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What Is Asbestos and Its Exposure Risks?

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 14 November 2018 15:50

Asbestos is a mineral that is found in rocks and soil. Occurring naturally as bundles of fibers, asbestos became a widely-used material in the construction industry mainly because of its fire-proof properties.

Because manipulating and working with it is very easy, asbestos became really popular for use in floor tiles, pipes, drywall, shingles, sealants, drywall, siding, and insulation. Asbestos was also used for everyday products such as hair dryers, crock pots, car brakes, and even baby powder.

Asbestos was everywhere up until the 1980s. Then its catastrophic health impact became public knowledge, and it has been phased out and banned since in a lot of countries. Today, when demolishing buildings suspected to be contaminated with asbestos, it has to be subjected to asbestos abatement before demolition can proceed.

Asbestos-related health risks

Asbestos fibers may have a high resistance to heat and chemicals, but when they are handled or damaged, they break easily into pieces that are too tiny to see. People who handle materials containing asbestos can easily inhale those small fibers, which can build up in their lungs and cause severe health issues that include:

Mesothelioma – This cancer is the illness that is most closely related to asbestos exposure. It affects the thin lining of the lungs (pleura) as well as the abdomen (peritoneum). While it typically takes a long time to develop, mesothelioma is almost always fatal by the time it is diagnosed.

The most common symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath, pain in the chest or abdomen, dry cough or wheezing, fever or night sweats, fluid around the lungs, muscle weakness, and fatigue.

Asbestosis – While not a cancer like mesothelioma, asbestosis is nonetheless a serious and chronic respiratory illness, which sees lung tissues getting scarred by inhaled asbestos fibers. Heavy exposure to asbestos over many years leads to asbestosis, can cause shortness of breath. To this day, no effective treatment for asbestosis has been developed, and it can be fatal in severe cases.

Asbestos exposure also increases a person’s risk of having lung cancer. The risk is especially high for smokers who are exposed to asbestos on a regular basis for an extended period of time.

Who is most at risk of asbestos-related illnesses?

Technically, everyone is at risk of asbestos exposure given how common it has become over the years.

We live in buildings that most likely contain asbestos. We drink water that may have passed through asbestos-contaminated pipes. We also come into contact with everyday products that contain asbestos.

Even something as simple as nailing a picture frame to the wall could disturb asbestos fibers enough to release them into the air. The risk of exposure is even higher if you use an electric drill on your concrete wall for any reason.

However, the ones who are most at risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses are people who are directly exposed to asbestos at work, like construction and industrial workers, and people in military service. Asbestos use is prevalent in all branches of the US armed services and is a commonly-used material for aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, submarines, destroyers, frigates, and auxiliary vessels.

Asbestos still in use in the US

While more than 50 countries, including Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and all European Union members, have banned the use of asbestos, the mineral continues to be prevalent in many countries, the United States included.

Despite the overwhelming evidence about the health risks of asbestos, the United States continues to import asbestos and use it in roofing materials, friction products, fireproofing materials, gaskets, and other everyday products. To date, there is no plan for regulating asbestos use.

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Judy Olsen

https://asaprestoration.net/

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