Beginning with a comprehensive but easy-to-read explanation of the nature of asbestos exposures, from air, water and natural deposits in the ground, to job exposures, peripheral contact as a result of proximity to manufacturing operations, or through a family member, the information makes it clear that not all exposures lead to malignant mesothelioma or, for that matter, to asbestos-related disease.
In fact, the website notes, most individuals diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma were exposed to higher levels of asbestos, and usually over a longer period of time, than the population at large.
The height of asbestos use was during the massive shipbuilding effort of World War II, according to the website, with continued use by the construction, automotive and manufacturing industries, resulting in more than 5,000 asbestos-containing materials, or ACMs, during asbestos’ heyday.
Then, in 1978, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, or CPSC, prohibited asbestos use in sheetrock patching compounds and another product. This prohibition was followed in 1989, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, issued a final rule banning most ACMs – a rule that was overturned by a New Orleans court in 1991, with the exception of certain flooring, wallboard and paper products, though new uses continued to be prohibited.
In spite of all attempts to prevent asbestos use, and increasing awareness of its dangers, no total asbestos ban has ever been achieved in the United States. As the website notes, “Asbestos is still imported, still used and still dangerous.” Which is the most succinct, expressive and explicit warning ever written on the subject of asbestos-related disease.
Experts differ on whether mesothelioma has reached its peak, with the National Cancer Institute projecting 71,000 deaths from the disease among American males between 2003 and 2054. This, however, may not take into account 9/11, when thousands of residents of Manhattan were exposed to asbestos particles as a result of the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
Certain statistics presented by the website will hearten those who may have been exposed to asbestos during their lifetime. For example, fewer than 10 percent of individuals who have undergone concentrated exposures actually contract mesothelioma. Conversely, 8 out of 10 individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma can document a history of exposure to the substance.
The website also discusses asbestos exposure levels, carefully noting that no connection has ever been verified between the level of asbestos exposure and the risk of contracting the disease. Additional comments discuss the fact that not all asbestos fibers are the same, and that some have greater toxicity than others.
Finally, the page provides navigation buttons to mesothelioma symptoms and diagnosis, and equally valuable links to outside sites which also have a wealth of information about asbestos exposures and cancer risks, notably the National Cancer Institute.
For those seeking to understand how mesothelioma is caused, and what role exposure to asbestos plays in the disease – as well as risk factors like smoking – the page is an invaluable resource and a welcome addition to an already stellar Internet guide to asbestos-related disease and its treatment.
