Childhood Environmental Asbestos Exposure and Malignant Mesothelioma
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Childhood Environmental Asbestos Exposure and Malignant Mesothelioma

Environmental asbestos exposure in childhood can dramatically raise the risk for malignant mesothelioma later in life. That is the finding of new mesothelioma research conducted in Denmark. The study appears in the newest issue of Occupational & Environmental Medicine. It included more than 12,000 people who attended school near an asbestos cement plant during a 30-year period. Researchers discovered that kids educated near the plant were much more likely to receive a mesothelioma diagnosis as adults. Environmental Asbestos Exposure in Danish Children Asbestos was once thought to be an ideal component of building products such as insulation, roof tiles, and cement. It has high tensile strength, is impervious to heat and flame, and is and highly resistant to corrosion. On…

Asbestos in Mesothelioma Development: No Amount is Safe
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Asbestos in Mesothelioma Development: No Amount is Safe

A new study contains some sobering news about the role of asbestos in mesothelioma development. Public health officials in Italy analyzed the medical records of people who died of pleural mesothelioma in the Broni, Italy area. Broni was the site of an asbestos cement plant from 1932 until 1993. They discovered that even some people who did not work with asbestos had a high risk of dying from this rare cancer. In fact, their risk for mesothelioma was higher even though their asbestos exposure was smaller. It suggests that no amount of asbestos exposure is “safe” — especially for people who are extra sensitive because of their genetics. Small Amounts of Asbestos in Mesothelioma Development Scientists began to suspect the…