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History of Asbestos Use and Exposure

By Katie Kelley

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 25Jun2009 Word count: 428 Viewed: 411 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Asbestos has been used for centuries. Named by ancient Greek civilaizations, it has been used throughout history for its flame retardant properties in many different applications. Among the the many uses for asbestos throughout history, the most common uses were for insulation, especially in high heat areas such as boilers, pipes, ovens, and heating ducts.

The detrimental health effects of asbestos have also been documented for an extensive period of time. Early documentation of asbestos related illness included all the same symptoms of mesothelioma, but with different descriptors. Some called it a "sickness of the lungs," but it was not until the early 1900s when medical professionals began to agree that asbestos was the cause of a specific cancer in the lungs.

Despite this discovery linking asbestos to lung cancer, asbestos remained in use for many more years. It was used heavily in construction projects throughout the 1970s, including home, building, and industrial construction. There are also records of extensive asbestos use in the construction of navy ships which subsequently affected a staggering number of men and women serving on those ships. These materials were widely used in the engine and boiler rooms, as well as other areas below deck for fire safety purposes.

One result of this high exposure rate is the large rate of mesothelioma cancer among veterans. Statistically, 30 percent of mesothelioma victims are veterans and Navy veterans account for 16 percent of asbestos-related lung cancer.

Another group affected by asbestos exposure has been those who have worked in asbestos mines or mines contaminated with asbestos. This trend has also been noted historically; many researchers found that people working in asbestos mines led unnaturally short lives comparably speaking. Despite the research and knowlege of many scientists and companies, many workers were continually exploited in the manufacturing and mining processes up to and past the time when laws were put in place to protect workers.

Mesothelioma is a rare but deadly form of lung cancer that is almost always caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. It is a deadly and debilitating form of cancer for which no known treatment can currently completely cure the effects of the cancer, which is why it is imperative that a patient recently diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer locate an experienced mesothelioma lawyer who can provide a free legal consultation as to the development of a possible mesothelioma lawsuit. Developing litigation of this nature may result in monetary funds being dispersed to a victim, who can then use such compensation to pay for costly medical treatments and increase quality of life during their cancer.

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