08.29.07

Asbestos

Posted in Anything goes, Health-related--Natural Alternative Treatments, History, Uncategorized at 9:22 am by Administrator

Another book which has captured my attention is called, Fatal Deception, the Terrible True Story of How Asbestos is Killing America, by Michael Bowker. Personally, I thought asbestos had been banned years ago. However, I was surprised to learn from Bowker’s book that asbestos has not been banned and continues to be highly used in America today. Since Bowker’s book was published in 2003, I did a quick Google search to see what the current status is on asbestos. I came up with this article titled Murray’s Asbestos Bill Passes Key Committee with Unanimous, Bipartisan Support dated July 31, 2007, which in fact verifies that asbestos is still not banned here in the U.S. even though other countries have long since acknowledged the health hazards of asbestos and have subsequently banned it in their countries. The health hazards have been known in the U.S. for over a 100 years, yet it is only this year in 2007 that it is in the “process” of being banned. It has not been banned, yet. Meanwhile literally hundreds of Americans have died and suffered from asbestos-related diseases. Bowker’s book is another testament to how the mighty dollar is worth more to some people than the health of his fellow humans. It is another example of how the rich have oppressed the poor and have exploited our naivety.
I’m guessing that most people know that asbestos is hazardous to our health. But what is asbestos? How are we using it?

Asbestos is any group of minerals that can be fibrous. Therefore there is not just one kind of asbestos, but several. This is important to know because it can be called by a different name, but still be asbestos. All asbestos fibers are believed to be hazardous to human health. The town’s people and mine workers in Libby, Montana were being exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos for decades in the form of “tremolite.” They all understood that their mine had tremolite, but they didn’t realize that it was asbestos or that tremolite is one of the deadliest forms of asbestos. The company that owned and hired the workers knew very well that tremolite was asbestos, yet they did not inform their employees or the town’s people. Consequently an inordinate number of Libby residents have died of asbestos-related diseases and many more are still suffering from those diseases for which there is no known cure. Sadly, asbestos-related diseases can be very painful and debilitating and even take years of pain before the victim dies. Here’s a link which gives more details on the different types of asbestos.
How does asbestos damage our health? Asbestos fibers are very small. It is believed that the particles large enough to be seen by the naked eye are not able to harm us. It’s the small dust particles that we are not able to see, smell, or taste which can cause terrible diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, fibrosis, and various cancers. Autopsies have located asbestos fibers in the brain, bone marrow, large and small intestines, spleen, pancreas, prostate, thyroid, bladder, and liver. They can also be passed from mother to fetus. Prior to reading this book, I had only known of lung related diseases being associated with asbestos. Now I see that many other health conditions are also linked, if not from direct damage caused by the asbestos fibers to the tissues, then from damage caused by lack of oxygen delivered to the body such as the heart. Since the dangers of asbestos has been downplayed so much for so many years, there has not been a lot of research as to how asbestos actually causes diseases. The studies done have merely shown the obvious relationship of increased diseases, particularly lung diseases manifested by those who have had asbestos exposures. Bowker writes about what the possible route asbestos takes to cause disease. Here is a short clip:

“Macrophages attack the fibers much like the body attacks a splinter in a finger. Unfortunately, they are no match for the mineral asbestos fibers, which are too long and too tough for the body to dissolve or absorb. The macrophages generally tear themselves open trying to “eat” the fibers, and their destructive, digestive molecules pill out, causing more tissue damage. The body quickly heals the microscopic injuries, but scar tissue, called fibrosis, develops. In the end, it is the cumulative buildup of this pulmonary fibrosis that become coated with layers of protein and iron. These tiny lumps are called asbestos bodies.

“The fibrosis causes the lining of the air sacs to thicken and stiffen, making it difficult for the body to pass oxygen to the blood-stream and to properly rid itself (through exhaling) of the buildup of carbon dioxide. As the scarring process, which is progressive and irreversible, continues, the victim being to slowly suffocate. The coughing impulse that usually can rid the lungs of unwanted debris is triggered almost continuously, but the fibers have penetrated too deeply and cannot be dislodged.”

Asbestos has many uses and since it is fibrous, it can be spun into threads and made into fabrics. I actually bought a pair of asbestos gloves years ago when I was into ceramics to help protect me from the extreme heat of raku firing. Asbestos is known to be very heat resistant, durable, and pliable. For some pictures and more information on asbestos, here’s a Wikipedia link. There are actually plenty of articles on asbestos that can be found through a simple Google search. The latency period for disease after asbestos exposure can range from months to many years. Some people who have been exposed to asbestos for as little as a week have shown scar tissue in their lungs years later. I used to work quite a bit with ceramics and glazes and even worked for a short while in a ceramics laboratory. I know I have been exposed to many mineral dust particles. I’ve also used vermiculite in the garden, which according to Bowker, vermiculite is rarely pure. In the Libby mines, vermiculite was heavily contaminated with tremolite (asbestos). Scotts gardening products used the vermiculite from Libby for many years. Now I have no problem with capitalism. If there is a market for poisons such as chemos, well then let those who want to buy it have it. But what I find inexcusable is when these businesses/corporations “know” the dangers of their product, yet they do not warn the public or their employees. This is not limited to just one company, but many–at least 50 throughout the world. And it is not limited to asbestos, but other poisons, thus raising the offending corporations to many times more than 50. I know that there are those who know of the dangers yet still take the risks of exposing themselves to such poisons. That is their choice. But when people are not properly informed, then they don’t have a choice. They are basically tricked into using the products or working under hazardous situations by being kept in the dark (dumbed down). At the very least, if people were well-informed, then they could protect themselves more such as wearing face masks or improving ventilation, etc. But the fact is that the almighty dollar always has a play. If more people were more educated, then there would be less sales, and less people working under those horrific circumstances. If protective measures were employed, it would cost the companies more money translating into less profits, etc.
It’s easy for healthy, wealthy people to downplay the dangers of exposing various substances to the ordinary “Joe.” They are not the ones struggling to take a breath, or feeling the constant pain for years. According to Pat Cohen, clinic coordinator for Libby’s Center for Asbestos-Related Diseases (CARD), “it can be extremely painful.” “Every time a patient with asbestosis takes a breath–which happens about sixteen to twenty times a minute–it rubs a sore spot. Your lungs just can’t expand. You may be okay watching television, but if you get up to get yourself a cup of coffee in the kitchen, you suddenly run out of breath. Many asbestosis victims can’t even get across the room. They sleep in a chair at night so they can breathe. It is a slow, strangulating process, and there is nothing anybody can do about it.”
I’ve had bronchitis before. It was horrible not being able to take in a full breath. It was frightening. It felt like I was being suffocated. And I also could not lie down and had to prop myself up to breathe. I can’t imagine living like that for years to the point of death as what happens to those with lung damage. The cases of asbestos-related disease are said to be on the rise. According to Henry Falk, the assistant administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), “We aren’t looking for the number of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related disease to level off until the year 2047.” (The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure). Asbestos fibers don’t dissolve, and they are not easily removed. They are among the most durable substances in the world; that’s why asbestos has been used in so many products. Asbestos fibers can stay in your lungs for decades after exposure and cause disease and death.
There is so much more to the story of asbestos. I wish I could share it all, but alas, that is not possible for a short blog entry. I’m only half way through the book, so I may post an update on it later.

Marlakins

Permalink