Asbestos is a naturally occurring compound that is highly useful. It has been used extensively in industries for many purposes. Cement manufacturing units and ship building companies have been using it on a large scale. The use of asbestos increased since 1940s and many people were engaged in its extraction, processing and related activities. But the link between mesothelioma and asbestos was not found out till 1960s. Hence no precautionary measures were taken by the company owners and no restrictions were imposed by the government to protect the workers from inhaling or ingesting the harmful fibers floating in the air.
This led to a very harmful situation of workers inhaling or carrying asbestos particles in their cloths or hair. They went home without showering or changing the cloths and brought the particles to their homes thereby exposing family members too. Thus many family members also got infected. Once the harmful properties of asbestos came to fore, curbs were instituted on the usage of asbestos with some countries banning its use altogether. But the harm was already done. Most present mesothelioma patients had got infected several decades ago when no curbs and precautionary measures were existent.
Once we inhale asbestos particles through the air, they get accumulated in the protective lining of the lungs and other vital organs. This triggers chemical reactions which result in abnormal and uncontrolled division of mesothelium cells. This continues for a number of years with the result that the infection spreads and cancer symptoms appear.
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Asbestos can cause a series of other ailments like the lung cancer, but mesothelioma is the most dangerous of all. Precautionary measures like wearing protective masks, showering and changing cloths etc have made work with asbestos somewhat less risk prone. But mesothelioma cases still appear here and there. Every year at least 3000 people get diagnosed to be carrying this disease in the United States alone and the number around the world must be many times than that. It should also be mentioned here that some countries have no such asbestos laws and people are exposed unscrupulously by greedy employees to asbestos exposure and its aftereffects.
Considering the close relation between mesothelioma and asbestos, laws are formulated for the workers to claim monetary relief from the errant employers. The hefty amount may run to millions to cover the treatment expenses and financial loss due to the disease.
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