Asbestos is a natural mineral known for its insulation properties. The mineral is helpful in the manufacturing, construction, and steel industries.
Despite its usefulness, asbestos is toxic to the human respiratory system. Asbestos exposure can cause severe damage that may result in fatality. Despite being banned in the USA in the 90s, some manufacturing companies illegally use asbestos and related products in their building materials, risking the lives of many.
Suppose you or someone you know has been a victim of employer negligence in the form of asbestos exposure. In that case, you can file a claim to get monetary compensation. Here are eight things to know about asbestos exposure before the legal process initiates.
Table of Contents
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is made up of fibers that provide resistance to electricity, heat, and corrosion, thus used in construction materials. During the early days of its usage, asbestos was used as an insulator in cloth, plastic, paper, and cement, among other materials. However, inhaling asbestos as dust can trap its fibers inside the body. As a result, asbestos affects the outer lining of organs like the lungs. As a result, it can develop into cancer, called mesothelioma, over time. In addition, asbestos fibers can cause inflammation and genetic harm in victims’ bodies.
Apart from mesothelioma, asbestos exposure can also cause asbestosis, an irreversible lung disease. Asbestos fibers are carcinogenic and, thus, lethal. There are plenty of mesothelioma lawyers in and nearby Pennsylvania, as it is the USA’s third-largest hub of asbestos-related deaths. Suppose you have experienced asbestos exposure or know someone who is. In that case, it is better to take help from a mesothelioma lawyer to file a lawsuit.
1. Types of Asbestos
There are six types of asbestos. Two of the main categories are Amphibole and Serpentine.
Amphibole Asbestos has straight fibers that are jagged in shape. The five types of amphibole asbestos are Crocidolite, Tremolite, Amosite, Actinolite, and Anthophyllite.
Serpentine asbestos has curly fibers and only one type: Chrysotile. Also called “white asbestos,” Chrysotile fibers are white.
2. The origin of Asbestos
Asbestos is manufactured globally, though China, Russia, and Kazakhstan are its leading exporters. It was also mined in North America until it was banned.
Asbestos can occur in the form of large deposits or as other minerals like vermiculite and talc. The Chrysotile asbestos typically forms as veins in the serpentine rock.
3. Asbestos-Related illnesses
As mentioned earlier, asbestos fibers are cancer-causing and develop mesothelioma, a type of cancer. Mesothelioma develops due to long-term asbestos exposure. The asbestos mineral can also cause cancer in the ovaries, larynx, and lungs.
Other types of asbestos-related illnesses are:
- Asbestosis
- Pleural effusions
- Pleural plaques
- Diffuse pleural thickening
- Pleuritis
- Chronic-obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
4. Risks of Asbestos Exposure
Though even the slightest amount of asbestos exposure is unsafe and toxic, those with long-term exposure bear the most intense impacts. This is because asbestos dust gathers up in the body upon every exposure. Unfortunately, the damage it causes is irreversible.
Asbestos fibers become airborne if inhaled; thus, it is crucial to avoid asbestos-containing materials. In addition, people who reside near asbestos mines or where it exists naturally must avoid the contaminated area.
Due to asbestos’s widespread use in construction and manufacturing industries, the most common victims are men of older age. The age factor holds because asbestos has a long latency of twenty to fifty years. Therefore, asbestos exposure may take up to fifty years to develop into a lethal disease.
Most victims suffer asbestos exposure at their workplaces, like those in the military, construction sites, and factories.
5. Symptoms of Asbestos Exposure
Since there is a lengthy latency period, you may not experience the symptoms until a very long time has passed. However, symptoms can include:
- Wheezing
- Hoarse voice
- Gasping for air
- Cough that lingers on and deteriorates with time
- Coughing up blood
- Experiencing tightness in the chest
- Difficulty swallowing
- Swelling near the neck and face region
- Loss of appetite
- Sudden weight loss
Those mentioned above can also be symptoms of other respiratory illnesses like asthma, COPD, or tuberculosis. Be sure to check with a pulmonologist for an accurate diagnosis.
6. Asbestos-Related Occupations
As of today, more than 1 million workers in the construction industry are at risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses. Though new and strict workplace regulations have reduced the risk, it remains. The following jobs still pose a threat to asbestos exposure:
- Mining industry worker
- Construction industry worker
- Manufacturing industry worker
- Electricity generation
- Firefighter
- Automotive mechanic
- Military service
Workers in these fields and their loved ones are at an increased risk of developing asbestos-related illnesses due to secondhand exposure.
7. Is Asbestos Exposure Avoidable?
At some point, everyone undergoes asbestos exposure due to its prevalent use. It is present in the soil, air, and water around us. But since it is in low concentration, it isn’t that much of a health risk.
To avoid asbestos exposure, be cautious of your surroundings. Stay clear of areas where construction and manufacturing occur or where asbestos occurs naturally. But even then, it is unavoidable as when buildings and homes undergo demolition, asbestos dust is released into the air. Though asbestos has not been mined since the 1970s, it is still used in cement works, vinyl flooring, and other regular-use items. Therefore, unless you work in a minefield where asbestos occurs naturally or on a construction site, you are safe from exposure to large concentrations of asbestos.
Conclusion
Asbestos, irrespective of the ban, is still present in our environment. It is still harmful and lethal to those exposed to it consistently. Millions have been impacted by asbestos exposure, and thousands have filed lawsuits against companies using it. American Congress is persistent in taking steps to eradicate asbestos from the manufacturing and construction industries ultimately, but it is a long journey.
