Exposure To Asbestos Is Dangerous To A Person's Health

Hazardous materials can be silent killers, almost every household or workplace contains various harmful substances therefore it is important to have the basic knowledge of these contaminants, where to find them, and what to do if exposed. Asbestos is a natural occurring mineral that is used in a number of different materials. Asbestos is not a concern if left undisturbed; however renovation, reconstruction or demolition can disturb these materials and release asbestos fibers into the air. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled and become trapped in lung tissue which increases the risk for several serious diseases. Asbestos is a well recognized health hazard and is highly regulated.

(mesothelioma.com). It is always fatal and forms in the protective tissues that cover the lungs, abdomen, chest cavity, gastrointestinal system, and the reproductive organs. It can cause pleural effusion, which is when excess fluids build up in the pleural space in the lungs. The pleural space is the area between the lungs and the chest wall, and the person coughs up the fluids. The more fluids are present, the more difficult it is for the person to breathe. Asbestosis is an illness caused by inhaling asbestos fibers that lodge deep in the lungs. Asbestosis causes scarring or triggers growth of excess tissue that is a condition called fibrosis. There is no cure for asbestosis, and it makes breathing extremely painful and often causes death from lung or heart failure. If those things do not happen the person will eventually suffocate.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing malignant Mesothelioma. The latency period for the disease is

“Asbestos can be found in many homes, schools, and workplaces, and if it is not handled properly it poses a serious health risk,” Healey said. “Too often, children, families, and workers are exposed to airborne asbestos fibers due to shoddy or unlicensed work, and many aren’t aware of the serious

Despite being banned in Australia nowadays, asbestos can still be found in most of older construction, residential and commercial area as well as abandoned mining site. Studies show that the building workers, specifically the plumbers, gas fitters, carpenters and electricians the highest risk of getting mesothelioma, disease from asbestos fibres (Peto, J., Hodgson, J.T., Matthews, F.T., & Jacqueline, R., 1995). According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the number of mesotheliomas ' cases are increasing and expected to reach 18000 in recent. Though the asbestos is known as hazardous material, it can only affect the health if the asbestos fibres become airborne and are inhaled. The primary route for the asbestos to enter the body is through the inhalation processes of the contaminated air (Safework Australia, 2011). Unusually, small fibrous particles of

On January, 31st, Patient F.F. arrived to the emergency room in the hospital with her brother due to an increased temperature for ‘the past 3 days,’ fatigue, and was ‘unable to catch [her] breath.’ A focused assessment revealed crackles and wheezes in the lower lobes of the lungs. The patient was leaning over in a tripod position and breathing heavily between words. The patient’s heart sounds were normal with a regular S1 and S2. The patient denied having chest pain and edema was not present. The patient reported having a productive cough with green sputum for the past 3 days. Vital signs were taken and the patient’s oxygen saturation was 88%. The doctor ordered 2 liters of oxygen by nasal cannula for the patient with a continuous

Patients present with shortness of breath, cough, sputum production, airflow limitation, wheezing, chest tightness, dyspnea during exertion, fatigue, dizziness, elevated shoulders, overuse of accessory breathing

A productive cough, tightness in the chest, loss of appetite, a dry crackling sound during inhalation, unexplained weight loss, hoarseness, anemia, abdominal swelling and pain, blood clotting abnormalities, and fever are the minor symptoms that asbestos provides in children. The most major effect of all, however, is the lung cancer it can cause. That being said, asbestos is not the only part leading to harm in children. The list is growing of things that damage the long term development and growth of a child. This can include everything from physical dependence on drugs being passed onto unborn babies, to not getting the proper care through adulthood. It can be argued that in today’s age no matter where one looks it seems there is always new

According to Castleman (1990) and Mcculloch (1986) ingestion of asbestos fibres was present in drinking water or food, because dust withdrawn from the industrial air was vented directly to the atmosphere. The fibres were entering water through pipes from natural deposits or piles of waste asbestos, containing cement and used to carry drinking water into household pipes (Castleman, 1990). Most individuals who were exposed to asbestos fibres in drinking water had the higher average death rates from cancer of the oesophagus, stomach and intestines (Mcculloch).

Having already established the basis of a theoretical outlook as well as the social history of asbestos, which is still produced and used in American manufacturing, we will now move on to explain the methods we are using to collect our data. For our subject area, we have selected Oneida-Herkimer, Jefferson, Oswego, and Onondaga County Solid Waste Facilities located in Upstate New York, and we will be exploring the differences in how asbestos is disposed of in each of these counties. We chose these counties because our insider has had direct contact with the solid waste management bosses of these counties and can easily obtain asbestos information. We believe this is best because it limits under reporting of asbestos amounts in fear of public exposure. Furthermore, he has a case study we hope to analysis on the differences in the removal of asbestos from Jefferson and Oswego. We plan to find this out by using an interview process to collect our data. We will gather information by way of interviews with leaders from the New York State Department of Labor as well as landfill operators in each of the five counties listed above. We hope to analyze the discrepancies and pitfalls regarding disposal of asbestos

people are still unaware of how damaging it can be to their health. Asbestos is the name

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fibre that withstands heat, erosion and decay, and has fire and water resistant properties. Asbestos is a known carcinogen, it becomes a hazard when microscopic particles are inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos is especially dangerous as it is also unpredictable, according to The World Health Organisation there is no minimum safe exposure level for any kind of asbestos and they have also noted that asbestos may contribute to other cancers such as stomach, pharynx, and rectum cancer. Due to their size they can remain airborne for some time, and enter even the smallest air passages in the lungs where get to the lung tissue. The fibres are naturally resistant and can even resist the natural cleaning processes

There are a number of health dangers that are associated with asbestos. It can cause a condition called asbestosis. This condition causes scarring of the lung tissue. It can cause severe shortness of breath.

The highest exposures were observed in workers who mined the mineral, where mechanical force and abrasion released microscopic fibers into the air and brought the workers into direct contact with asbestos (Kamp, 2009). Inhalation of asbestos is the most common form of exposure can result in a myriad of respiratory diseases and pathologic processes that are largely confined to the lungs and pleurae (Donaldson et al, 1989, Poland & Clift, 2013). Furthermore, it can take decades for the diseases to manifest since the time of exposure (Jamrozik, Klerk, & Musk, 2011). The most prevalent of these diseases is pleural plaques, which are raised hard benign lesions on the parietal pleurae and affects 3 to 58 percent of the exposed population to asbestos. (Jamrozik, Klerk, & Musk, 2011; Donaldson et al., 2013). Other diseases caused by asbestos exposure include asbestosis induced by the accumulation of asbestos fibers in the lungs; mesothelioma, which is a tumour arising from the mesothelium lining the pleural space; and lung cancer (Borrow et al., 1973; Goodglick & Kane, 1990; Dodson et al.,

The Greeks who discovered it referred to it as “inextinguishable” and “indestructible. History reveals that Romans had used asbestos and made connections to exposure and health concerns. Large-scale mining of the mineral began in the 1800s and was heavily used until recent decades. Around the beginning of the 1900s, serious medical exploration of asbestos began and started to become a well-known job hazard. By the 1970s, long-term effects of exposure were undeniable (Barbalace 2004).