The people who are at risk for mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer are the millions of workers who labor(ed) at places that either manufactured asbestos; manufactured products containing asbestos (like insulation, pipes, machines, and tools); or used or installed these asbestos products. This population comprises millions of workers over the past century, including:
- Insulation manufacturers and installers
- Ship builders
- Construction workers
- Gas mask manufacturers
- Miners
- Factory workers
- Automotive and railroad workers
- Plumbers
Often, these workers came home dusted in asbestos fibers, which they shook off onto the floor, into the air, and into the home’s food and water. This secondary release of the fibers, in turn, exposed family members to the risks of developing mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer. A mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer lawsuit lawyer from Zanes Law can help.
THE RISKIEST AREAS FOR ASBESTOS EXPOSURE
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned new uses of asbestos in the United States. However, many older buildings across the country were built with asbestos insulation or with asbestos ceiling or floor tiles. These building types include:
- Public buildings
- Schools
- Homes
- Commercial buildings
When these older buildings are repaired, remodeled, or demolished, or they simply begin to decompose, the asbestos fibers are released into the environment, where they may be breathed in or otherwise ingested by people in the area.
WHAT ASBESTOS EXPOSURE MEANS
To understand the risk for mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer these people face, we must first learn how asbestos enters the human body and what it does once it gets there. In other words, how does the health risk present itself?
Asbestos does not present a danger when it is contained within something else. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the mineral only becomes a risk when it is disturbed and people are exposed to it. Asbestos exposure can happen in several ways:
- By breathing it in
- By eating it
- By drinking it
- By having it come in contact with your skin
WHAT ASBESTOS FIBERS DO IN YOUR BODY
Upon being inhaled, asbestos fibers travel down your throat. The asbestos fibers you do not cough up will travel into your lungs’ air tubes or into the exterior lining of your lung and chest wall. Wherever the fibers end up and lodge themselves is where they will start to do their damage.
ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS AFTER ASBESTOS EXPOSURE
At this point, your risk for mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer development depends upon several variables, such as:
- The amount of asbestos to which you were exposed
- The duration of the asbestos exposure (hours, days, months, years?)
- The type of asbestos fiber to which you were exposed
- How you were exposed to the substance
- Other additional chemicals to which you were also exposed
- Personal factors including but not limited to age, family traits, general health, and lifestyle
TYPES OF ASBESTOS FIBERS
Asbestos is classified by its fibers—amphibole fibers and chrysotile fibers. Chrysotile fibers are the more prevalent and so present a greater risk of exposure because they were used more than amphibole fibers in commercial applications
Amphibole fibers have the risky characteristic of remaining in your lungs for longer periods of time than chrysotile fibers, if not permanently, and are therefore considered a greater health hazard.
A MESOTHELIOMA AND ASBESTOS LUNG CANCER LAWYER CAN HELP YOU
If you or a loved one is at risk for mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer development, Zanes Law will do everything from A to Z to help you receive the compensation you deserve for mesothelioma and/or asbestos lung cancer. Call us today for a free consultation at 866-499-8989.