Asbestos Disease Removal Information

Asbestos Lung Cancer Removal

Asbestos is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally as bundles of fibers which can be separated into thin threads. These fibers are not affected by heat or chemicals and do not conduct electricity. Asbestos fibers are found in nature and float easily. Nearly everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time during their life.

An estimated 1.3 million employees in construction and general industry face significant asbestos exposure on the job. Heaviest exposures occur in the construction industry, particularly during the removal of asbestos during renovation or demolition. Employees are also likely to be exposed during the manufacture of asbestos products (such as textiles, friction products, insulation, and other building materials) and during automotive brake and clutch repair work.

Analyses of mesothelioma deaths indicate that many deaths are due to heavy asbestos exposures in industries like shipbuilding and railway engineering in the past. If current control measures are not adhered to, asbestos removal workers are now potentially at the highest risk, as are workers involved in the refurbishment, repair or maintenance of buildings - such as plumbers, carpenters and electricians.

Exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers.

Most people do not become ill from the asbestos they are exposed to. Asbestos exposure becomes a health concern when high concentrations of asbestos fibers are inhaled over a long time period. People who become ill from asbestos are almost always those who are exposed on a day-to-day basis in a job where they work directly with the material. As a person's exposure to fibers increases, either by breathing more fibers or by breathing fibers for a longer time, that person's risk of disease also increases. It can take anywhere from 10 to 40 years for someone to develop an asbestos-related illness after their exposure. Disease is very unlikely to result from a single, high-level exposure, or from a short period of exposure to lower levels.

Smokers who are also exposed to asbestos have a greatly increased risk of lung cancer. Individuals who have been exposed (or suspect they have been exposed) to asbestos fibers on the job or at home via a family contact should inform their physician of their exposure history and any symptoms.

Diseases from asbestos exposure take a long time to develop. Most cases of lung cancer or asbestosis in asbestos workers occur 15 or more years after initial exposure to asbestos. Tobacco smokers who have been exposed to asbestos have a "far greater-than-additive" risk for lung cancer than do nonsmokers who have been exposed, meaning the risk is greater than the individual risks from asbestos and smoking added together. The time between diagnosis of mesothelioma and the time of initial occupational exposure to asbestos commonly has been 30 years or more. Cases of mesotheliomas have been reported after household exposure of family members of asbestos workers and in individuals without occupational exposure who live close to asbestos mines.

What are the health hazards of exposure to asbestos?

Asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of fibers that may become airborne when distributed. These fibers get into the air and may become inhaled into the lungs, where they may cause significant health problems. Researchers still have not determined a "safe level" of exposure but we know the greater and the longer the exposure, the greater the risk of contracting an asbestos related disease. Exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of several serious diseases:

Asbestosis (A chronic lung ailment that can produce shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage):
Asbestosis is a lung disease first found in naval shipyard workers. As asbestos fibers are inhaled, they may become trapped in the lung tissue. The body tries to dissolve the fibers by producing an acid. This acid, due to the chemical resistance of the fiber, does little to damage the fiber, but may scar the surrounding tissue. Eventually, this scarring may become so severe that the lungs cannot function. The latency period of asbestosis (meaning the time it takes for the disease to become developed) is often 25-40 years.

Lung cancer:
It is caused by asbestos. The effects of lung cancer are often greatly
increased by cigarette smoking ( by about 50%). Cancer of the gastrointestinal
tract can also be caused by asbestos. The latency period for cancer is often 15-30
years.

Pleural Abnormalities - Persons with significant exposure to asbestos are at risk for developing various types of pleural (lining of the lungs) abnormalities. These abnormalities include pleural plaques, pleural thickening, pleural calcification, and pleural mesothelioma. See in detail regarding pleural effusion.

Mesothelioma (A relatively rare cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen):
Mesothelioma is cancer of the pleura ( the outer lining of the lung nad chest cavity) and/ or the peritoneum ( the lining of the abdominal wall). This form of cancer is peculiar because the only known cause is from asbestos exposure. The latency period for mesothelioma is often 15-30 years.

Other cancers, such as those of the larynx, oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and kidney.

Despite the common misconception, asbestos does not cause head-aches, sore muscles or other immediate symptoms. As mentioned above, the effects often go unnoticed for 15-40 years.

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