos
products, and building
construction. Firemen,
demolition workers, drywall
removers, and any other workers
in trades that involve
destruction of buildings,
ships, and automobiles are also
exposed to the hazards and
risks of asbestos.
Over a period of years
continual exposure to asbestos
can cause very serious health
problems, such as mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a rare type of
carcinoma of the membrane that
lines numerous cavities of the
body, including the lungs,
abdomen and heart, and has been
associated with exposure to
asbestos dust. In mesothelioma,
the cells of the mesothelioma
metastasize and damage adjacent
organs and tissues.
Risk of developing mesothelioma
takes a long period of time,
often as long as twenty-five or
thirty-five years before full
blown symptoms appear. Not all
workers who have been exposed
will develop diseases caused by
asbestos, but workers who have
been exposed to it may bring
fibers on their clothing, hair,
shoes, and skin home to their
families. To circumvent this
risk, most industries require
workers to bathe and change
their clothing before they
leave work.
Many studies have been
conducted involving the risks
of diseases caused by exposure
to asbestos. The results of one
such study involving the risks
of smoking and exposure to
asbestos proved extremely
hazardous.
For further information on
asbestos, such as risks,
research, lawsuits and disease
support groups visit:
http://www.asbestos-h
eadquarters.com
About the author:
Grant Davis, is a freelance
writer and has worked in a
variety of fields, including
teaching. Feel free to use the
above article as long as it is
reprinted in its entirety.
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