Asbestos Regulations
Asbestos use is not banned in the U.S., but it is strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government entities. Asbestos can only be used in products that have historically contained the mineral. In other words, no “new uses” are permitted. Additionally, these products can be made with asbestos only if there is no adequate substitute.
This has led to a steep decrease in nationwide use. In 1973, domestic consumption of asbestos was 803,000 metric tons. Consumption in 2005 was a fraction of that, totalling only 2,400 metric tons. The small amount that is still used annually goes into products that require fireproof and heat resistant qualities. Products which may still be made with asbestos include protective clothing, pipe insulation, brake linings and similar materials.
Long-Term Health Complications
While breathing asbestos is unlikely to cause any immediate harm, asbestosis and asbestos-related cancers often arise many years after the first exposure. This gap between exposure and the first appearance of symptoms, known as the latency period, can range between 10 and 50 years.
Because of the long latency period, people exposed to asbestos before 1980s government regulations may only now begin to notice pleural mesothelioma symptoms. The latency period also means that the peak in pleural mesothelioma cases won’t occur until decades after the peak in asbestos usage. For this reason, most projections estimate that the U.S. still has not experienced the highest annual rate of mesothelioma cases.
Most models estimate that the maximum number of annual pleural mesothelioma diagnoses will occur between 2015 and 2020. This estimate holds true for other areas of the world with a similar history of asbestos usage. For example, British researchers expect to see a national maximum in 2016 and Dutch researchers estimate a 2017 peak.
Health Risks Associated with Asbestos Exposure
When airborne asbestos fibres are inhaled or swallowed, they can become lodged in the soft tissues of the lungs or abdomen. The body has significant difficulty expelling the fibres, which can trigger more than a dozen health complications, including cancer.
It often takes decades, but asbestos fibres are proven to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma. In total, these asbestos-related illnesses account for approximately 10,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
About 2,000 to 3,000 of these annual deaths — roughly one every 3.4 hours — are caused by mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of this cancer, which develops in the lining of the lungs. Although lung cancer has other contributing causes, pleural mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos.
Pleural Mesothelioma and Potential Causes of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure can cause a number of health problems. The most dangerous is pleural mesothelioma, also known as malignant pleural mesothelioma. This cancer is typically caused by one of three types of exposure to asbestos: Occupational exposure, secondary exposure or environmental exposure.
Occupational Asbestos Exposure
Occupational asbestos exposure refers to coming into contact with asbestos while on the job. Occupational exposure, the most common cause of pleural mesothelioma, generally happens with blue-collar jobs, and most examples came prior to the 1980s. At that time, federal laws began severely restricting the mineral’s use. Individuals were most likely to suffer from asbestos exposure if they worked in construction, shipyards, power plants or other hazardous work environments.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure
Secondary asbestos exposure includes occurrences among family members of asbestos workers. Men who worked with asbestos brought fibres home on their dirty clothes each night. Then wives or other family members shook out the clothing to get rid of asbestos-laden dust, unknowingly exposing themselves and others to the deadly substance.
Environmental Asbestos Exposure
Environmental asbestos exposure is any indirect exposure, caused either by environmental pollution or by naturally occurring asbestos. Naturally occurring asbestos deposits have been found throughout the country, particularly in parts of California and Montana. In these areas, simple outdoor activities such as gardening or riding a bicycle may disturb asbestos fibres and release them into the air, where people may ingest or inhale them. Similarly, environmental exposure may occur as a result of nearby asbestos mining or manufacturing. This can lead to air and soil pollution that leaves the surrounding area contaminated with asbestos.
Types of Asbestos Causing Pleural Mesothelioma
In addition to the properties shared by all asbestos minerals, each of the six types has its own distinct features. The types are separated into categories based on the physical appearance of individual asbestos fibres. Asbestos minerals are divided into two categories: Serpentine asbestos and amphibole asbestos.
Serpentine Asbestos
Serpentine asbestos refers to asbestos made up of long, curly fibres. This category only includes one mineral, called chrysotile, also known as white asbestos. It was the most commercially used form of asbestos. Its flexible nature easily allowed it to be used in products and combined with other elements. Prior to widespread knowledge of pleural mesothelioma and its connection to asbestos, the mineral was hailed for its fireproof and heat-resistant qualities. It was used throughout the U.S. and all over the world, finding its way into products that still pose a hazard today.
Amphibole Asbestos
Amphibole asbestos includes the other five asbestos minerals: Amosite, crocidolite (also called blue asbestos), tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite. These minerals are composed of brittle, needle-shaped fibres. Because of these properties, amphibole fibres are more hazardous than chrysotile when inhaled or ingested. However, the same characteristics usually make it a bad candidate for use in commercial products. Exposure to amphibole asbestos is mostly limited to exposure to naturally occurring deposits.
Asbestos use is not banned in the U.S., but it is strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other government entities. Asbestos can only be used in products that have historically contained the mineral. In other words, no “new uses” are permitted. Additionally, these products can be made with asbestos only if there is no adequate substitute.
This has led to a steep decrease in nationwide use. In 1973, domestic consumption of asbestos was 803,000 metric tons. Consumption in 2005 was a fraction of that, totalling only 2,400 metric tons. The small amount that is still used annually goes into products that require fireproof and heat resistant qualities. Products which may still be made with asbestos include protective clothing, pipe insulation, brake linings and similar materials.
Long-Term Health Complications
While breathing asbestos is unlikely to cause any immediate harm, asbestosis and asbestos-related cancers often arise many years after the first exposure. This gap between exposure and the first appearance of symptoms, known as the latency period, can range between 10 and 50 years.
Because of the long latency period, people exposed to asbestos before 1980s government regulations may only now begin to notice pleural mesothelioma symptoms. The latency period also means that the peak in pleural mesothelioma cases won’t occur until decades after the peak in asbestos usage. For this reason, most projections estimate that the U.S. still has not experienced the highest annual rate of mesothelioma cases.
Most models estimate that the maximum number of annual pleural mesothelioma diagnoses will occur between 2015 and 2020. This estimate holds true for other areas of the world with a similar history of asbestos usage. For example, British researchers expect to see a national maximum in 2016 and Dutch researchers estimate a 2017 peak.
Health Risks Associated with Asbestos Exposure
When airborne asbestos fibres are inhaled or swallowed, they can become lodged in the soft tissues of the lungs or abdomen. The body has significant difficulty expelling the fibres, which can trigger more than a dozen health complications, including cancer.
It often takes decades, but asbestos fibres are proven to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma. In total, these asbestos-related illnesses account for approximately 10,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
About 2,000 to 3,000 of these annual deaths — roughly one every 3.4 hours — are caused by mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of this cancer, which develops in the lining of the lungs. Although lung cancer has other contributing causes, pleural mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos.
Pleural Mesothelioma and Potential Causes of Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos exposure can cause a number of health problems. The most dangerous is pleural mesothelioma, also known as malignant pleural mesothelioma. This cancer is typically caused by one of three types of exposure to asbestos: Occupational exposure, secondary exposure or environmental exposure.
Occupational Asbestos Exposure
Occupational asbestos exposure refers to coming into contact with asbestos while on the job. Occupational exposure, the most common cause of pleural mesothelioma, generally happens with blue-collar jobs, and most examples came prior to the 1980s. At that time, federal laws began severely restricting the mineral’s use. Individuals were most likely to suffer from asbestos exposure if they worked in construction, shipyards, power plants or other hazardous work environments.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure
Secondary asbestos exposure includes occurrences among family members of asbestos workers. Men who worked with asbestos brought fibres home on their dirty clothes each night. Then wives or other family members shook out the clothing to get rid of asbestos-laden dust, unknowingly exposing themselves and others to the deadly substance.
Environmental Asbestos Exposure
Environmental asbestos exposure is any indirect exposure, caused either by environmental pollution or by naturally occurring asbestos. Naturally occurring asbestos deposits have been found throughout the country, particularly in parts of California and Montana. In these areas, simple outdoor activities such as gardening or riding a bicycle may disturb asbestos fibres and release them into the air, where people may ingest or inhale them. Similarly, environmental exposure may occur as a result of nearby asbestos mining or manufacturing. This can lead to air and soil pollution that leaves the surrounding area contaminated with asbestos.
Types of Asbestos Causing Pleural Mesothelioma
In addition to the properties shared by all asbestos minerals, each of the six types has its own distinct features. The types are separated into categories based on the physical appearance of individual asbestos fibres. Asbestos minerals are divided into two categories: Serpentine asbestos and amphibole asbestos.
Serpentine Asbestos
Serpentine asbestos refers to asbestos made up of long, curly fibres. This category only includes one mineral, called chrysotile, also known as white asbestos. It was the most commercially used form of asbestos. Its flexible nature easily allowed it to be used in products and combined with other elements. Prior to widespread knowledge of pleural mesothelioma and its connection to asbestos, the mineral was hailed for its fireproof and heat-resistant qualities. It was used throughout the U.S. and all over the world, finding its way into products that still pose a hazard today.
Amphibole Asbestos
Amphibole asbestos includes the other five asbestos minerals: Amosite, crocidolite (also called blue asbestos), tremolite, actinolite and anthophyllite. These minerals are composed of brittle, needle-shaped fibres. Because of these properties, amphibole fibres are more hazardous than chrysotile when inhaled or ingested. However, the same characteristics usually make it a bad candidate for use in commercial products. Exposure to amphibole asbestos is mostly limited to exposure to naturally occurring deposits.
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