Philadelphia 5/16/2011 9:40:28 PM
News / Health & Wellness

Asbestos in Philadelphia school prompts move

By: Daun Lee

Students at a Philadelphia elementary school had to be relocated when tests revealed high levels of asbestos where present in the building. The students were relocated a couple of blocks away from their annex, and will be in their new location until school officials decide what to do about the tainted building.

In April, the school officials were conducting a test at the Pilgrim Baptist Church annex of Benjamin Franklin Elementary school, when high levels of asbestos were recorded. According to school officials, this is the first time high levels of the carcinogen have been detected. The buildings occupied by students are tested for asbestos every six months.

Although asbestos has been heavily regulated for a few decades, many buildings including a number of schools contain asbestos, which is known to cause a number of respiratory ailments including mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma attorneys can confirm that it takes decades for the aggressive cancer to develop so the presence of asbestos in a school is particularly troublesome. The children can be exposed to airborne asbestos fibers without knowing for many years and its effects on their health are irreversible.

Mesothelioma, which attacks the lining of the lungs, can cause a person a great deal of suffering so they can seek compensation for their care by contacting a mesothelioma lawyer. Numerous corporations have used asbestos despite the dangers it poses to a person’s health. Retaining a mesothelioma attorney can help hold these businesses accountable for their use of asbestos.