Asbestos ? From Miracle Mineral To Mesothelioma Menace

During World War II Asbestos was hailed by many asa concern of the EPA that recommended outdoor
a miracle mineral. Almost anything could be built oruse, limiting the amount of dust used, and keeping
manufactured from this mineral. The building andvermiculite damp.
construction industries used it as an additive toAsbestos may create serious health hazards such as
strengthen cement and plastics. Asbestos fibers cancoughing, lung damage, shortness of breath, and lung
be separated into thin threads which do not conductcancer. Most people do not become sick in the early
electricity and are not affected by heat or chemicals.stages of development, but usually need continued
The four main types of asbestos are: Amosite withexposure, often on jobs such as mining, milling,
brown fibers, Anthophyllite with gray fibers, whitemanufacturing asbestos products, and building
Christie, and blue Crocidolite. Chrysotile has curly fibersconstruction. Firemen, demolition workers, drywall
while the other three have rod like fibers. These fibersremovers, and any other workers in trades that
break into dust quite easily and drift in the air. They caninvolve destruction of buildings, ships, and automobiles
stick on skin, clothing, and can easily be swallowed orare also exposed to the hazards and risks of
inhaled.asbestos.
Use of asbestos skyrocketed during World War II.Over a period of years continual exposure to
Shipbuilding used asbestos extensively in freighters andasbestos can cause very serious health problems,
support vessels to insulate boilers, steam pipes and hotsuch as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare type of
water pipes. Asbestos became the miraclecarcinoma of the membrane that lines numerous
construction material as it was easily obtained,cavities of the body, including the lungs, abdomen and
processed, and transported.heart, and has been associated with exposure to
After WWII cars used asbestos in break shoes andasbestos dust. In mesothelioma, the cells of the
clutch pads. Asbestos found its way into residentialmesothelioma metastasize and damage adjacent
and industrial building materials, water supply, sewageorgans and tissues.
materials, ceiling and floor tiles, and vermiculite gardenRisk of developing mesothelioma takes a long period
materials to name a few products.of time, often as long as twenty-five or thirty-five
In the 1970?s the U.S Consumer Product Safetyyears before full blown symptoms appear. Not all
Commission banned the use of asbestos in severalworkers who have been exposed will develop
products that could release asbestos fibers into thediseases caused by asbestos, but workers who have
environment during use, following the discoveries of thebeen exposed to it may bring fibers on their clothing,
health dangers of asbestos dust inhalation. Regulationshair, shoes, and skin home to their families. To
governing the use of asbestos and concern of publiccircumvent this risk, most industries require workers to
opinion since 1970 have created a significant drop inbathe and change their clothing before they leave
the use of asbestos in the United States.work.
In 1989 all new uses of asbestos were banned by theMany studies have been conducted involving the risks
Environmental Protection Agency while any old usesof diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. The
before that year were still permitted. The EPAresults of one such study involving the risks of smoking
suggested that schools inspect for damaged asbestosand exposure to asbestos proved extremely
and eliminate any exposure or enclose it in protectivehazardous.
barriers. Vermiculite, widely used in horticulture, became