Every day, service men and women place their lives on the line to secure U.S. security at home and abroad. But they are also fighting a more insidious and often invisible foe posed by exposure to cancer-causing asbestos fibers.
Since the massive shipbuilding efforts of World War II, veteran asbestos exposure has gained significant attention. Nearly 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are reported each year in the U.S., and many of those cases are related to military exposure to the mineral, which was used in many applications by all branches of the military.
Asbestos exposure has been linked to the development of lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the lining surrounding the body’s internal organs.
According to a report released by the U.S. Veterans Administration regarding veterans and mesothelioma, during WWII several million people employed in U.S. shipyards and U.S. Navy veterans were exposed to asbestos, which was used extensively in military ship construction.
Risk for exposure to asbestos did not end with WWII. The report identifies all veterans most at risk for exposure, including those involved in mining, milling, shipyard work, insulation work, demolition, carpentry and construction, manufacture and servicing of friction products, such as clutch facings and brake linings, and manufacture and installation of products, such as roofing and flooring materials, asbestos cement sheet and pipe products, and military equipment.
Today’s military men and women who are deployed in some overseas locations are at special risk for exposure to asbestos.
Both Iran and Iraq actively use asbestos in construction and manufacturing processes, and soldiers deployed in those areas, and in other areas around the globe, risk exposure through direct or indirect contact. Iran is among the top eight nations consuming asbestos. A 2007 U.S. Department of Interior study revealed Iran imported 11,470 metric tons of asbestos between 2003 and 2007. China and Russia are the top two consumers of asbestos products, and consumption is high in other areas of the globe, including Eastern Europe. Although it bans the use of asbestos in manufacturing, the U.S. imported 4,650 metric tons of asbestos in 2003, and 1,710 metric tons in 2007.
Demolition of buildings is a primary source of asbestos exposure to U.S. military men and women. When buildings are demolished, asbestos fibers become airborne and can be inhaled or ingested by service personnel. Because these fibers are extremely lightweight, they can easily be transported long distances by even slight air currents. A VA policy statement regarding asbestos and veterans indicates disease-causing exposure to asbestos may be “brief, and/or indirect.”
Symptoms of asbestos exposure may not develop for 10 to 50 years after exposure, and include persistent cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
Medical and health care services provided to veterans also have been under intense scrutiny in recent years, following investigations that revealed significant problems with the medical centers operated by the VA.
In a survey of 1,400 VA medical centers conducted by the VA in 2007, more than 1,000 violations were uncovered, ranging from infestations of bugs and bats to peeling pain and leaking roofs, and high numbers of bacteria in rugs and other materials.
Veterans who believe they may have been exposed to asbestos should seek medical advice immediately. Through the VA, veterans may be eligible for health care for health problems that are related to exposures during military service; disability compensation for health problems related to exposures during military service; and a broad range of other VA programs and services.
If you are concerned about health problems associated with exposure to asbestos during your military service, contact the Environmental Health Coordinator or Patient Care Advocate at your nearest VA medical facility for mesothelioma information.
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/occupational_environmental/asbestos.asp
http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/mr/part4/subptii/ch02/ch02_secc.doc
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/21/AR2007032102583.html
http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/publications/internal/hsr_brief_no23.pdf
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2006/1298/c1298.pdf
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/asbestos/myb1-2007-asbes.pdf
