Asbestos Causes

Who can argue with the facts, exposure to hazardous asbestos can be fatal.  Serious doctors have reached a consensus thanks in large part to the myriad of studies researching Mesothelioma and its causes.  One interesting study is called, “Ecological Relationship between Mesothelioma Incidence/Mortality and Asbestos Consumption in Ten Western Countries and Japan” by  Ken TAKAHASHI, et al. Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health – Here is an excerpt: “The objective of the present study was to evaluate the ecological relationship between mesothelioma incidence/mortality and per capita asbestos consumption in ten Western countries and Japan. The two national indices used to assess the geographical correlation were the most recent incidence/mortality rate of mesothelioma for the population over 15 years of age, and the per capita asbestos consumption rate of approximately 10-25 years ago for the population of all ages at that time.

Among the ten Western countries, a clear linear relationship was shown between the mesothelioma incidence/mortality rate and the preceding per capita asbestos consumption rate with the Spearman correlation coefficient at 0.70 (p=0.03), and R2-value at 66%. However, the data-point for Japan was situated apart from the linear relationship due to the lower mesothelioma mortality rate, and when combined with other Western countries, the significant relationship diminished. It is possible that the asbestos consumption curve for Japan in past years lagged behind that for the Western countries and the cumulative exposure effect has not yet reached the level that can be expected from other Western countries.” (J Occup Health 1999; 41: 8-11)

Asbestos, the hazardous building material linked to potentially deadly health problems including cancer and lung problems, has been the focus of a worldwide debate to ban its use in developing countries.

Anti-asbestos activists and asbestos victims – those suffering from the fatal side effects like mesothelioma or asbestosis – met in Turin, Italy to discuss the worldwide ban and justice against the companies that continue to use the material.

Due to its inexpensive nature, the material has been a favorite in developing countries, in part because it has been banned in other countries, including the European Union since 2005. Mesothelioma, for example, can manifest close to 30 or 40 years after the initial exposure, which makes the harmful side effects even more difficult to pinpoint.

Asbestos is the name for a group of six naturally occurring silicates that are composed of bundled fibers. Asbestos doesn’t conduct electricity and the asbestos threads are resistant to fire, chemicals and heat.

For many years these fibers were commercially separated into threads that were then used in the manufacture of building materials.

Although on the surface asbestos solves many challenges associated with building construction, it has a very major downside. That is when asbestos fibers are inhaled or swallowed they can cause life-threatening diseases.

When materials that contains asbestos are disturbed, the disturbance has the potential to cause the release asbestos dust and miniscule asbestos fibers into the air. Then, if these nearly indestructible fibers lodge themselves in a person’s body, they ultimately can cause inflammation, scarring, and a number of nonmalignant as well as malignant conditions.