Archive for the tag 'asbestos insulation'

Not Only Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma lung cancer is usually associated with asbestos exposure. In fact there are many other risk factors that cause mesothelioma cancer. One of them is the erionite. Erionite is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that belongs to a group of minerals called zeolites. Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicates of the alkaline and alkaline-earth metals.
Erionite was used in the past as a noble metal-impregnated catalyst in a hydrocarbon-cracking process. It was studied for use in fertilizers and to control odors in livestock production, because of its ability to selectively adsorb molecules from air or liquids. In many countries erionite blocks were used (and may be are still used) as building material or in stucco pastes and whitewash.
Erionite was mentioned for the first time as a mesothelioma lung cancer risk factor in 1975, when Turkish government presented a study that uncovered a high incidence of a rare malignant mesothelioma in lung tissues of people in certain small villages in the Cappadocia area in Turkey’s central mountainous region. In two small villages the mesothelioma lung cancer accounted for 43% of the deaths during 23 years period of study. Erionite fibers were found in biopsies of lungs of the mesothelioma cancer afflicted people. Comparing this to a 9.7% rate of death from this disease among asbestos insulation installers shows how anomalous this condition was.
Further studies showed erionite causes similar diseases in laboratory animals. When researchers at Mt. Sinai Hospital injected rats with the same dosage of erionite that they used for asbestos, the rats didn’t live long enough to get mesothelioma cancer. At a much-reduced dose, the rats did get cancer. Erionite is probably the most toxic known mineral - a milligram of fibers in the lungs is lethal.
Today erionite is considered so hazardous that the EPA requires any one who intends to manufacture, import or process any article containing erionite to notify the E.P.A. 90 days in advance. This gives the EPA a chance to review, limit or prohibit that activity. Read the rest of article here..

Start Beating Mesothelioma Cancer Today Through Awareness and Understanding

Mesothelioma is a serious and very aggressive form of cancer.

People who have mined asbestos, manufactured asbestos products, installed asbestos insulation, or removed asbestos may be at risk for developing mesothelioma. In addition, family members of those who have worked with asbestos, people who have lived near asbestos mines or processing plants, or anyone who has inhaled asbestos fibers may also be at risk for developing mesothelioma.

There are a range of tests and procedures used to diagnose mesothelioma. X-rays, CT scans, and/or MRI scans are performed to determine the presence of mesothelioma. If there is a positive indication of mesothelioma, or if further testing is still needed to determine the presence of mesothelioma, the scans are followed-up with a needle biopsy or an open biopsy.

Treatment options for mesothelioma vary according to age, overall health, location of the disease, and extent of the disease. Surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, alone or in combination, are standard treatment options for mesothelioma. Experimental treatments, such as those used in clinical trials, may also be an option.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that could have been prevented and is not the fault of the victim, but the fault of the companies that did not protect workers or others against the hazards of asbestos. Financial security for victims and their families, including compensation of medical expenses, pain and suffering, burial expenses, and after-death stability for families afflicted, may, therefore, be accessible through the law.

There are many different types of support groups, as well, available to mesothelioma patients and their families including formal groups that focus on learning about mesothelioma or dealing with feelings, informal groups, social groups, groups only for those with mesothelioma, and groups for those with mesothelioma including family members and friends. Hospitals, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers have, or can obtain, a listing of such groups within your local area.

For additional information regarding mesothelioma cancer including mesothelioma symptoms, diagnosis, specialist care, treatment options, lawyer assistance, and support, go to: http://www.BeatingMesothelioma.com/

Author: Rae Rand


Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_68779_27.html

Not Only Asbestos Causes Mesothelioma Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma lung cancer is usually associated with asbestos exposure. In fact there are many other risk factors that cause mesothelioma cancer. One of them is the erionite. Erionite is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral that belongs to a group of minerals called zeolites. Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicates of the alkaline and alkaline-earth metals.

Erionite was used in the past as a noble metal-impregnated catalyst in a hydrocarbon-cracking process. It was studied for use in fertilizers and to control odors in livestock production, because of its ability to selectively adsorb molecules from air or liquids. In many countries erionite blocks were used (and may be are still used) as building material or in stucco pastes and whitewash.
Erionite was mentioned for the first time as a mesothelioma lung cancer risk factor in 1975, when Turkish government presented a study that uncovered a high incidence of a rare malignant mesothelioma in lung tissues of people in certain small villages in the Cappadocia area in Turkey’s central mountainous region. In two small villages the mesothelioma lung cancer accounted for 43% of the deaths during 23 years period of study. Erionite fibers were found in biopsies of lungs of the mesothelioma cancer afflicted people. Comparing this to a 9.7% rate of death from this disease among asbestos insulation installers shows how anomalous this condition was.

Further studies showed erionite causes similar diseases in laboratory animals. When researchers at Mt. Sinai Hospital injected rats with the same dosage of erionite that they used for asbestos, the rats didn’t live long enough to get mesothelioma cancer. At a much-reduced dose, the rats did get cancer. Erionite is probably the most toxic known mineral - a milligram of fibers in the lungs is lethal.

Today erionite is considered so hazardous that the EPA requires any one who intends to manufacture, import or process any article containing erionite to notify the E.P.A. 90 days in advance. This gives the EPA a chance to review, limit or prohibit that activity.

Erionite is no longer mined or marketed for commercial purposes. Although other natural zeolites have many commercial uses (pet litter, soil conditioners, animal feed, waste-water treatment, gas absorbents, etc.) So potential occupational exposure to erionite occurs during the production and mining of other zeolites.

And there are questions:

Are there other mineralogical hazards like erionite and asbestos?

Should we expected mesothelioma lung cancer increases not only from asbestos exposure after another 20 - 30 years?

Read the rest of article here…

Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause for malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis. Asbestos has been mined, processed and used to manufacture goods for over 6000 years. However, the more recent heavy use of asbestos, from the late 1880s to the 1960s, caused laborers to be exposed to it in such quantities that asbestos exposure became a deadly curse.

Thousands of cases of mesothelioma and asbestosis have occurred since the 1930s, and medical specialists expect this epidemic to continue for 20 years. The lag time between initial asbestos exposure and the onset of these deadly diseases is typically 30 to 40 years and has been as long as 60 years.
Inhalation of Asbestos
Inhalation of asbestos dust poses the highest risk during asbestos exposure. The asbestos fibers are so tiny that they are able to bypass the natural filtration system of the human lungs. Once inside the most sensitive areas of the lungs, these fibers become embedded in the lung tissue. The durability and tensile strength of these fibers are why asbestos was so widely used as a fire retardant and as a construction component. However, these same characteristics allow asbestos fibers to stay embedded in lung tissue for many years without being destroyed by the body’s natural defense mechanisms. When mesothelioma erupts in the lung tissue, it is called pleural mesothelioma. Asbestosis also occurs due to the embedding of asbestos fibers in the lungs.

Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma, and it has occurred in a wide range of different laborers exposed to asbestos. Laborers in the Navy shipyards during and after World War II received heavy doses of asbestos exposure while they used asbestos to insulate piping, boiler rooms and other areas of high heat. In many cases the air was filled with asbestos dust and without proper respiration systems, these workers inhaled the asbestos particles day after day.
Those who mined asbestos were exposed to heavy doses during the mining process. In mining towns, such as Libby, Montana, asbestos dust filled the air in not only the mines and processing facilities, but also in the town square. This asbestos exposure has lead many laborers and towns people to develop asbestos lung cancer.
Construction workers who installed asbestos insulation were also exposed. Asbestos was widely used in car brake linings; therefore, laborers involved in the automotive manufacturing process were placed in work environments where asbestos fibers were inhaled, potentially leading to pleural mesothelioma.
Other Asbestos Exposure
Pericardial and peritoneal mesothelioma are also thought to be caused by asbestos exposure. Pericardial mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the heart and peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the abdomen. How the asbestos fibers become imbedded in the lining of these other organs is not well understood. For those laborers who contracted these diseases, food could have become contaminated due to asbestos exposure, leading to asbestos fibers invading the abdominal lining. Asbestos fibers could also have gotten into the blood stream, either through food or inhalation, due to asbestos exposure. Once in the blood stream, these fibers could become lodged virtually anywhere in the body.
Asbestos Removal
The use of asbestos has mainly been halted, and the potential for exposure to asbestos has fallen dramatically. However, a number of older buildings still include insulation and floor/ceiling tiles that contain asbestos. Great care should be taken to limit exposure to asbestos during demolition work in older buildings. Respirators should be used to filter the air, and the demolition areas should be sealed so that asbestos dust is not released from the demolition area. For construction sites, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has established extensive guidelines to protect construction workers involved in the demolition of buildings containing asbestos.
It is also common for floor tile in older homes to contain asbestos. When remodeling, it is recommended that these asbestos floor coverings not be disturbed and the new floor coverings be placed on top of the older ones. For homeowners, several websites provide information outlining safe removal procedures in order to limit asbestos exposure.

Asbestos - The risks to health

Asbestos - The risks to health

In this second article in a series, we cover the health risks associated with asbestos exposure.

Exposure to asbestos can cause a number of health problems, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis and other types of cancer.

The Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease that can cough and shortness of breath even permanent damage to the lungs.

The mesothelioma is a very rare form of cancer in thin membranes that cover the chest and abdomen. Although very rare, it is also very serious.

People at increased risk for these diseases are those who asbestos, at any time during their life. But most people exposed to asbestos are not sick. Only those who were exposed constantly over a long period of time usually symptoms. Most of these people are usually those who have a job, they are forced to work, or to work with asbestos in the course of the day.

Since the beginning of 1940, millions of people have been exposed to asbestos. The first workers to show signs of health problems associated with asbestos have been those who have worked in the shipbuilding professions, the mining of asbestos and from the mills, in the manufacture of textiles from asbestos, the work, insulation, the demolition The workers, the workers and the walls dry fire brigade. Today is the improvement of the practical work and regulations are the asbestos exposure in these industries less likely.

While it is generally accepted that most people who are seriously ill who have suffered asbestos, the issue of long-term, there are cases of those who have only a short exhibition, which also became ill. The problem is, the diseases caused by asbestos may require 10 to 40 years to be reported. Thus, a child in the school at the age of 13 years may not develop symptoms until he or she is 50 years old.

There is also some evidence that the family members of those who work in areas in connection with asbestos diseases can be associated with asbestos because of asbestos fibers, which will be introduced in the House by the workers, shoes and clothing . This kind of exposure is paraoccupational exhibition. To reduce the risk that workers who are exposed to asbestos have to wash and change their clothes before returning home. It is also proposed that they first shower, if possible.

So, what’s the risk? Not all workers, the asbestos-related health problems. There is a lot to do with the nature of the exposure. Asbestos is enclosed and can probably not break in the atmosphere has less than a threat, asbestos, which are not boxed. Also, the general health status of the employee comes into play, too. A worker who has problems with the health or smoking more likely to suffer from diseases caused by asbestos. Also, the kind of workers exposed to asbestos, which has a major impact on the health of the employee. Certain forms of asbestos are dangerous than others, depending on the concentration and duration of exposure.

In our last article in this series we will be a round on the way to determine if you have a problem, health related to the asbestos and, if so, what to do about this issue.

Information on diseases caused by asbestos

The diseases associated with asbestos may be in your body during decades not only demonstrate bogy in the hand. This means that you may be a danger in itself, and not aware of this. Exposure to asbestos can lead to terrible consequences for the health. You must carefully determine if asbestos. One must know that the diseases associated with asbestos is a terrible thing, and you should not take things too lightly shoulder.

Exposure to asbestos fibers can be used in your home, at work, on the road. It is very dangerous. If a building has been the use of asbestos that you are in big trouble if it fits, its permanent residents. Exposure to asbestos can be almost anywhere where you live or work.

Materials that contain asbestos were well into the 20th Century, and the negative influences on the human body is not known. Well, we already know that asbestos can affect the terrible people. Asbestos, the lines for water, various types of cancer. Asbestos insulation of roofs and can be as dangerous as the pipes.

The air, which contain asbestos is absolutely intolerable for your health. The air transports the asbestos fibers, which are soaked in the lungs, the various diseases associated with asbestos. If you tend to affect the asbestos, you can use your body a lot of asbestos fibres. You can ruin you, lungs, and it can also be used in other areas of your body, causing even more damage.

Popular diseases associated with asbestos is well known as asbestosis and mesothelioma. The asbestosis is an irritation and inflammation of the lungs, which were hit by asbestos fibers. The Mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in the lungs, the coast and the abdominal organs.

Treatment, which contain asbestos, the diseases associated with the treatment of infections, vaccination, and also on standard therapies against cancer. Oxygen can be inflated in the lung so that the fibers are no longer their destructive activities. The people at the theme diseases associated with asbestos should stop smoking if they are smoking. This can prevent the disease.

The burden caused by asbestos, the susceptibility to diseases associated with asbestos, but that is not 100 percent sure that you receive from diseases. Whatever the case, you should be very careful, because you never know how your body reacts to certain influences.

There are many adverse impacts on jobs, too. The workers who are constantly on the construction sites in various houses, are a stronger influence of asbestos fibers. It depends on the house of your work is in office, if you have the influence or not. Some buildings can be very harmful.

Whether with or without asbestos in the construction of a house, you should see a specialist. You can find the consent, and if you are in danger or not. Building as commercial buildings, the workplace or the budgets should be tested to ensure the security of its inhabitants.

Asbestosis: Top jobs that you endanger

The people are from breathing asbestos if they microphone fibers. These fibres can be long-term effects on your health. There were numerous cases of people who Mesothelioma bottom with 20 to 30 years after the asbestos.

Asbestos is not a thing of the past. It is still in numerous manufacturing and also in the construction industry. What follows is a list of the most important professions, the population at risk. If you are in one of those professions, or have in the past, it is wise to get regular and projections.

* All works in the production of asbestos, such as insulation, plumbing supplies, roofing and other building materials.
* Machines are in danger because of asbestos in brake and clutch.
* Tile entrepreneurs are in danger because of the dust from the decomposition of certain types of tile.
* Workers in the oil refineries, rail and the court of workers can be exposed to different sources.
* Naval and / or shipyards in danger because of asbestos in the insulation of pipes and other sources.
* Steel mill worker may come into contact with asbestos in a variety of insulation and clothing industry. Asbestos is an excellent insulation, and is widely used in the employment of an individual to be in the magnitude of high temperatures.
* Former soldiers from the Navy can also be considered a threat to employees of the shipping.
* The workers of the danger, especially those who are not the demolition of the old building.

Who else would be interested?

Masons, plumbers, the dynamiteurs sand, the tôliers, fitters, welders, painters, Longshoremen, acting navy, sand paper grinders, electricians, dry Scotsman, the few who borers, which in building inspectors and maintenance personnel are just some of the people, the most vulnerable.

Remember, it is not much of the exhibition years to influence your life on the street.

You can also you, your family in danger. There were cases in which workers are members of the family went with mesothelioma, even if they are far from the locations of jobs. Everything indicates that the members of the family, of the asbestos fibres came to the workers in the clothing, hair and / or shoes.

Getting popular, if you are in one of these high-risk professions and all precautionary measures (such as ventilators and special clothing) to protect itself and to protect your family.

The battle raged in Congress about the Bill mesothelioma disputes over asbestos

There is a large movement of the opposition, the draft law on combating S.852 - the justice Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005.

Battle lines have been drawn, the big companies have on several top lobbyists in Washington to the law.

The lobbyists for the whole bill as the answer to help the burdens of our judicial system disputes over asbestos.

The net result of this bill, if adopted, it will be several layers for the participation of the government in an already overburdened justice system.

Increase the involvement of the Federal Government, to increase spending on litigation related to asbestos.

Adding another layer of bureaucracy to the victims, the mesothelioma is not the answer. Individuals, these pollutants have the right to be heard on an individual basis.

The draft law has developed guidelines for the people her asbestos exposure.

To the people who have asbestos in a 3-tier model is unfair.

The three levels of asbestos exposure are in a way, subjective to the duration of employment in exposure to asbestos in the course of employment. They are:

• The exhibition moderate
In a normal year of work, the person has in the immediate areas where the products that contain asbestos were installed, repaired or removed, and participates regularly in emissions of asbestos. This includes years as a genuine occupational exposure.

• Heavy Exposure
In a normal year of work, the person was directly in the installation, repair or removal of products that contain asbestos and therefore the asbestos on a regular basis. This counts as two years of substantial occupational exposure.

• Very strong burden
In a normal year of work, the person works in the elementary school asbestos, a shipyard of the Second World War and asbestos insulation professions, and therefore was exposed to asbestos fibers on a regular basis. This counts as four years of substantial exposure in the workplace.

The bill will destroy the rights of the individual to fair compensation in the shortest possible time. The mesothelioma is a disease caused by asbestos causes.