The United States Senate has designated April 1 to 7, 2021, as National Asbestos Awareness Week. The purpose of the event is to discuss asbestos, its deadly properties, and how to limit exposure. The resolution establishing the awareness week unanimously passed the Senate.
Individuals who have been exposed to asbestos and have been diagnosed with an asbestos related disease are urged to contact an experienced asbestos lawyer for assistance.
What is the Goal of the Resolution?
The goal of National Asbestos Awareness Week is to educate people about the dangers of asbestos exposure and the health issues it can cause, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. A significant portion of the United States is still unaware of the dangers that asbestos pose to individuals. The goal is to encourage people to learn more about asbestos, where it can be located, and its dangers.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a collection of soft, flexible fibers made up of six naturally occurring minerals. The material is resistant to heat, electricity, and corrosion. This makes it an effective insulator and useful across many different industries, including construction, shipbuilding, and manufacturing.
While contained, asbestos poses minimal danger. However, when it becomes airborne, asbestos is dangerous because of the chances of someone inhaling the fibers. Second-hand exposure is also a concern as well, as someone could be working in a location where asbestos fibers are present. A portion of those fibers could land on an article of clothing, and the worker could bring it home and unknowingly expose members of their family to the toxic mineral.
Despite the dangers of asbestos, the United States is one of the few industrialized nations not to ban its use. Although the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented restrictions and one state, New Jersey, did ban it in 2019, no other state has imposed a ban on asbestos. Even though there is not a formal ban on asbestos, most have realized its risks and have stopped using it. As a result, the general use of asbestos has declined significantly in the United States.
What are the Long-Term Health Concerns with Asbestos?
Exposure to asbestos can lead to several lung-related diseases. When a person inhales or swallows the asbestos fibers, they can become permanently stuck in a person’s respiratory or digestive tract. Exposure to asbestos can lead to serious problems.
The fibers will accumulate in human tissue and cause inflammation and damage to the area. Over time, this damage will lead to cellular changes that can result in cancer and other diseases. Asbestos exposure can cause the following diseases:
- Mesothelioma: This is an aggressive and deadly form of cancer. It takes place in the thin layer of tissue that surrounds four major organs: the lungs, heart, stomach, and testicles.
- Lung cancer: This type of cancer specifically attacks the lungs. Asbestos exposure is responsible for about four percent of all lung cancer cases.
- Asbestosis: This disease results in the inflammation and scarring of lung tissue. That damage can prohibit the lungs from expanding and relaxing normally, resulting in the patient not being able to breath properly.
Philadelphia Asbestos Lawyers at Shein Law Represent Clients Suffering Due To Asbestos Exposure
If you are suffering from mesothelioma or lung cancer, you might have unknowingly been exposed to asbestos. If you were put at risk with no safety precautions, you are entitled to compensation to recoup your financial losses. The Philadelphia asbestos lawyers at Shein Law are well versed in this area of law and will fight to help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Call us today at 877-743-4652 or contact us online to arrange a consultation.
With offices in Philadelphia and Pennsauken, New Jersey, we proudly serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.