Asbestos
Exposure
Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos is a mineral that can occur naturally in the
environment, and is also used by man in a range of products. This material was
once widely used in many places, but as the dangers of exposure to asbestos
began to come to light, this all changed. However, for many people it was too
late, as the damage had already been done. This is because asbestos is
responsible for a number of side effects, which can cause anything from
discomfort to death. Asbestosis and pleural plaques can result from exposure to
asbestos, and more notably so can mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that can take
many decades to develop but only a matter of months from the onset of symptoms
to kill.
Mesothelioma is caused by ingesting or breathing in loose asbestos
fibres, which can then cause scarring and ultimately can lead to this cancer.
The cancer can affect the lung, chest, or abdominal cavities, but it also has a
very long latency period, which means that it could be thirty years or more
before the person even realizes that they have contracted the cancer because
this is how long it can take to manifest. The onset of symptoms can take up to
fifty years or more in some cases, but once the symptoms have manifested the
lifespan of the person can be as short as several months.
Between the 1950s and the 1980s, many people – mainly men – worked
in industries where they were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis and for long
periods of time. This mineral was so widely used because it was cheap and
because of its fire resistant properties. Because the effects of the mineral
were largely unknown except for in certain circles at the time, workers did not
question the lack of protection or concern displayed with regards to working so
closely with asbestos.
However, it is thought that many companies and manufacturers were
aware of the deadly effects of this mineral from as early as the 1920s. However,
their failure to provide oblivious employees with protection against the effects
of asbestos resulted in many people contracting this cancer, and only realizing
thirty to fifty years down the line just as they were settling down to enjoy
their retirement.
Some of the workers mostly likely to come across asbestos on a day
to day basis and therefore most at risk included as insulators, plasterers,
electricians, mechanics, bricklayers, carpenters, and other tradesmen. This is
because these professionals worked closely with materials and products that
contained asbestos. Also at risk were the families of these workers, as they
could often ingest or breathe in asbestos fibres from the clothes, skin, or hair
of the worker, and this could lead to the same effects.
Millions of workers have been exposed to asbestos over the years,
and the unlucky ones have discovered several decades later just what an impact
their work had on their health. Many of the cases of mesothelioma coming to
light today are in men, as it was mainly men that worked with asbestos several
decades ago. These workers are now finding out that they have this cancer and
other asbestos related disorders, as the symptoms finally manifest.
The dangers of asbestos exposure have now been far more widely
recognised. However, millions of people worldwide have been exposed to this
mineral. For these people, living life can be like living on borrowed time, and
each year, thousands of new cases of mesothelioma and other
asbestos-related cancers are diagnosed.
This figure is likely to increase over the next ten years or so, and
many more middle-aged and elderly people could find that they have been
harbouring this deadly cancer for the past few decades.
Although it is now known that asbestos exposure is responsible for
malignant mesothelioma and other forms of cancer, asbestosis, pleural
plaques, and other respiratory and health problems, this mineral can still be
found in insulation materials in many places worldwide, and therefore continues
to hold its deadly reign over mankind.