Archive for the tag 'occupational exposure'

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?

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Asbestos

Asbestos, the natural condition of silicate complex that was largely in numerous industries, including the insulation in the shipbuilding, the manufacture of brake pads, and the cars. Asbestos is a name given to a group of six fibrous minerals, their existence in two general forms, and not crumbly, crumbly. Bröckelige émietté asbestos is the most dangerous form of a powder, also on the application of the pressure of the hand. It is relatively difficult to demystified brittle asbestos is not in powder form. However, in a very damaged, asbestos, is not crumbling to powder émietté to apply pressure, even minimally. The dry powder of asbestos or asbestos, crumbling, crumbly are dangerous to human health, and therefore should be treated with caution, carefully packed and removed.

This time, in the United States, more stringent measures have been taken to the preventive control of the exposure of these hazardous substances in the industry. The limits for occupational exposure to asbestos fibers longer than 5 microns, respectively. However, it should be borne in mind that asbestos, a carcinogen in humans, not on safe handling.

The toxic effects caused by the inhalation of asbestos containing desquamating alveolitis, bronchiolitis, and lung fibrosis. Other more serious illnesses to health from exposure to asbestos pleural effusion, plates pleurales a calcification pleural fibrosis and mesothelioma (malignant).

Asbestos lawyers are lawyers who specialize in cases that are tailored to the harmful effects that are caused by asbestos. They work in the field of law and bring to justice in the form of compensation for those who have a negative effect on their health, because of asbestos in the present and / or past environment. Asbestos is a process of several billion dollars, the industry of lawyers and law firms specializing in the provision of compensation for people who suffer or suffered from mesothelioma and / or other serious problems of asbestos on health inconvenience.

For some time, this element of danger was always the goal, the win by fraudulent acts, the people who have an interest in the capital gains of false means. This is not submitted, in all cases, the right unreal, and not all of them are not worthy of compensation.

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.