Exposure To Asbestos And The Consequences

The compound of asbestos is made from a set of six silicate minerals

. Its ability to absorb sound and its resistance to electrical, heat or chemical change made it seem to be an excellent product to use in building construction and manufacturing. Light weight and easy to handle it was thought to be the most effective building material on the market.

The excellent ability to withstand heat and cold made the product very popular with builders. Many older homes, schools and other building still have this as their insulation. In the United States when it is discovered that there is this product in any building, by law, it must be removed and disposed of in a special manner. It cannot just be placed in a landfill as other materials are. Surprisingly, however it is still used in some products today in limited amounts.

Other uses were in brake pads, shoes and clutch discs of automobiles. Even the first filtered cigarette used asbestos in its product. It was especially effective on Armed Forces equipment including warships where it was used to wrap pipes, line boiler rooms and many other places. During World War II when ships were in naval yards for repair, many people worked with or around asbestos.

These people worked in ship yards and other repair places on damaged vehicles or vessels which belonged to these military units.. These vehicles were lined with this material on their pipes, and in other locations. It has now been found that because of this exposure 100,000 of these people, that is fourteen out of every thousand, have died because of this contact.

After World War II Japan combined asbestos with other materials and produced ammonium sulfate. This was used to improve insulation on buildings and railroad cars. It was also used in rice production. Despite knowledge of its dangers, reports say it is still used in that country and, unfortunately, is sometimes used in its exports.

Even though the first death blamed on this product occurred in 1906 production and use continued. In 1924, Great Britain officially recognized asbestosis and declared it a work related disease in 1930. In a court trial, in the 1970's the U. S. Asbestos Industry was convicted of concealing information from the public regarding its dangers but it was several years before regulations regarding its use were put in place.

A medical term used in connection with illness caused by asbestos is Mesothelioma. The common symptoms are chest pain and difficulty breathing. Other symptoms such as weight loss, fluid in the abdomen, anemia and many more. This makes it very difficult for a physician to diagnose the disease. Chest x-rays and an MRI scan are most common in making a complete diagnosis. Other conditions possible are asbestos warts where the crystals have embedded themselves under the skin, and a thickening of the covering of the lungs.

When the lung exposure becomes malignant, the treatment, is confined to three methods. They are usually combined. They are surgery, Radiation, Therapy and Radiation. Clinical trials are being conducted to find better methods of diagnosis and treatment. Since the incubation period for an asbestos disease is 20 to 40 years, more patients with this disease are expected to be discovered. Unfortunately, this product was used in many homes, buildings and schools that are still being used which causes danger to those living or working there.

by: Tobias McTavish

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