According to a recent report by the World Health Organization, exposure to asbestos fibers at the workplace is one of the leading causes of occupational disease worldwide.
The story of asbestos and the diseases it causes are an American tragedy. The lives and health of thousands of American families are negatively affected by prior exposure to asbestos. Unfortunately exposure still occurs today. All too often, individuals, companies and even municipalities have been caught trying to hide the removal of asbestos from the public.
Our goal is to inform you as to how exposure to asbestos occurs. We will also provide examples of work environments that lead to exposure; work trades and activities that put Americans at certain risk of exposure to asbestos contamination. For over thirty years the courts have been making very large compensation awards to individuals and their families exposed directly or indirectly to asbestos.
Who is At Risk of an Asbestos-related Disease?
Everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time during their life. Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water and soil. However, most people do not become ill from their exposure. People who become ill from asbestos are usually those who are exposed to it on a regular basis, most often in a job where they work directly with the material or through substantial environmental contact.
Since the early 1940’s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos. Health hazards from asbestos fibers have been recognized in workers exposed in shipbuilding trades, asbestos mining and milling, manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products, insulation work in the construction and building trades and a variety of other trades. Demolition workers, drywall removers, asbestos removal workers, firefighters and automobile workers may also be exposed to asbestos fibers. However, recent studies do not support an increased risk of lung cancer or mesothelioma among automobile mechanics exposed to asbestos through brake repair. Due to Government regulations and improved work practices, today’s workers (those without previous exposure) are likely to face smaller risks than did those exposed in the past.
Those involved in the rescue, recovery and cleanup at the site of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center (”WTC”) in New York City are another group at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. Because asbestos was used in the construction of the North Tower of the WTC, when the building was attacked, hundreds of tons of asbestos were released into the atmosphere. Those at greatest risk include firefighters, police officers, paramedics, construction workers and volunteers who worked in the rubble at Ground Zero. Others at risk include residents in close proximity to the WTC towers and those who attended schools nearby. These populations will need to be followed to determine the long-term health consequences of their exposure.
One study found that nearly 70 percent of WTC rescue and recovery workers suffered new or worsened respiratory symptoms while performing work at the WTC site. The study describes the results of the WTC Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program, which was established to identify and characterize possible WTC-related health effects in responders. The study found that about 28 percent of those tested had abnormal lung function tests, and 61 percent of those without previous health problems developed respiratory symptoms. It is important to note that these symptoms may be related to exposure to debris components other than asbestos.
Although it is clear that health risks from asbestos exposure increase with heavier exposure and longer exposure time, investigators have found asbestos-related diseases in individuals with only brief exposures. Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after their first exposure. It can take from 10 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear.
There is some evidence that family members of workers heavily exposed to asbestos face an increased risk of developing mesothelioma. This risk is thought to result from exposure to asbestos fibers brought into the home on the shoes, clothing, skin and hair of workers. To decrease these exposures, Federal law regulates work practices to limit the possibility of asbestos being brought home in this way. Some employees may be required to shower and change their clothes before they leave work, store their street clothes in a separate area of the workplace or wash their work clothes at home separately from other clothes.
Cases of mesothelioma have occurred in persons without occupational exposure. They live close to asbestos mines or have exposure to fibers carried home by family members working with asbestos.
Several factors can help to determine how asbestos exposure affects an individual, including:
- Dose (how much asbestos an individual was exposed to).
- Duration (how long an individual was exposed).
- Size, shape and chemical makeup of asbestos fibers.
- Source of exposure.
- Individual risk factors, such as smoking and pre-existing lung disease.
Although all forms of asbestos are considered hazardous, different types of asbestos fibers may be associated with different health risks. Results of several studies suggest that amphibole forms of asbestos may be more harmful than chrysotile for mesothelioma risk, because they tend to stay in the lungs for a longer period of time. All common commercial types of asbestos have been associated with lung cancer.
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