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Health Articles
March 2010
Asbestos is known and proven cancer causing mineral.
Article by Dr. Barkat Charania
Asbestos has been classified as a known human carcinogen (a substance that causes cancer) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the EPA, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Studies have shown that exposure to asbestos may increase the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the thin layer of cells that line the chest and abdomen. Although rare, mesothelioma is the most common form of cancer associated with asbestos exposure.
Additionally, asbestos exposure may also increase the risk of asbestosis, an inflammatory condition affecting the lungs that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage and other nonmalignant lung disorders.
Many studies have shown that the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure is particularly hazardous. Smokers who are also exposed to asbestos have a higher risk of developing lung cancer.
Asbestos minerals occur in environment as bundles of fibers that can be separated into thin, durable threads. They are silicate compound, containing atoms of silicon and oxygen in their molecular structure. These fibers are resistant to heat, fire, and chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos has been used widely in many industries since a long time. It has been used in building, construction, shipping and auto industries for strengthening cement and plastics as well as for insulation, fireproofing, and sound absorption.
Asbestos fibers are released into the air. When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they get trapped in the lungs and remain there for a long time. These fibers cause scarring and inflammation, which can affect breathing and lead to serious health problems. Because of confirmed carcinogenic activity of asbestos, in 1989, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned all new uses of asbestos.
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