Mesothelioma Risk
Most people who have been exposed
to asbestos do not get sick. There
is no minimum exposure threshold
for developing asbestos-related
health problems, and there have
been documented cases of illness
arising from only limited contact
with asbestos. However, it is
clear that repeated or habitual
exposure increases risk proportionately.
Workers who face asbestos exposure
as an occupational hazard have
the greatest risk of becoming
ill.
Today’s workers are at lower
risk than those of previous generations,
due in part to increased government
regulation and in part to improved
safety practices in the workplace.
After all, corporations are keenly
aware of how litigious an issue
asbestos has become. Domestic
consumption of asbestos in the
United States fell from 719,000
metric tons in 1973 to 9,000 metric
tons in 2002, a drop of over ninety-eight
percent. One reason for the continued
discovery of new cases of illness
is that it may take ten to forty
years from the time of exposure
for asbestos-related conditions
to develop.
Mesothelioma is one of the rarer
conditions associated with asbestos.
About two to three thousand new
cases are reported in America
annually. This means that less
than one in a million Americans
is diagnosed with the condition
each year. Men are five to eight
times more likely to develop mesothelioma
than women, and risk increases
with age. Most patients are over
age sixty-five.
Health
Canada on health risks of asbestos
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