What are the dangers of Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was first used in the 1800's but it was not until the Second World War that it's use became mainstream in industry. Asbestos fibres being found in the environment forced the Consumer Product and Safety Commission to issue laws controlling the use of asbestos.

The EPA strengthened the laws on the use of asbestos in the 80's, banning the use of asbestos in any new use. The danger's that asbestos exposure can have on humans is known by almost all of the population after extensive education campaigns on the back of the laws passed in the 70's and 80's.

Asbestos fibre occurs naturally as fibre bundles and it was these that were mined to create asbestos used in industry. Asbestos looked like the wonder product for industry because of its heat and chemical resistance. With it's unbeatable properties of heat and chemical resistance many uses for asbestos were found in the home and industry.

The list of uses for asbestos goes on and on but here are a few of the more well known uses it was put to vinyl floor tiles, sheeting, adhesives, clutch plates and stage curtains. The construction industry found many uses for asbestos, as tiles, in paints and adhesive. Asbestos is legal if it can be proven that its use will not harm humans or the environment.

Exposure to asbestos can be fatal as there are several possible asbestos related ailments, which are incurable. One of the most common diseases resulting from exposure to it is asbestosis, sometimes called asbestos lung, which is a chronic inflammation of the lungs that leads to shortness of breath, coughing, and even permanent lung damage.

A second common ailment of asbestosis is mesothelioma, which is a form of cancer affecting the major organs of the body. In severe cases of mesothelioma, the person may have many tumour masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasise, or spread, to other parts of the body.

With centuries of the use of asbestos it may surprise many people to realise that it's health implications have only been known for a few decades. It has taken the medical profession many years to tie asbestos exposure to the disease; this is because it can take from 10 to 50 years for the symptoms to become apparent.

The use of asbestos has declined due to the level of litigation that has taken place by its victims once the link between asbestos and the diseases it caused had been established. The British Government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has promoted rigorous controls on asbestos handling, because of many reports linking exposure to asbestos dust or fibres with thousands of annual deaths.

The author of this web articles has written many other articles about asbestos. If you are interested you can find links to some of their other work below.

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