Mesothelioma

Calling.. .calling... calling all the civil engineers out there. Came across this disease recently. Caused by asbestos. People like us will constantly exposed to this substance in construction material. Take note of this disease....

Asbestos Mesothelioma FAQs
... asbestosis, lung cancer, fibrosis & mesothelioma

Asbestos is a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals. The name is derived for its historical use in lamp wicks. It was also used in fabrics such as Egyptian burial cloths and Charlemagne's tablecloth, which, according to legend, he threw in a fire to clean. The fibers are typically mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats. It is used in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, its tensile strength, flexibility, and resistance to chemicals. Asbestos is now known to be carcinogenic and is banned in many countries.

Most asbestos fibers are invisible to the unaided human eye because their size is about 3.0-20.0 µm. Asbestos a natural fibrous silicate widely used in the past for commercial applications such as construction tiles, heat insulation materials and water pipes. Asbestos exposure has been industrial or occupational and primarily affects workers involved in mining or processing asbestos or those involved in the use of asbestos in the shipbuilding, construction, and textile- and insulation-manufacturing industries.

Chrysotile is mined in Canada, and tremolite and anthophyllite are mined in Finland and North America. Crocidolite and amosite are mined in South Africa and Australia. About 2-6 million people in the United States are estimated to have had significant levels of exposure. High exposures ceased in the United States in the late 1970s, and later in the United Kingdom, because of governmental legislation passed after the adverse effects became recognized.

However, because the latency period between an initial exposure and the development of most asbestos-related disease is 20 years or longer, asbestos-related disease remains an important public health issue.