| | |

Mesothelioma Linked to Shipbuilding Finally Falling in the UK

ByAlex Strauss
mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding

After decades of higher-than-normal rates of mesothelioma near dockyards, cases of mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding appear to be falling in the UK.

The UK has one of the highest per capita rates of malignant mesothelioma in the world. A big part of that comes from the shipbuilding industry where asbestos was used extensively.

Now, a new report suggests the scourge of mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding is finally beginning to taper off, even though deaths from mesothelioma have not. 

Why is Mesothelioma Linked to Shipbuilding?

Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral that is strong and impervious to heat and corrosion. That made it a good insulator and a choice building material for many decades. Unfortunately, asbestos is also highly toxic. 

Before scientists made the connection between asbestos and malignant mesothelioma, asbestos could be found throughout many ships, from the engine room to the kitchen.

People who lived near shipyards or worked on ships were more likely to inhale asbestos dust. Once asbestos fibers enter the body, it is very hard for the body to expel them. 

Over time, irritation and inflammation triggered by the fibers can lead to mesothelioma. This is why people in or around dockyards have traditionally faced a higher risk of mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding. 

Assessing Risk of Death Near Dockyards

Shipbuilding is no longer the major industry that it once was in the UK and the country banned asbestos in 1999. But mesothelioma cases still occur. Researchers wanted to know the remaining level of mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding. 

The new research comes from the National Heart & Lung Institute at Imperial College London. Researchers first calculated the age-adjusted mesothelioma mortality rates for the whole country. They compared these rates to mesothelioma mortality rates around dockyards (shipyards) between 2002 and 2015.

“For most districts, age-adjusted mesothelioma mortality rates increased through 2002-2015 but the relative contribution from districts with a dockyard fell,” writes lead author Dr. Carl Reynolds. 

While cases of mesothelioma liked to shipbuilding still exist, the association is not as strong as it used to be. “Mesothelioma deaths are becoming more dispersed,” says Dr. Reynolds. 

Risk from Shipbuilding Documented by Other Studies

UK workers are not the only ones at risk for mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding.

In the US, a 2017 analysis of former Baltimore shipyard workers confirmed they face a higher risk for early death. The risk of death from all causes, including mesothelioma and lung cancer, was higher the longer they worked in the shipyard. 

Other studies have also confirmed mesothelioma linked to shipbuilding. A 2016 Italian study found that 192 shipyard workers diagnosed with mesothelioma had an average occupational exposure duration of 24 years. 

Even with modern regulations in place to protect workers from mesothelioma, shipyards remain dangerous. Workers who dismantle decommissioned ships (called shipbreaking) may raise their risk for mesothelioma.

Sources:

Reynolds, CJ, et al “Mesothelioma mortality in Great Britain: how much longer will dockyards dominate?”, October 29, 2019, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epub ahead of print, https://oem.bmj.com/content/early/2019/10/29/oemed-2019-105878

Rusiecki, J, et al, “Mortality among Coast Guard Shipyard workers: a retrospective cohort study of specific exposures”, February 2017, Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, Epub ahead of print.


Similar Posts

  • |

    Mesothelioma Still Rising Despite Ban in Ireland

    ByAlex Strauss

    A study in Ireland confirms that it can take many years for a ban on asbestos to have a measurable impact on a country’s rates of malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is the most serious of a list of diseases – including lung cancer, pleural plaques, asbestosis, and others – linked with exposure to asbestos dust. Affecting the linings around the lungs and other organs, mesothelioma is often resistant to most cancer treatments and may be fatal within a year of diagnosis. According to the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, Ireland is one of 55 countries that have enacted some type of asbestos ban. However, although Ireland banned asbestos in 2000, a new study published in Cancer Epidemiology shows that incidence of the…

  • |

    Website Aims to Protect Homeowners from Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    Australia’s Cancer Council is trying to educate home renovators about their risk for mesothelioma with a new e-learning course. Australia has one of the highest per capita rates of mesothelioma in the world, largely because of several asbestos mining operations that were once located there. Although asbestos has been banned from building products in Australia since 1989, asbestos-linked diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis continue to pose a serious health concern. While mesothelioma has traditionally occurred among people exposed to asbestos on the job, Australia is now bracing for another “wave” of mesothelioma victims among homeowners who encounter asbestos while doing their own renovation projects. Cancer Council Australia has launched “kNOw asbestos in your home” in an effort to…

  • |

    Teacher’s Diagnosis Highlights Mesothelioma Risk in Schools

    ByAlex Strauss

    A recent mesothelioma diagnosis in the UK once again dramatically highlights the fact that even a small amount of asbestos can be deadly. Sixty-three-year-old school teacher Marion Potts of Brockenhurst died of mesothelioma in a Southampton hospital in June. According to an article in The Mirror, the Coroner recorded a verdict of “death from an industrial disease” after hearing evidence last week that Potts actually saw asbestos dust being released when she pinned work on the classroom walls. Most recently, Potts was head of the English department at Romsey School in Hampshire until her retirement two years ago. Mesothelioma is a growing threat among school teachers, administrators, maintenance workers, and even students in British schools. A government report released last…

  • | | |

    Mesothelioma Nurses Ready for New Cases in Australia

    ByAlex Strauss

    Australia is bracing for an expected new wave of mesothelioma cases in the next decade and the Lung Foundation of Australia is taking action now to get ready. The Foundation has paid for ten nurses from around the country to receive specialized training in helping patients and families cope with mesothelioma. The nurses, who have recently completed the training, are now equipped to lead treatment planning for these complex cancer patients and to help other nurses do the same. Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that occurs in the lining around the lungs. It is caused by exposure to asbestos dust, a toxin that was once alarmingly prevalent in Australia where it was mined and heavily used in construction. Because…

  • | |

    Spanish Mesothelioma Deaths Likely to Continue for Decades

    ByAlex Strauss

    New research in Spain suggests that mesothelioma deaths will continue in the country until the “last surviving member” of the group of people exposed to occupational asbestos succumbs to the disease. Like many countries, Spain used asbestos heavily in the first half of the 20th century, especially in construction, where the mineral was prized for its durability, low cost, and resistance to fire and corrosion.  Asbestos was banned in Spain in 2002. Observing that more than 2.5 million metric tons of asbestos were imported into Spain from 1906 to 2002, researchers say deaths from mesothelioma have risen steadily. Between 1976 and 1980, a total of 491 Spanish people died of mesothelioma. By the 5-year period from 2006 to 2010, that…

  • |

    Study Confirms Firefighters at Elevated Risk for Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    A 5-year National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of U.S. firefighters is the first to confirm what has long been suspected: Firefighters are definitely at higher risk for malignant mesothelioma. The study examined the mortality patterns and cancer incidence (including mesothelioma) among 30,000 firefighters in three major cities. The study subjects were all career firefighters who started their careers after 1950 and were followed through 2009. In order to get a diverse sample of firefighters from across the country, the study focused on firefighters from San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia. Comparing firefighters to a sampling of the general public, the study looked at 92 causes of death and 41 cancer incidence groupings, with a focus on 15…