Current figures suggest that around 80% of all mesothelioma cases are caused by exposure to asbestos. Exposure may have lasted as little as a couple of months for problems to emerge much later in life. The time between asbestos exposure and developing Mesothelioma can be anything from 15 to 50 years. However, not everyone exposed to asbestos will develop mesothlioma, or other asbestos related diseases, later in life.
Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally. It can be mined in many areas of the world. Asbestos is a group of fibers that can only be seen under the microscope. The fibers can be separated and then woven. Asbestos also has many useful properties such as resistance to fire, heat insulation and do not conduct electricity.
There are four types of asbestos that have been used commercially in the US:
Chrysotile Asbestos: This is also known as White asbestos. This is by far the most widely used in the United States, accounting for approximately 99%.
Crocidolite Asbestos: This is also known as Blue Asbestos.
Amosite Asbestos: This is brown coloured asbestos.
Anthophyllite Asbestos: Anthophyllite Asbestos has gray fibers.
Asbestos has been used in many products that are still in use in the United States today. These include roofing materials, insulation materials, electrical supplies, paint and cement etc.
As the asbestos fibers are very small they easily travel through air. The asbestos easily breaks up into dust which gets in the air. As the fibers are very light, they can travel quite a distance from their original source. They are also invisible to the naked eye so workers cannot see the asbestos in the air that they are working in. This means that there is a very high risk of workers inhaling or swallowing the asbestos fibers that are present in the air. It is this that causes serious healthy problems potentially decades later.
To avoid exposure to asbestos in at risk workplaces the correct safety equipment should always be worn.
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