Mesothelioma Legislation: The Fight Against Asbestos

In the eve of last century, asbestos was considered the ideal construction material. It was resistant to fire, isolated electricity conduction was easy to use and above was, was very inexpensive. But problems rose when asbestos was proved to produce fatal diseases when inhaled. One of them is mesothelioma.

This dreadful mesothelioma has taken hundreds of thousands of lives throughout the years. Lives of hard working men that have families. Men that work to bring food on the table for their children and wives. Men that return home covered in asbestos dust and not knowing how lethal it is, hug their children and kiss them good night. Men that were infected with asbestos lung mesothelioma not even knowing what mesothelioma is.

General Statistics

You would think that a mesothelioma legislation would be created in order to ban the horrific use of asbestos. However, The Environmental Protection Agency has still not banned the use of asbestos. In September 2004, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine said that 1.3 million US workers in construction sites are in danger of obtaining pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma from asbestos inhaling.

Although is hasn't been banned, many lawsuits have been filed against the asbestos producing companies since 1929. As a result more than 25 of the richest companies in the US that produced asbestos filed bankruptcy because of all the compensations they had to pay to their mesothelioma diseased workers; one man winning a record of $2.3 million.

Litigation Reaction

Much is being made by the US congress in order to find a common ground between the thousands of plaintiffs and the defending companies. Such as considering legislation act "Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005". This would create a $140 billion trust fund in order to meet civil litigations that would compensate the victims with the malignant mesothelioma.

After certain events in his life, Ermenegildo Billar has dedicated years of his life to understanding and helping people with the malignant mesothelioma. For your comfort he decided to create www.infothelioma.com so you can have easy access to his research.

Asbestos - No One Said It Cause Cancer!

Asbestos is well recognized as a health hazard and is highly regulated. An estimated 1.3 million employees in construction and general industry face significant asbestos exposure on the job. Heaviest exposures occur in the construction industry, particularly during the removal of asbestos during renovation or demolition.

Asbestos fibers can enter the air or water from the breakdown of natural deposits and manufactured asbestos products. Small diameter fibers and particles may remain suspended in the air for a long time and be carried long distances by wind or water before settling down.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a rare disease that is strongly related to exposure to asbestos particularly occupational exposure. Mesothelioma is the most serious asbestos causing disease. Mesothelioma is a disease that is almost 100% preventable; the only known cause is via exposure to the deadly mineral Asbestos.

There isn't any cause of mesothelioma other than asbestos, and it's obvious that the major source of the substance is Kubota. According to various researches done, the odds of developing mesothelioma decreased 6.3 percent for every 10 kilometers farther from the asbestos source. Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years after the first exposure to asbestos.

Many employers and the manufacturers of asbestos knew about the dangers when they exposed employees to this material.

Indeed, reports Forbes magazine: "asbestos defendants are very likely now paying compensation for every occupational disease known to man. Tomorrow's epidemic: The epidemic of asbestos disease is expected to peak in the next decade. Usually, a period of 10 to 40 years or more passes before the asbestos victim exhibits the first asbestos disease symptoms.

There is a long latency period between exposure and the development of asbestos disease symptoms. Each state has its own set of deadlines, called statutes of limitation, for allowing victims of asbestos disease to file lawsuits. The victims of asbestos disease deserve to have these issues clearly and squarely addressed. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause permanent and irreversible damage and disease to vital organs. All types of asbestos cause disease and death.

Mesothelioma is a rare disease that is strongly related to exposure to Asbestos. Find out about Asbestos Hazards at http://www.eWhy.info

Asbestos Related Lung Cancer

For almost a 100 years asbestos was considered to be a surprisingly extraordinary mineral. It was used mostly for insulation in the building industry and woven into most every kind of product that could be manufactured. In the late 1800's it was reported that asbestos could cause severe lung injury to anyone that was exposed to it. Those reports were either ignored or intentionally suppressed. Not until 1931 did the British government start taking action to deal with the possibilities of lung cancer in those who worked with and were exposed to asbestos. In the early 1970's the United States government, following the British, began to document safety rules for handling asbestos. This truly was 50 years to late for many thousands of people who were exposed to asbestos in the environment, the home and especially in the workplace.

The results of exposure to asbestos in the environment and the workplace include pleural plaques, lung scarring, asbestosis, lung cancer and a particularly malignant, more severe cancer known as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively related to exposure to asbestos. It's pleura, cancer of the lining around the lungs instead of in the lungs. Even a very short term exposure 10, 20, 30 or more years ago may result in mesothelioma. Smoking increases the risk of being diagnosed with mesothelioma dramatically. A patient who was exposed to asbestos that smokes has a 50 to 90 times greater chance of being diagnosed with lung cancer, including mesothelioma than a non-smoker. By contrast, a non-smoker exposed to asbestos has a five times greater chance of being diagnosed.

Asbestos Related lung cancers including Mesothelioma are diagnosed through a coalition of medical history, imaging technologies like x-rays, MRIs and CAT tissue sampling, scans, and biopsy. Those who are known to have been exposed to asbestos should have regular checkups for lung irregularities, as the incubation period between exposure and development of this disease can be as long as 5 decades.

As with any cancer, early diagnosis will give the best chance of recovery. Generally the accepted statistics for patients diagnosed with asbestos related lung cancer or mesothelioma are not good at all. In some cases, a person diagnosed with mesothelioma may be told that he has only 8-12 weeks to live, but there are many extenuating factors that may affect that. Some people in clinical trials that use a multi-treatment approach to treating mesothelioma have approached a 40% five year survival rate - almost as much as those diagnosed with other types of lung cancer.

It seems that the best response to Mesothelioma is an aggressive treatment that combines surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, since mesothelioma is so often diagnosed in the later stages, surgery is not often an option, but there are some encouraging new advances in chemotherapy for treatment.

The first medication specifically to treat mesothelioma was approved by the FDA in February of 2004, Alimta manufactured by Eli Lilly. Alimta showed in clinical trials that in conjunction with another drug frequently used for treatment, cisplatin, improved the life expectancy of people diagnosed with mesothelioma. In a time where new advances are happening almost on a weekly basis, even a few months of extended life can propose hope for a cure.

Carlie Edwards publishes online articles & useful information for Women. For more info visit Resource Tips For a variety of related topics visit Health-And-Beauty-Worx.Com

Asbestos - The Health Risks

In this second article of a series we're going to cover the health risks associated with exposure to asbestos.

Exposure to asbestos can cause a number of health problems including, lung cancer, Mesothelioma, asbestosis and other cancers.

Asbestosis is a chronic lung ailment that can produce shortness of breath coughing and even permanent lung damage.

Mesothelioma is a very rare form of cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen. While very rare it is also very serious.

The people at risk for these ailments are anyone who has been exposed to asbestos at any time during their life. However, most people exposed to asbestos do not become ill. Only those exposed to it constantly over a long period of time usually develop symptoms. Most of these people are usually those who have a job that requires them to work with or be around asbestos throughout the day.

Since the early 1940's millions of people have been exposed to asbestos. The first workers to show signs of asbestos related health problems were those who worked in shipbuilding trades, asbestos mining and milling, manufacturing of asbestos textiles, insulation work, demolition workers, drywall workers and fire fighters. Today, improved work practices and regulations make exposure to asbestos in these industries less likely.

Even though it is generally believed that the most seriously ill people from asbestos are those who have suffered from long term exposure, there are cases of those who have only had brief exposure who have become ill as well. The problem is, asbestos exposure related illnesses can take from 10 to 40 years to show up. So a child exposed in school at age 13 may not develop any symptoms until he or she is past age 50.

There is also some evidence that suggests that family members of those who work in asbestos related fields can come down with asbestos related illnesses because of the asbestos fibers that are brought into the house by the worker's shoes and clothes. This type of exposure is called paraoccupational exposure. In order to decrease this risk, workers who are exposed to asbestos should wash their clothes and change before coming home. It is also suggested that they shower first if possible.

So just how great is the risk? Not all workers who are exposed to asbestos develop health problems. A lot has to do with the type of exposure. Asbestos that is encased and unlikely to break apart into the atmosphere presents less of a threat than asbestos that is not encased. Also, the general health of the worker comes into play as well. A worker who already has health related issues or who smokes is more likely to suffer from asbestos related illness. Also, the type of asbestos the worker is exposed to will have a great effect on the worker's health. Some forms of asbestos are more dangerous than others, depending on the concentration and the length of exposure.

In our final article of this series we'll go over how to determine if you might have an asbestos related health problem and if so, what to do about it.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Asbestos

Asbestos in Floor Tiles

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of asbestos, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of asbestos.

Since the discovery of the deadly effects asbestos has on health, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has created regulations to control the management, removal and disposal of asbestos material. One of the materials containing asbestos is vinyl floor tile (VAT). To handle them safely it is important to ensure that the material is in non-friable state. If the material is friable, the asbestos fibers can be freed when smashed. Generally, VAT is regarded as non-friable if it is not damaged.

When removing asbestos floor tiles, some problems might arise that can be potentially hazardous. Some of the difficulties that you will have to tackle are breathing through respirator which demands a greater effort from the heart and lungs. The vision is reduced because of the use of safety glasses.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of asbestos is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about asbestos.

The removal of VAT has to be done in whole pieces in order to be regarded as non-friable. It vital that in the process of abatement the tiles are not sawed, drilled or reduced to dust.

Before starting the work, it is important to isolate other materials with a plastic cover to avoid the fibers to move. Place a different sheet of plastic in the area where the tiles are to be kept.

The material that is being removed should be wetted with a hose or any other tool to prevent them from becoming airborne. The tiles removed should be kept as intact pieces.

The tiles should be put in leak proof containers such as plastic bags and the sign " DANGER ASBESTOS-CONTAING MATERIALS" must be placed on the container. Sometimes it's tough to sort out all the details related to this subject, but I'm positive you'll have no trouble making sense of the information presented above.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos
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James Mahony is the founder of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Information, A site dedicated to mesothelioma and asbestos information

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Beryllium The New Asbestos?

It was American workers on the world's first atomic bomb who became the first industrial victims of beryllium, a rare but especially light, stable and strong metal whose toxic dust can kill those who breathe it.

Now Seafarers doing ship maintenance and have used Jasons De-rusting and de-scaling guns (also known as J-gun or Jasons pistol) raise concerns about exposure to beryllium.

Unlike other metals, beryllium does not spark and was therefore used on tanker ships containing fuel.

Beryllium can cause a long-term lung disease (berylliosis) in some people by triggering an immune (allergic) response in the body. In general, significant exposure to beryllium in a respirable form is required for any disease to occur, and symptoms may take up to 20 years to develop even after exposure has stopped.

Beryllium dust can cause fatal and untreatable lung disease, similar to asbestosis.

The symptoms of berylliosis include shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, weight loss and fatigue. These symptoms are common, so that most people who have these symptoms do not have berylliosis. Occasionally, other areas of the body like the skin, eyes, mouth & nose may develop a rash following contact with dust containing beryllium.

There is no preventive or curative treatment available for berylliosis or chronic beryllium disease. Richard Wassell
More information can on Beryllium, Mesothelioma and Asbestosis can be found at
http://www.mesotheliomainfosite.com