mesothelioma australia
Asbestos is a fiber that was once used in construction as insulation and fire protection. Asbestos fibers are tiny and toxic, it is easy enter the body through the lungs and cause a number of health problems. Exposure to asbestos can cause a variety of diseases, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the meosthelium or protective coating that covers the body's internal organs, particularly the lining of the lungs and chest, known as the pleura. While mesothelioma can be caused by other factors, most of the cases are related to exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos-related mesothelioma first called attention in 1929 when he filed his first lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers. Both sides established and agreed to avoid more cases in the future, and the harmful effects of asbestos once again fell off the radar.
In 1960, however, asbestos and mesothelioma in the news again. In an article published by Wagner et al, asbestos was designated as the official cause of mesothelioma. The newspaper cited more than 30 cases of mesothelioma in people who were working in asbestos mines or spent a good amount of time in proximity to asbestos. Two years later, an asbestos worker was diagnosed Australia the first case of malignant mesothelioma. He worked in asbestos mines in Wittenoom, Australia, for only two years before developing the disease.
Wittenoom time would become a nightmare mesothelioma. A mining town that revolved around asbestos mills, mines asbestos waste had an effect on many who lived there, whether or not worked in the mines. Toxic levels of asbestos mines are found in playgrounds and mesothelioma cases began to emerge in the miners and not miners alike. Wittenoom mining lasted from 1943 to 1966 despite the existence of evidence that asbestos causes mesothelioma and other serious medical conditions.
The mines are owned and operated by CSR Limited, a company that produces aluminum and building materials including asbestos insulation. The company failed to take appropriate security to control human exposure to asbestos mines.
In fact, during the period in which limited CSR Wittenoom mines were in operation, thousands of miners, their families, and visitors were exposed to lethal amounts of asbestos. There were regulations in force at the time as to how control exposure to asbestos mine operators; CSR limited simply not followed.
The Western Australia Department of Health has issued several warnings CSR, but not make changes to protect the miners and townspeople, even after many cases of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses began to emerge.
In late 1970 the Government of Western Australia began shutting Wittenoom City because it was unsafe to live there. Asbestos levels were too toxic, and finally, at least one third of people exposed to asbestos at Wittenoom would be diagnosed with mesothelioma and other diseases.
In 1979, the suits were brought against CSR Limited, and were considered to have shown negligence and conscious disregard for the safety of miners and town. Even now, new cases of mesothelioma related to Wittenoom tragedy are being diagnosed with an RSE limited cost millions of dollars in settlements.
Asbestos is still widely used in many products today, despite its toxicity. Attempts to legislate a ban on asbestos, so far, has been canceled by the courts. The EPA has resources available to provide information about asbestos, asbestos related products, and how to control their exposure to asbestos.
About the Author:
Wittenoom : http://www.asbestosdiseases.org.au/asbestosinfo/wittenoom_tragedies.htmCSR Limited :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSR_LimitedMesothelioma : http://www.asbestosnews.com/html/lung-cancer.html
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The History of Asbestos-Related Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma : How Many People Get Mesothelioma?
