Asbestos

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that once was lauded for its versatility, recognized for its heat resistance, tensile strength and insulating properties and used for everything from fire-proof vests to home and commercial construction. It was woven into fabric, and mixed with cement.

Its properties were so desired that the United States military mandated its use in every branch of service. Asbestos was a perfect blend to make things better – except it was highly toxic, too. Today asbestos is a known cause of mesothelioma cancer, is banned in more than 50 countries, and its use has been dramatically restricted in others.

Types of Asbestos

There are six types of asbestos minerals, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite.  Although all commercial forms of asbestos are carcinogenic, there are differences in their chemical compositions.

Chrysotile

- This is the most commonly used form of asbestos and can be found today in roofs, ceilings, walls and floors of homes and businesses. Chrysotile asbestos also was used in automobile brake linings, pipe insulation, gaskets and boiler seals. It is less likely than other types to be inhaled and is sometimes viewed as the safest.

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Amosite

- This is known as brown asbestos, and it originates mostly in Africa. It was used most frequently in cement sheet and pipe insulation. It can be found in ceiling tiles and in thermal insulation products. Like most of the other forms of asbestos, it has needle-like fibers.

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Crocidolite

- This is blue asbestos and also fibrous in nature, allowing it to break apart easily and become airborne like dust particles. Mined mostly in South Africa, Bolivia and Australia, this is seen as the most dangerous type of asbestos. It was used less than any of the other because it did not have same heat-resistant qualities.

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Tremolite

- This is not often used commercially, but it can be found in talc powders. It also is found in certain paints, sealants and roofing materials. It can be white, green, gray and even transparent.

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Anthophyllite

- This is a natural insulator with good flexibility and gray-brown color. It was one of the least used types. It can be found in cement tiles, mostly in roofing and plumbing items like gaskets and sealing agents.

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Actinolite

- This form of asbestos has a harsh texture and is not as flexible as the others. It is most often found in metamorphic rock. Its fibers are easily inhaled when they are disturbed. It is used in insulation and fireproofing material.

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Exposure to Asbestos

More than 75 different types of jobs in America have been known to expose workers to asbestos, according to the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety. At the same time, an estimated 30 percent of all mesothelioma cases are military veterans, an indication of where the worst damage has been done.

Occupations in the construction industry have been hit the hardest, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Plumbers, pipefitters, steam fitters and electricians were the most vulnerable to asbestos-related diseases. The occurrence in both the shipbuilding and the electrical power industries also has been abnormally high. A little more than 80 percent of those stricken have been males.

While the majority of asbestos-related illnesses each year can be traced to occupational exposure – an estimated 107,000 workers annually according to the World Health Organization – there are others at risk, too.

Many exposures are second-hand exposures, families of workers who inadvertently bring the deadly fibers home with them, leaving those around them vulnerable, too.

Homes and apartments built before 1980 often are filled with asbestos, needing only normal wear and tear with age to dislodge the fibers and send them airborne. Asbestos can be found in floor tiles, roofs, furnaces, plumbing, appliances, fireplaces and window caulking, leaving most everyone vulnerable.

Asbestos and the U.S. Military

There is a good reason why about one-third of all mesothelioma victims in this country once served in the military. Asbestos was used extensively in every branch of military service, perfectly fitting the needs of the Armed Forces.

Lauded for its fire-proofing and insulating capabilities, asbestos was ubiquitous in military life. Ships, tanks, aircraft and trucks all contained asbestos. It was used for construction, maintenance and repair. Military bases were covered with asbestos-containing materials.

Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos related illness can be eligible forVA benefits. Contact the Mesothelioma Center's Veterans Assistance Program to check on your eligibility or get benefits and claims questions answered.

From the 1930s through the mid-1970s, asbestos was a major part of military life, but nowhere was it more prevalent and toxic than in the Navy, where ships and submarines used it from end to end.

More than 300 asbestos-containing materials were utilized by the Navy, making it almost impossible to avoid the exposure. From the engine and boiler rooms, to the sleeping quarters and mess halls, asbestos was everywhere in the Navy, both above and below the decks.

Mesothelioma

Detailed chart of asbestos exposure and the body. View Here

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that primarily affects the lining of the lungs, but can also affect the heart, abdomen and other organs. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, comprising around .3 percent of all cancer diagnoses. The average age at diagnosis is 62 years of age, occurs about four times more frequently in men than in women and is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

The life expectancy for mesothelioma patients is generally reported as less than one year following diagnosis, however, a patient's prognosis can be positively affected by numerous factors including how early the cancer is diagnosed and how aggressively it is treated.

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