Mesothelioma and the Causes of This Deadly Disease
published in storytime tapestry and gather.com
This article is based on a freelance job I had on mesothelioma, and published in Storytime Tapestry and gather. com
Cancer is a dreaded often fatal, disease affecting millions of people worldwide. In the United States, Mesothelioma court cases have surfaced in droves. The biggest court cases in US history are the suits resulting from mesothelioma work related asbestos exposure. Successful mesothelioma claims have already reached 54 billion dollars and is projected to skyrocket to over $260 billion dollars. Over 90 billion deaths have resulted from asbestos exposure to date and the trend will continue.
Mesothelioma should not be confused with asbestosis. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is fatal; there is no cure. Mesothelioma affects people who have inhaled asbestos particles on the work site. It also affect people living with a family member who brings the asbestos powder residual upon their clothes, and families who live near toxic asbestos dump sites. Families living in the Manhattan and Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx area of Original York after 911 who inhaled the air after the explosions, and workers and families going to older buildings such as schools and older homes where asbestos manufactured tiles, were used in the ceiling and asbestos insulations in the walls are also at risk for contracting mesothelioma.
Asbestosis normally is not fatal and symptoms surface within 10 to 50 years. Whereas Mesothelioma affects people working around asbestos related occupations from 1940 to 1970 (approximate). Mesothelioma is usually detected after 30 to 50 years from the date of the exposure. Mesothelioma patients usually die between 1 and 5 years after detection.
Asbestos was widely primitive in insulation because of its heat resistant properties. It became very approved in a number of industries. Everyone is exposed to asbestos. It is found in our environment, in the air we breathe, the water we drink and in natural deposits. However it takes many years of exposure in ample amounts for it to be a major health pains. That is why workers in the asbestos or asbestos related industries are prime candidates for the cancer.
Asbestos has been used in material since ancient times but became extremely popularized by the Industrial revolution after which asbestos mining was endorsed by industrialized country governments.
Thetford Mines, in Quebec was a major asbestos mining state cultivated to meet the demand for heat resistant products such as: kilns, boilers, steam pipes, industrial ovens and so on.
The heyday for asbestos product manufacturing occurred during the Second World War in the United States when there was a need to produce warships.
Hence the military officers and personnel, especially the Navy, were most at risk for asbestos exposure. Naval personal on submarines, and even the glide guard personal during that period of time have also been exposed to asbestos and asbestos related products.
However the list does not end there, civilians in the mining industry, ship builders, long shoremen, dockworkers or any one handling asbestos related products were also at risk. This included engineers on ships responsible for the maintenance and repairs for boilers and pipes and the ships hydraulic systems.
According to Safety Executive (HSE) of Great Britain, though it uncommon for women to contract mesothelioma, the highest statistics reported of women (5%) with this deadly cancer resulted from working in the English factories, producing gas masks during World War Two.
Other industries where workers were at risk are, manufacturers, painters, plastic plant workers, automobile mechanics, brake and clutch men, building industry, firemen city dump workers, and so on.
Most industrialized countries have restricted the use of asbestos and asbestos related products since the 1970’s, when the first cases of Mesothelioma reported, shocked the world.
To be continued
Some sources:
Mesothelioma lawyers
http://www.mesotheliomahelpcenter.org/Mesothelioma_Articles.php
http://www.expertlaw.com/library/environmental_law/mesothelioma.html
New York City
http://www.lockslaw.com/html/asbestos-new-york.html
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Filed under Asbestos Exposure by on Aug 7th, 2010. 