Asbestos-Related Health Diseases Necessitating The Need For its Removal

Asbestos is a naturally occurring material that has been extensively used in buildings in the past because of its strength and good insulating qualities. Still, in the areas where asbestos was present, people started to suffer from major respiratory issues and cancers.

After scientists had researched the main cause, it was eventually found that asbestos fibre exposure poses major health issues, especially if the fibres are consumed or inhaled. This prompted a reevaluation of its use in buildings and the need for efficient asbestos removal in Norwich, especially where it’s widely used.

Who is more at Risk of Asbestos Associated Disorders?

The occupations that have historically been most vulnerable to asbestos exposure were those that installed asbestos-containing products.

This includes;

• Labourers in the construction
• disposal process.
• Shipyards
• Boilermakers
• Mechanics
• Electricians
• Carpenters

Any building constructed before the year 2000 may have asbestos, as per the Health & Safety Executive. In the UK, it is an estimated 1.5 million buildings that still contain asbestos. This comprises residential properties, business structures like factories and offices, and public structures like schools and hospitals.

Asbestos is often only hazardous when disturbed, as occurs during construction or do-it-yourself projects. Nurses, teachers, and office professionals are among the people who are now being exposed to asbestos since they work in environments where it can be present.

When did the UK Ban Asbestos Use in the Construction Industry?

In the 1898 HM Chief Inspector of Factories report, factory inspector Lucy Deane voiced the first concerns over the safety of asbestos in the United Kingdom.

Although the risks of asbestos were first widely disregarded, warnings about them persisted throughout the 20th century, leading to the establishment of asbestos use bans in many nations.

In 1985 the government declared blue and brown asbestos illegal in the UK and after that banned the commonly used type white in 1999.

Every year, asbestos-related illnesses claim over 5,000 lives in the UK; worldwide, the toll is close to 255,000.

Health Risks Associated with Asbestos

People who live in buildings with asbestos or work in that environment have to face serious and potentially fatal diseases. Mostly while working, if it is not safely handled or if any fibre is exposed, it causes potentially dangerous health risks, increasing the need for asbestos removal specialists. Over the past few decades, there has been a significant rise in asbestos-related sickness in Great Britain due to the widespread usage of products containing asbestos in the past, especially in the post-World War II building industry.

Mesothelioma:

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that principally affects the pleura (the external lining of the lung) and the peritoneum (the lining of the lower digestive tract). Since symptoms usually show late in the disease's progression and are nonspecific, cases are frequently detected at an advanced stage. It usually results in death within a year after the commencement of symptoms.

The number of deaths due to mesothelioma in the UK has sharply increased in the past 50 years. This increase is primarily due to occupational asbestos exposures, which happened as a result of the extensive industrial usage of it between 1950 and 1980.

There were 2,268 mesothelioma deaths in 2021, which one study linked to past exposures to asbestos fibres. According to another research study, men who worked in the construction industry during the period when asbestos was widely utilised are still the most vulnerable to developing mesothelioma.

Lung Cancer:

It is exceedingly challenging to determine the exact cause of the incidence of lung cancer because the disease typically exhibits no distinct clinical symptoms linked to a particular cause. However, epidemiological data can be used to determine the overall percentage of yearly deaths that can be linked to prior asbestos exposures.

Lung cancer, like mesothelioma, typically takes its life within a few years of diagnosis; hence, the annual mortality toll is nearly equivalent to the annual incidence of new cases.

After tobacco smoking, asbestos is one of the most frequent causes of lung cancer. Studies on epidemiology reveal that worker groups exposed to asbestos report higher rates of lung cancer than mesotheliomas; the ratios differ depending on the type and the extent of exposure. This implies that assuming a 1:1 ratio with mesothelioma cases, there are about 2,500 lung cancer deaths per year attributable to asbestos.

Pleural Disease:

This includes various conditions associated with asbestos exposure such as pleural plaques (thickening of the pleural membrane), pleural effusion (build-up of fluid between the pleural layers), and diffuse pleural thickening. These disorders sometimes may present a life-threatening condition if left untreated for a long period.

Asbestosis

It is the most dangerous and incurable ailment, which is characterised by pneumoconiosis resulting from asbestos fibre inhalation. In Asbestosis, patients present inflammation and lung tissue damage, with symptoms usually appearing several decades after fibre exposure. These can cause a number of potentially serious problems and frequently worsen to the point where they significantly impair regular everyday activities.

A 2018 study that was published in the journal Primary Care Respiratory Medicine states that asbestosis is common in many different construction activities, including painting, carpentry, pipefitting, and lagging.

The number of deaths mentioning asbestosis (apart from those that also mention mesothelioma) has significantly increased in recent years. In 2021, there were 537 such deaths, up from about 100 each year in the late 1970s.

Other Cancers:

Laryngeal, ovarian and bile duct cancer are also found among patients who had sustained occupational or household exposure to asbestos.

Conclusion:

Although asbestos was once extensively utilised in buildings and other industries, its usage is now restricted or banned in many nations due to various health concerns. It is the main reason behind several deaths due to respiratory disorders. If your building has it, it is important to hire an asbestos removal specialist immediately.