Despite what many may believe, there is no outright ban on the use of asbestos products in the US. An attempt was made by the 1989 by the EPA to ban asbestos products, but this was overturned by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans in 1991. What ensued was a compromise that allowed for uses of asbestos that were established prior to 1989. All other products, known as “new uses” such as flooring felt, roll-board and specialty paper were not allowed to contain asbestos.
Characteristics and Potential Risk of Asbestos Fibers
The physical characteristics of the asbestos particles play a significant role in increasing or decreasing the risk of disease. This is because some types of asbestos particles are more easily inhaled than others. This factor is known as the biopersistence.
The biopersistence is influenced by the composition and size of the asbestos particles. An example of this is the comparison of chrysotile and amphiboles. Chrysotile has high solubility that causes the biopersistence to decrease while, amphiboles has a higher biopersistence resulting in a greater tendency to cause asbestos disease. In addition, asbestos fiber that are long and thin are known to become more easily lodged in the lungs.
Why asbestos use became so popular?
After its discovery, asbestos was known as a “wonder product” that met the needs of the military and industrial establishments. For them asbestos was cheap, readily available, versatile and had good thermal resistance qualities. As a result, during the 1950s and 60s, asbestos was widely used in the construction of airplanes, ships, buildings, ducting and insulation installations. This afforded asbestos significant protection from the then distant voices of opposition, as it was a vital contributor to the successes in world two and industrial revolution. It was not until the late 1960s that victims of mesothelioma started to get a listening ear from regulators who then decided to enforce the compensation to mesothelioma victims.
How does Asbestos Exposure develop into Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is caused from the sustained exposure to asbestos particles. These asbestos particles are inhaled or ingested into the lungs and stomach where they remain stuck into the cell tissue. These asbestos particles then remain there and interact with the cells resulting in a distortion of their natural functions. This results in them splitting uncontrollably and causing a reduction in the lubricating capabilities. Over a period of twenty to forty years, these malfunctioning cells develop into a tumor that spreads quickly throughout mesothelial cells resulting in the cancerous disease called mesothelioma. |
