Asbestos to blame for Nevada cancer levels: Study

Mesothelioma has been linked to
asbestos exposure.

DENVER - Malignant mesothelioma has been found at higher than expected levels in women and in individuals younger than 55 years old in the southern Nevada counties of Clark and Nye, likewise in the same region carcinogenic mineral fibers including actinolite asbestos, erionite, winchite, magnesioriebeckite and richterite were discovered.

These data, published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the official journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, suggest that these elevated numbers of malignant mesothelioma cases are linked to environmental exposure of carcinogenic mineral fibers.

Malignant mesothelioma is a fatal cancer associated with asbestos exposure that develops on the outer linings of the lungs.

The 3-year survival rate is only 8% and there are limited therapeutic options. The incidence of malignant mesothelioma is higher in locations with known industrial and occupational exposure and for similar reasons the incidence is higher in men, with a male to female ratio of 4:1 to 8:1.

The latency period for is 30-50 years so those diagnosed from occupational exposure are usually in their seventies whereas those diagnosed younger than 55 are rarely associated with occupational exposure.

Asbestos is a commercial and regulatory term applied to six mineral fibers historically mined for industrial use. Naturally occurring asbestos is a term used to describe fibrous minerals that were not used commercially and therefore were not called asbestos and their use was and still is not regulated.

Like asbestos, these naturally occurring fibers are natural components of rocks and soils and a potential source of exposure especially if these fibers become airborne through natural erosion or human activities producing dust.

Researchers from Hawaii, Nevada, and Pennsylvania examined malignant mesothelioma mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control by gender, age group, state, and counties for the period 1999-2010.

The two southern Nevada counties of Clark and Nye were grouped together and the proportion of women and those younger than 55 years old in these two southern counties were compared to those in all other Nevada counties grouped together as well as the rest of the United States.

The male to female ratio of malignant mesothelioma in all Nevada counties excluding Clarke and Nye was 6.33:1, but in Clarke and Nye counties it was statistically lower at 2.69:1 (p=0.0468), which could not be explained by population demographics, as these were the same.

The percentage of individuals younger than 55 was significantly higher in the southern Nevada counties compared to the remainder of the US counties (11.28% vs 6.21%, p=0.0249).

Tremolite and actinolite, both members of the asbestos family, as well as erionite, winchite, richterite, and magnesioriebeckite are present in southern Nevada and all have been linked to cancer in humans.

The authors acknowledge that women and children can be exposed to fibrous minerals as a result of their husband's or father's occupational exposure when bringing these fibers home on their clothes.

However, the authors conclude "in southern Nevada there are no major asbestos industries, thus this seems an unlikely hypothesis. Instead, the presence of asbestos and other fibers in the environment of Clark and Nye Counties, where a lower M:F sex ratio and an increased proportion of malignant mesothelioma are seen in young individuals, suggests that some of these malignant mesotheliomas are caused by environmental exposure which can happen when human activities and natural processes such as wind or water release fibers in the air."

Michele Carbone, senior author on the study, states "further research is needed, including epidemiological, geological, mineralogical and health-based personal exposure studies in order to characterize the residential and occupational history of the malignant mesothelioma cases we studied, to highlight the highest risk areas within Clark and Nye counties, to identify the type of fibrous minerals and their precise distribution throughout Nevada, and to identify the activities responsible for the release of fibers in the air, which may be the cause of some of the malignant mesothelioma in this region."

Source: IASLC

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Three schools closed due to asbestos scare

Airborne asbestos fibers are carcinogenic.

A beleaguered Huntington Beach school district has now closed three of its campuses because of an asbestos scare, leaving 1,300 students without a school to attend.

The three grade schools were closed when parents learned that their children could have been exposed to potentially carcinogenic asbestos while the Ocean View School District worked to modernize school sites.

Since then, hundreds of parents have been uncertain when and where their children would return to the classroom.

The school district is losing about $63,000 a day in state funds because students cannot attend class.

About 100 families have requested that their children be transferred to schools in other districts.

"There's no way I can trust my son is going to be safe there anymore," said parent Lily Coffin, who said she hoped to move her son to the neighboring Huntington Beach City School District.

District trustees voted during a special meeting to close Lake View, Hope View and Oak View elementary schools, while classrooms were cleaned and tested to make sure they were free of potentially carcinogenic asbestos dust. Lake View was later closed indefinitely, and now the district has decided to keep the other two schools closed indefinitely as well.

"Recently, we received information from our consultants and experts that it is not in the best interest of students and staff to reopen these three schools until we obtain additional information," said Gustavo Balderas, Ocean View's superintendent.

While the district has determined it can move students from Lake View to other campuses in the district, it’s unclear what will happen with the 1,300 students from the other campuses.

Ocean View officials have said they were aware that asbestos has been in their schools for decades. However, parents became upset when they learned the district may have been removing the material as part of a large-scale modernization project while students were present.

Ongoing testing revealed there was asbestos in two classrooms at Lake View, while a single asbestos fiber was found in a classroom at Hope View. Test results from Oak View were inconclusive, officials said.

The district said it will test for asbestos during the next several weeks at all 11 schools in the district. The cost of the tests is about $700,000, said Assistant Supt. Roni Ellis.

Construction has been suspended at every school until the summer and the district.

Cal/OSHA, is investigating whether contractors continued to remove asbestos while students were in classrooms, which would violate state law.

Ocean View officials could not yet provide an estimate of the number of families who have applied for transfers.

The loss of state funds and the cost of asbestos removal could leave the district in financial trouble. Officials said they may end up asking the state to help with costs.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that until the 1970s was widely used in building products and insulation materials. The fibers can be released into the air during demolition work, repairs and remodeling, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

When Lake View, Oak View and Hope View schools were built decades ago, asbestos was used as fireproofing on metal beams above the ceiling. Over time, the dust began to fall from the beams and settle on top of classroom ceiling tiles, district records show.

Though coming into contact with asbestos that hasn't been disturbed isn't harmful, it becomes a hazard when the dust becomes airborne, said Steven Viani, a registered civil engineer and engineering contractor with experience in asbestos and other hazardous materials.

Inhaling high levels of the dust can increase the risk of lung disease that isn't detected until years later, including a type of cancer called mesothelioma, experts say.

Teachers have expressed concern that they weren't notified about the asbestos above the tiles and said the district should have placed signs restricting access to limit the risk of the dust becoming airborne.

Source: LA Times

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Many clueless about natural asbestos problem

Asbestos fibers can get deep into the lungs
and affect people's health.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigators prompted by a resident's concern in late 2012 tested rocks near a housing development in Burlington, Washington, and found evidence of naturally occurring asbestos.

Prolonged exposure to the substance found inside the rocks has been shown to cause lung cancer, and investigators recommended in a draft report that signs be posted "alerting people to the dangers of asbestos exposure."

Residents, however, were never formally notified of the discovery by federal, state or local officials — a case that experts and others say highlights the challenges authorities face when dealing with naturally occurring hazards.

Jean Melious, an environmental and land-use lawyer who teaches environmental studies at Western Washington University, said natural asbestos is vexing for government agencies, partly because it's not a disaster that calls for immediate action.

"It's a lot easier for government to work when there's a big hue and cry," she said.

Andy Smith, an on-scene coordinate with the EPA, said no government agency has total authority over natural asbestos.

"This kind of problem falls in the cracks," he said.

Natural asbestos occurs throughout US

Natural asbestos is often found in certain types of rocks and near fault zones. It can be released into the air from the rocks when they are broken or crushed, as often occurs during mining or development.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources says naturally occurring asbestos has been found in areas in the northern part of the state and experts say it occurs throughout the United States.

Keith Welch, a resident of the Burlington Hill housing development who alerted federal authorities, said he's frustrated the authorities haven't been more proactive in telling people about the presence of asbestos and doing more comprehensive studies.

"It's one thing to be cautious," Welch said. "Now that it's been identified, somebody needs to do something about it."

The Burlington Hill case has helped agencies discuss best practices for permitting and public awareness, said Katie Skipper of the Northwest Clean Air Agency, which is responsible for enforcing air pollution regulations in Skagit, Whatcom and Island counties.

In June, Skagit County posted information about naturally occurring asbestos in the environmental health section of its website. It mentions the asbestos on Burlington Hill in one sentence, and provides links to other asbestos-related information.

In its March 2013 report, the EPA said it found actinolite asbestos along a road cut on the northeastern side of Burlington Hill. No asbestos was found at three other locations sampled.

Because of the health risks associated with asbestos, the report said people should limit their exposure to the asbestos and that a more thorough study would need to be done to determine how much asbestos might be at the site.

Source: KOMO News

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Asbestors inspectors overloaded in Iowa

One inspector oversees 4,500 projects annually

Asbestos remediation needs to be
done properly to minimize health risks.

Most people were unaware of the dangers of asbestos decades ago, and many construction workers were working with materials without breathing apparatuses — something that today be considered a violation of federal regulations.

In fact, many construction workers may look the other way regarding possible asbestos violations, perhaps not comprehending the long-term ramifications of their inaction.

In Iowa, one inspector enforces U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asbestos removal regulations and oversees as many as 4,500 asbestos removal projects each year.

His job with the state’s natural resources department is primarily centered on protecting public health under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, also known as NESHAP.

Another asbestos inspector is part of the Iowa Division of Labor. That inspector focuses on worker protections under federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations.

While the agencies frequently communicate and sometimes share information, the regulations they enforce are separate and often require separate reviews, officials from both agencies said.

City and county government officials are also responsible for assisting in asbestos oversight. State and federal regulations, for example, sometimes require an asbestos survey to be completed and those regulations may require removal of material that can become airborne prior to the issuance of a demolition permit.

A contractor’s complaint has prompted closer scrutiny of possible asbestos exposure involving workers at a downtown Des Moines renovation project, but an inspector doesn’t even visit hundreds of sites across Iowa each year where workers could face risks from the cancer-causing material.

The routine lack of asbestos-handling inspections at construction sites in Iowa and across the nation represents a widespread failure to protect the public, environmental safety advocates say.

In Iowa, one inspector enforces U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asbestos removal regulations and oversees as many as 4,500 asbestos removal projects each year. Another inspector must try to enforce federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration asbestos regulations.

Some say the number of OSHA asbestos inspectors in Iowa should increase to five or 10. Minnesota’s OSHA agency, for example, has 15 inspectors who are trained to sample and assist with asbestos investigations.

This article has been edited for length. Source: Des Moines Register

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Hampshire schools could expose public to asbestos

Contaminated air in schools may affect teachers, staff and
students' health and well-being.

An inquest ruled teacher Marion Potts died of mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos in school, although it could not pinpoint which one.

She was thought to be the first teacher in the region to die of the disease, but Lynne Squibb, co-founder of Hampshire Asbestos Support and Awareness Group (HASAG), said the problem was more wide-spread.

“This is not the first teacher in Hampshire to get mesothelioma through exposure at school. We’ve seen a handful of teachers that have been diagnosed with mesothelioma over the years," Squibb said.

"It is an ongoing problem, as around 90 per cent of schools still contain asbestos. The major concern is a child contracting it, but it can take anywhere between 20 and 60 years from exposure to asbestos to developing the disease, so we won’t see the effects for decades.”

Southampton-based HASAG was started by Lynne and her sister Diane in 2006, two years after their father Dave Salisbury was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The 71-year-old spent his entire career at Eastleigh railway works and died in December 2005.

Lynne added: “It’s something we have been campaigning on, along with the Asbestos in Schools group (AiS) which has been lobbying the Government to do something. But the Government is looking to keep it in situ and asks schools to keep an asbestos register and we don’t feel that is enough.

“We hear removing asbestos is too expensive because it is so specialist but you cannot put a price on just one person’s safety.

“Every time you hear a school is building a new block and knocking down other parts, asbestos could be released.”

Asbestos expert Michael Lees warned the problem was even more serious because children are more vulnerable to the effects of asbestos than adults.

Mr Lees, a founder member of AiS, said: “Exposure in school will contribute a significant amount of ‘lifetime exposure’ because you are looking at people who are more vulnerable.

“The lifetime risk for a five-year-old exposed to asbestos is five times greater than a 30-year-old.”

Both the city and county council have said asbestos is monitored in Hampshire schools and removed where possible.

Source: Daily Echo

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Asbestos registry law in effect in Canadian province

Saskatchewan first province to enact asbestos reporting legislation

Asbestos exposure can lead to life-threatening
illness and is a public health hazard, authorities say.

Nearly a year after the death of an advocate from cancer caused by asbestos exposure, the Saskatchewan government has officially enacted a law named after him — a law making it mandatory for public buildings containing the notorious mineral to report it.

The Public Health Amendment Act, also known as Howard’s Law, went into effect on Nov. 7. The law makes Saskatchewan the first Canadian province to enact legislation requiring a public registry of buildings known to contain asbestos.

Crown corporations, schools, health facilities and provincial government organizations must now report any asbestos content in their facilities to the Saskatchewan Asbestos Registry.

“At the present time, it’s mandatory for public buildings,” explained Don Morgan, Saskatchewan’s minister of labour relations and workplace safety. “That will include buildings owned by public sector entities, and it will be optional for building owners beyond that point. So if you are a large commercial landlord and you wish to list your buildings, you could, but we require it for hospitals, schools and that type of thing.”

The provincial government passed the act in the legislature after its third reading on April 18, five months after Saskatchewan launched a voluntary registry and an online information guide about buildings with asbestos.

Morgan anticipates that the new law will benefit the public in two ways: providing specific information about asbestos content in the province’s buildings, and raising public awareness of the general existence of the material.

The risk occurs if asbestos is accidentally disturbed
and asbestos fibers become airborne.

“It exists in a lot of buildings that were constructed before 1980,” he said. “In most of them, it’s encased and it’s not a factor. The problem arises when somebody will go in to change plumbing pipes or do electrical work and then will inadvertently disturb the asbestos, and it becomes airborne. The risk occurs if it’s accidentally disturbed or moved into the air,” Morgan said.

Howard’s Law is, in part, the legacy of the late Howard Willems, an asbestos awareness activist who worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency while co-chairing local oh&s committees (COHSN, Nov. 19, 2012). In 2010, Willems was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer linked to asbestos. He passed away on Nov. 8, 2012.

“We’ve accomplished everything that Howard set out to do,” said Jesse Todd, a health and safety officer in Saskatchewan and the chairman of the Saskatchewan Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (SADAO). “We’ve carried on in his name, in his honour, so it’s very gratifying to see this become law.”

Willems co-founded SADAO with fellow activist Bob Sass in 2010, out of the former Saskatchewan Ban Asbestos Committee.

Todd suggests that the other provinces — and the federal government, which has jurisdiction over a lot of buildings and facilities under the Canada Labour Code — need to consider adopting similar asbestos registries. “I believe that a registry would benefit those workers as well,” he said.

“There are some good regulations out there that do refer to how to deal with asbestos once it’s been identified. But the problem is, people do not have the tools available to them to identify where asbestos is prior to beginning a renovation of a building.”

Source: OHS Canada

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Hotel owner settles for asbestos violations

Materials containing asbestos need to be disposed of properly.
Image by Michelle Meiklejohn/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

BBA Winchester LLC, the owner of a former hotel located in Winchester, Idaho has settled with EPA and agreed to pay a $21,000 fine for asbestos safety and environmental violations from improper demolition of the hotel.

“This is an unfortunate example that when asbestos is not properly removed before demolition, the entire debris pile becomes contaminated, putting people at risk, and greatly increasing disposal costs,” said Scott Downey, Manager of the Air and Hazardous Waste Compliance Unit at the EPA Seattle office.

“Because this owner failed to check for asbestos before demolition, their $2,000 demolition project ballooned into a $55,000 asbestos waste cleanup and disposal problem.”

In response to public complaints, EPA inspected the demolition site of the former hotel in 2012. BBA Winchester LLC demolished the 100-year-old hotel in late 2011 or early 2012, without first inspecting the building for asbestos, removing asbestos materials, or notifying EPA, as required by law.

Unsecured debris prompts health concerns

The demolition was in a residential neighborhood and the contaminated debris was unsecured for more than a year, prompting community concerns about asbestos health risks.

EPA inspectors collected samples from the site that showed the demolition debris contained regulated asbestos waste. After confirming the debris was contaminated, EPA worked with BBA Winchester LLC to clean up the contaminated debris and ensure proper disposal.

Follow-up testing after the cleanup showed that the soil and remaining concrete and glass did not contain asbestos and could be disposed of as normal demolition debris.

Asbestos is a hazardous air pollutant regulated by EPA to protect public health. Building owners and contractors are required to check for asbestos and then remove it before demolition to protect workers and the public from exposure to asbestos fibers.

When inhaled, asbestos fibers can lodge in a person’s lungs and lead to respiratory illness including lung cancer, mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, and asbestosis, a serious progressive lung disease.

More information about asbestos and safe demolition can be found here.

Source: EPA news release

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Housing Authority to pay for workers' asbestos-poisoning tests

(Article from the Lowell-Sun.com)

(Massachusetts) Several months after questions were raised about the Lowell Housing Authority's possible improper handling of asbestos during a major renovation project, the agency has agreed to pay for and promote the opportunity for its maintenance employees to get tested for asbestos poisoning.

LHA Executive Director Gary Wallace said Wednesday he has consented to the request put forth by the union representing the maintenance employees because he wants to allay any concerns LHA workers may have about exposure to asbestos.

"It makes sense for some of the older people who might have worries," Wallace told The Sun. "We also want to put the issue to rest."

Angelo Karabatsos, president of the union representing the LHA's maintenance workers, said the idea of employees receiving asbestos testing first emerged last year after the LHA decided to bring on a environmental consultant to determine how much asbestos is present at all of its major developments.

The decision to hire a consultant came in the months following the City Council's call for an investigation into whether asbestos was handled improperly during the LHA's renovations at North Common Village from 2008 to 2011. The Inspector General's Office released a report in October saying there was no evidence asbestos was removed during the project, but two other state agencies determined that proper testing was not done prior to the work.

Also, the LHA's consultant found asbestos in the second layer of floor tile and associated mastic of the only North Common unit it tested over the summer.

Karabatsos said Wednesday he put forward the testing proposal so his members who want the testing because of concerns have access to it. He is strongly encouraging his members who have been at the LHA the longest to get tested because many of the old buildings at the LHA used to be full of asbestos and some still remains.

"The guys who have been there many years would be wise to get tested to put their minds at ease," Karabatsos said. "There is no doubt in my mind some of them were interacting with asbestos for years."

Karabatsos praised the LHA for agreeing to set a specific date, time and place for the testing and make sure LHA employees are aware of it.

Workers can also get tested for unhealthy exposure to lead, added Karabatsos. He estimates close to 50 LHA employees would be eligible to receive the testing.

"The housing authority is living up to their responsibility to their workers," Karabatsos said.

Both Wallace and Karabatsos said they expect the testing to be scheduled for some time in the coming weeks.

The health consequences for exposure to asbestos fibers and lead paint can be very severe.

Exposure to asbestos fibers can lead to tissue scarring, lung diseases and mesothelioma.

Meanwhile, unhealthy exposure to lead can cause lead poisoning, which has a variety of symptoms, including a decline in mental functioning.

Illinois court reverses $17.8M asbestos verdict against Honeywell, Pneumo-Abex and UNARCO

The Illinois Fourth District Appellate Court has reversed a $17.8 million verdict in an asbestos conspiracy case.

It concluded that plaintiff Jayne Menssen did not present sufficient evidence to prove that Honeywell International and Pneumo-Abex conspired with other manufacturers to suppress the serious health hazards of inhaling asbestos.

Her suit sought to damages for the pleural mesothelioma cancer that Menssen alleges she contracted as a result of being exposed to asbestos while working at the Union Asbestos and Rubber Company (UNARCO) in Bloomington.

Menssen worked at UNARCO, a manufacturer and distributor of asbestos and asbestos products, from 1967 to 1969 and claimed that during her time there, she inhaled asbestos fibers manufactured by Abex and Honeywell, among other companies.

Her suit accused Abex, Honeywell and UNARCO of entering into a civil conspiracy by agreeing to suppress information about the effects of asbestos and falsely asserting that exposure to asbestos was safe.

To bolster her conspiracy argument, Menssen presented evidence that Abex allegedly conspired with eight other corporations to conceal information from a study that Dr. LeRoy U. Gardner conducted on the effects of asbestos more than seven decades ago through the use of mice.

Two years after Gardner died, the Saranac Laboratory prepared the final report of Gardner's findings and sent it to Johns-Manville, which supplied asbestos to Abex and was one of the nine corporations that financed the study.

The general counsel of Johns-Manville passed on the draft report to the other financing corporations, the majority of which later met and voted to delete references to cancer and tumors from the final published report.

The Saranac Laboratory in 1951 published the report, which did not include any references to tumors and malignancies in the mice, according to the appellate court opinion.

In February 2010, a McLean County jury returned a verdict in favor of Menssen and against Abex and Honeywell. It awarded Menssen $3.5 million in compensatory damages, $4.37 million in punitive damages against Abex and $10 million against Honeywell for a total verdict of about $17.8 million.

The two companies appealed, alleging numerous deficiencies.

Source: LegalNewsLine.com

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Public health building in Iqaluit contaminated with mold, asbestos

Some molds can affect
human health and well-being.

No matter how far north you are, mold and asbestos concerns can become a health issue.

The Iqaluit Public Health and the Family Practice clinic building has to undergo extensive renovations to fix mold and asbestos concerns, the Nunavut government announced.

An environmental assessment by Ottawa clean air investigators found mold in the relatively old public health building as well as asbestos in floor tiles.

The renovations will take at least four months, during which time Health and Social services needs a temporary location.

The mold concerns need to be addressed, experts say, because some molds can cause asthma, respiratory infections and poisonous, toxic effects in some individuals.

If the asbestos in the floor tiles is disturbed in any way, people in the building may be exposed to airborne asbestos fibers, which have been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma and other lung diseases.

Source: Nunatsiaq Online

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Asbestos workers have higher risk of heart disease, strokes

Asbestos can cause more than lung diseases;
it can also cause cardiovascular disease and strokes.

When employees are exposed to asbestos at their workplace, they have a much higher risk of heart disease and stroke than the general population, according to a new study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The research also showed that women are at greater risk than men.

For decades, it has been known that exposure to asbestos can cause serious lung disease like mesothelioma and asbestosis, but the asbestos fibers also act as an inflammatory agent that can lead to heart disease and stroke (inflammation has been linked to cardiovascular disease before).

The researchers examined the cause of death for almost 100,000 asbestos workers who participated in the Asbestos Workers Survey, and compared them to the numbers expected for the average population.

Many of the men in the survey worked in asbestos removal, while many women were employed in manufacturing.

The researchers found the risk was strongest when the participants also smoked, which is an additional risk for heart attack and stroke.

But even after taking into account of smoking, asbestos workers were still much more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than the general population.

Male asbestos workers were 63% more likely to die of a stroke and 39% more likely to die of heart disease.

Female asbestos workers were 100% more likely to die of a stroke and 89% more likely to die of heart disease.

The risk grew along with the duration of exposure, the researchers found.

Source:  British Medical Journal

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Landmark ruling on asbestos compensation

Insurance companies will have to pay compensation
to families that are affected by asbestos exposure.

The Supreme Court in Britain decided that insurers who had offered coverage at the time asbestos victims inhaled fibers will have to honor that and pay compensation.

Four insurance companies have been fighting in court to pay the least amounts possible to 6,000 families, who have a family member that either died or suffers from mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos.

The Supreme Court’s decision could bring the compensation bill to more than 600 million pounds and even up to 5 billion pounds if up to 25,000 families enter their claims in the future.

The lawsuit went from High Court to the Court of Appeal and has been running since the year 2006.

Many cancer patients that initially started the claims have died, and their family members have kept pursuing the case.

Asbestos exposure has turned out to be one of the biggest killers in the British workplace even though it has been banned for a while.

The fibers can be in a person’s lungs for half a century before causing cancer, so that experts predict a peak of deaths only in 2016. Currently, about 4,000 people die of asbestos-related diseases in the UK each year.

It has been common knowledge since 1955 that inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause fatal lung cancer.

Employers or their insurers are liable to compensate those who are affected, even if it takes decades to develop.

Observers of the controversial drawn-out case say that a lot of money was wasted in the courts, which could have been given to victims’ families. The average compensation payments for mesothelioma are 200,000 pounds.

Before the lawsuit went to court, insurance companies were paying claims from 1967 until 2006.

Source: The Independent

Watch out for asbestos fibers exposure

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Asbestos exposure still remains a problem today because asbestos-containing materials were used extensively before the ban and a lot of older homes and buildings are affected.

Renovations, demolition and other work on those buildings can expose workers and occupants to the deadly fibers.

It is important to let professional asbestos remediation companies handle these projects to minimize exposure and risks.

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European asbestos trial finds two industrialists guilty

Asbestos trial sentences two men to prison
and to pay damages.

An Italian court on Monday sentenced two men to 16 years in prison over thousands of asbestos-related deaths.

The Swiss billionaire and Belgian baron were major decision makers in a company making Eternit fiber cement and were found guilty in failing to comply with safety regulations.

As part of their sentence, they were ordered to pay damages to civil parties that could add up to millions of dollars.

The trial piqued worldwide interest since it could be a potential precedent for similar trials.

Exposure to asbestos fibers continues to affect former workers and nearby residents, with many developing cancer and lung disease.

The company went bankrupt six years before asbestos was banned in Italy in 1992.

Asbestos was a widely used material in building insulation and other building materials because of its ability to absorb sound and to resist fire.

However, the material has been banned in Europe and North America because the inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause lung inflammation and cancer, sometimes only 20 years after the exposure.

Asbestos continues to be used in developing countries.

Source: Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Take precautions when dealing with asbestos

Even though asbestos has been banned for some time, it can still be found in many older buildings and homes.

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During renovation and remodeling projects, it can become a risk factor to human health, if the asbestos-containing material is being disturbed and sets free tiny asbestos fiber that can be inhaled by workers and building occupants.

It’s important to rely on professional asbestos remediation services whenever asbestos is involved.

Additional help with industrial-strength air cleaners can assist in removing asbestos fibers as well as other particles, dust and chemicals linked to the construction work.

Electrocorp offers portable and powerful air cleaners for mold and asbestos remediation with highly effective particle filters as well as activated carbon filters to remove the widest range of indoor air contaminants.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.
  

Asbestos and air quality concerns

Asbestos exposure can lead to lung disease
and mesothelioma.

This is a guest post from Mesothelioma Center.

Air contamination occurs when unwanted or hazardous materials, such as asbestos, affect the air around us.

Asbestos is odorless, tasteless and the fibers are invisible to the naked eye. In comparison to a human hair, an asbestos fiber is about one ninth of the width.

Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause severe health problems including mesothelioma cancers, lung cancer and asbestosis, as well as other conditions.

Airborne asbestos fibers are the most dangerous because they can be easily inhaled into the lungs. The fibers can become lodged in the lining of the lungs and are unable to be broken down or expelled by the body’s natural defenses.

There are no immediate symptoms of an asbestos-related disease, in fact mesothelioma symptoms may take 20-50 years to develop.

Could you be at risk for exposure? 

Asbestos was widely used as a building material for insulation and fireproofing up until the late 1980’s.

Rooms with poor ventilation keep fresh air from circulating in, making it hazardous for people entering into rooms with asbestos such as attics and basements. Also, workers that installed asbestos-containing products are at a greater risk due to the large disturbance of loose fibers.

Concentration of fibers in homes, schools, or other buildings can range from 30 to 6,000 fibers per cubic meter. It is important to know if the buildings you spend time in contain asbestos.

The presence of loose or disturbed asbestos in your work or home creates a larger danger since you generally spend the majority of your time in those places.

Home renovations on houses built before the 1990’s can be another potential dangerous situation due to the likelihood of asbestos being present.

Go for professional inspections and removal services

If you are conducting a home renovation remember to keep your working area well ventilated, and if you come across a substance that might be asbestos or contains asbestos, stop and get it inspected. Asbestos removal should be performed by a professionally trained contractor.

As you can see, air contaminated with asbestos poses severe risks to your health. No amount of asbestos exposure is safe.

Feel free to learn more about asbestos and mesothelioma at the Mesothelioma Center and visit them on Facebook and Twitter.

Links:

• Air cleaners for mold and asbestos abatement (Electrocorp)