Although almost everyone has heard about asbestos, not many people are knowledgeable about the diseases it may cause, including a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma. There is also a lot of misinformation about asbestos, its use, and its effects. Whether you’ve been diagnosed with this tragic disease or are simply curious, it’s important to learn as much as you can, and to get the facts.
Myth #1: Asbestos Is Banned, So No One Uses It Anymore
Contrary to what many people believe, this is simply not true. Asbestos regulations in the United States have gotten more stringent, but there remain over 3,000 consumer goods that contain asbestos. Many of these products can be found in your local hardware or home-improvement store. Caulking, joint compound, roofing shingles, drywall and gaskets are just a few of these products that may still have asbestos within them—although it might not be listed as “asbestos,” but instead be labeled by the manufacturer as “Canadian fiber” or “chrysotile,” which is simply one of the forms of asbestos.
Additionally, asbestos is allowed to remain in buildings constructed before the regulations were put in place, so any structure that was built or renovated between 1930 and 1980 is likely to have even greater quantities of asbestos, in the ceiling and floor tiles, plaster, electrical and plumbing systems, siding and many other materials.
If asbestos materials are intact, they probably are not dangerous. It’s when they are damaged or old that they can disintegrate into a fine dust that can then be inhaled—this inhalation of asbestos, especially over a prolonged period, can lead to mesothelioma and other other health problems.
Myth #2: The Dangers of Asbestos Have Been Exaggerated by Lawyers
While it is true that asbestos litigation has become one of the largest tort issues in the United States today, the hazards of asbestos—and the fact that it can lead to mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer and other diseases—has been well documented by the scientific and medical communities. Scores of studies have been conducted into the connection between asbestos exposure and disease, and there are virtually no cases of mesothelioma that can be definitely attributed to other causes.
One of the reasons this myth persists is because asbestos does not have an immediate effect on human health, the way some other toxic substances can. In fact, it can take between 20 and 50 years for mesothelioma to make itself known, although it can be worsening in the body for much of that time. The period between exposure to asbestos and a mesothelioma diagnosis is called a latency period, and it’s one of the most unusual things about this form of cancer. The same latency period may also apply to asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases.
Read it All
Myth #1: Asbestos Is Banned, So No One Uses It Anymore
Contrary to what many people believe, this is simply not true. Asbestos regulations in the United States have gotten more stringent, but there remain over 3,000 consumer goods that contain asbestos. Many of these products can be found in your local hardware or home-improvement store. Caulking, joint compound, roofing shingles, drywall and gaskets are just a few of these products that may still have asbestos within them—although it might not be listed as “asbestos,” but instead be labeled by the manufacturer as “Canadian fiber” or “chrysotile,” which is simply one of the forms of asbestos.
Additionally, asbestos is allowed to remain in buildings constructed before the regulations were put in place, so any structure that was built or renovated between 1930 and 1980 is likely to have even greater quantities of asbestos, in the ceiling and floor tiles, plaster, electrical and plumbing systems, siding and many other materials.
If asbestos materials are intact, they probably are not dangerous. It’s when they are damaged or old that they can disintegrate into a fine dust that can then be inhaled—this inhalation of asbestos, especially over a prolonged period, can lead to mesothelioma and other other health problems.
Myth #2: The Dangers of Asbestos Have Been Exaggerated by Lawyers
While it is true that asbestos litigation has become one of the largest tort issues in the United States today, the hazards of asbestos—and the fact that it can lead to mesothelioma, asbestosis, asbestos-related lung cancer and other diseases—has been well documented by the scientific and medical communities. Scores of studies have been conducted into the connection between asbestos exposure and disease, and there are virtually no cases of mesothelioma that can be definitely attributed to other causes.
One of the reasons this myth persists is because asbestos does not have an immediate effect on human health, the way some other toxic substances can. In fact, it can take between 20 and 50 years for mesothelioma to make itself known, although it can be worsening in the body for much of that time. The period between exposure to asbestos and a mesothelioma diagnosis is called a latency period, and it’s one of the most unusual things about this form of cancer. The same latency period may also apply to asbestosis and other asbestos-related diseases.
Read it All
Comments