At Risk Jobs and Locations
It is inhalation of asbestos fibers which can cause mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer. Even
low exposure levels of the tiny fibers or asbestos dust
are very dangerous. After the 1980's workplace exposure
to asbestos became more rare, but it can take up to 40
years for signs of mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer are
noticed.
Most patients were exposed to asbestos fibers on the job or in the workplace in what
is known as occupational exposure. Another form of exposure
is called paraoccupational exposure. This form of asbestos
exposure can be harder to determine the source, but it
is usually contracted by a family member of someone who
has been exposed in the workplace.
Typically the family member is exposed to asbestos dust or fibers from the worker's
clothing, and when the clothing is handled the dust is released
and inhaled. Family members that are exposed in this way,
may be exposed to smaller amounts, but are still very much
at risk.
In the same way, those that have homes or work work near facilities that have
asbestos may also be at risk even though there is not obvious
direct contact. The fine asbestos dust can easily be carried
by the wind over long distances.
In the past, some of the industries
that could have been a source of asbestos were factories,
shipyards, power plants, oil refineries, steel manufacturing
plants, and any company or job site involved with construction
or the removal of old building materials. Often the demolition
of buildings that contain asbestos can release the dust into
the environment, and trucks hauling the materials can further
spread the fine asbestos fibers.
Likewise, people who live near these
types of sites likely to have asbestos around the facility
are also at risk: refineries, power plants, factories, shipyards,
steel mills and building demolition are types of work sites
that can release asbestos fibers into the environment and
contaminate nearby residential neighborhoods.
Trades:
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Manufacturing of asbestos products (insulation, roofing, building, materials) |
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Vehicle repair (brakes & clutches) |
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Construction workers and contractors |
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Maritime workers |
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Miners and drillmen |
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Offshore rust removals |
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Oil refinery workers |
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Power plants |
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Railway workers |
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Sand or abrasive manufacturers |
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Shipyards / ships / ship builders |
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Steel mills |
| • |
Tile cutters |
Occupations:
| • |
Auto Mechanics |
• |
Maintenance workers |
| • |
Boiler makers |
• |
Merchant marines |
| • |
Bricklayers |
• |
Millwrights |
| • |
Building Inspectors |
• |
Operating Engineers |
| • |
Carpenters |
• |
Painters |
| • |
Drywallers |
• |
Plasterers |
| • |
Electricians |
• |
Plumbers |
| • |
Floor Coverings |
• |
Roofers |
| • |
Furnace Workers |
• |
Sand blasters |
| • |
Glazers |
• |
Sheet metal workers |
| • |
Grinders |
• |
Steam fitters |
| • |
Hod carriers |
• |
Tile setters |
| • |
Insulators |
• |
Welders |
| • |
Iron workers |
• |
United States Navy veterans |
| • |
Laborers |
• |
Welders |
| • |
Longshoremen |
|
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Many occupations have an increased risk for developing lung
cancer. For example, asbestos insulation workers have 92
times the risk of developing of lung cancer, and smelter
workers have 3-8 times the risk of developing lung cancer.
The risk of lung cancer is also increased in people who
work in the manufacturing of certain industrial gases,
pharmaceuticals, soaps and detergents, paints, inorganic
pigments, plastics, and synthetic rubber. The risk of developing
lung cancer is related to the amount of exposure to the
cancer-causing agent.
For example, the risk of lung cancer in humans is proportional to the number
of cigarettes smoked. The risk of developing lung cancer
is 8-20 times greater in smokers compared to people who have
never smoked. A smaller, but real risk exists for cigar and
pipe smokers. Some lung cancer causing agents react together
to significantly worsen the risk of developing cancer. The
combined exposure to asbestos and tobacco smoke clearly multiplies
the risk of developing lung cancer.
The risk of lung cancer is greater
for those living in urban areas. This risk is approximately
1.2 to 2.3 times that of people living in rural areas. There
is also an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers whose
close relatives have had lung cancer. Scarring in the lungs
from previous infections or injury can be associated with
and increased risk of cancer. |
