Occupational Asbestos Exposure: The Need for Standardized Assessment
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Occupational Asbestos Exposure: The Need for Standardized Assessment

ByAlex Strauss

A new report shows how important it is to have a standardized way to assess occupational asbestos exposure in people with mesothelioma.  Malignant mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Usually, that happens in the workplace. But sometimes, even the worker has no idea how or where he or she was exposed. This is especially true in industries not normally associated with occupational asbestos exposure.  The new Italian case study of a trucking worker who developed pleural mesothelioma illustrates the point.  Some Occupations Pose a Higher Mesothelioma Risk Than Others Before scientists discovered how dangerous it was, asbestos was a common additive to many products. Industries prized the fibrous mineral for its strength, heat and corrosion resistance, durability,…

Canadian Study Highlights Occupational Mesothelioma Risk
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Canadian Study Highlights Occupational Mesothelioma Risk

ByAlex Strauss

A new study of more than 2 million Canadian workers is shining a spotlight on the occupational mesothelioma risk from asbestos exposure in several industries. The study included data on 2.18 million workers in the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS). These workers were employed from 1983 to 2014. The researchers followed the workers for years to see how many of them developed mesothelioma or a chronic lung disease called asbestosis.  They compiled the data on which industries had the most diagnoses. The results paint a sobering picture of the occupational mesothelioma risk to thousands of industrial workers. Asbestos and the Link to Mesothelioma Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that occurs naturally in the soil in many parts of the world….

Mesothelioma Among Construction Workers in Southern Italy
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Mesothelioma Among Construction Workers in Southern Italy

ByAlex Strauss

New research in Southern Italy highlights the global problem of mesothelioma among construction workers.  The research comes from occupational medicine experts at the University of Bari.  Scientists studied 178 cases of mesothelioma among construction workers in the Apulia region of Italy. The data shows that heavy asbestos exposure raised the odds of contracting mesothelioma by more than two-and-a-half times.  Asbestos and the Risk for Mesothelioma Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma, in Italy and around the world. But for decades, almost no one knew that.  Tens of thousands of people worked with asbestos before scientists recognized the risk for mesothelioma among construction workers.  Asbestos was in dozens of construction products including cement, wall board, insulation, floor and ceiling tiles…

Alaska Lawmakers Allow Asbestos in Gravel
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Alaska Lawmakers Allow Asbestos in Gravel

ByAlex Strauss

Alaska lawmakers have decided not to let the threat of mesothelioma stand in the way of progress. In April, the state legislature voted to allow mining and use of asbestos gravel in communities where NOT using it would be too expensive. Asbestos, a mineral long associated with malignant mesothelioma, occurs naturally in many parts of the state.  But according to Alaska Public Radio, the presence of asbestos has stopped construction on roads and other public projects that depend on local gravel. The new legislation gives legal protection to landowners and construction companies if people exposed to asbestos contract mesothelioma or another asbestos-linked illness.  Although the bill’s sponsor says it is intended to jump start projects that have been on hold for years…