The health effects of asbestos exposure.
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Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was commonly used in construction from the 1940s to 1980s due to its durability, fire resistance, and insulating properties. It can be found in many older homes and buildings. When asbestos fibers become airborne and are inhaled, they can cause serious health issues like asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. The risk of disease depends on the type and amount of asbestos fibers inhaled and can take 10-50 years to develop. While tightly bound asbestos may pose little risk, any asbestos should be handled carefully and exposure minimized to reduce health risks.
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The health effects of asbestos exposure.
- 1. The health effects of asbestos exposure Dr Marion Carey Senior Medical Adviser Social and Environmental Health Dept of Human Services
- 4. Blue asbestos White asbestos Brown asbestos Photographs provided by Kilpatrick & Associates
- 20. Asbestos
- 23. Lung Cancer
- 29. What is the risk from a one off exposure? The risk has not been quantified, but except for intense exposures, the risk caused by brief exposure is likely to be undetectably low. .
Editor's Notes
- Greek for indestructible
- Chrysotile most commonly used
- The above three photographs are examples of friable asbestos. Friable asbestos is was more widely used in industrial and commercial buildings.
- Fibres are most likely to be released if the asbestos is mishandled. Example during home renovations or repairs where the material is drilled, cut or sawn and large amounts of dust is produced and then inhaled.
- People who have suffered health effects from E to asbestos have generally worked in either the asbestos mining or milling industry, worked in industries involved in making or installing asbestos products or are from the immediate families of these people. In all of these situations there was E to high levels of airborne dust, either from the processes involved or from the clothes of the workers.
- Miners at Wittenoom (crocidolite)
- Asbestosis causes breathlessness, tightness in the chest, persistent coughing and skin may have a bluish tinge from lack of oxygen. Breathing becomes more difficult. It usually worsens overtime. May lead to respiratory failure and death.
- South African miner
- It is usually diagnosed when someone develops a persistent cough, weight loss and coughs up blood. If diagnosed early can be treated with surgery +/_ chemo, radiotherapy
- 1945- 2000 0ver 6,000 cases in Australia. By 2020, expected to be 18,000 cases in total
- Spreads to lung and chest wall May have pleural effusion
- Rapid progression MM on x-ray
- Unlikely that a brief asbestos exposure necessarily causes a substantial risk of mesothelioma. Use of crocidolite ceased in the late 1960's. Later cement sheet products contained only chrysotile until its use ceased in the early to mid 1980's.
- Asbestos-related disease causes 100,000 deaths each year in the world The greatest risks have been from past industry over long periods of time