Diseases
Asbestos diseases cannot be cured. They are caused by inhalation of carcinogenic asbestos fibres. Once the fibres are lodged in the lungs, they cannot be dislodged. Asbestos diseases generally take a long time to develop – 20, 30 or even 40 years.
Asbestosis is the most common disease caused by asbestos exposure. The steel-like asbestos fibres cause inflammation and scarring of the lung tissue, until the lung gradually loses its elasticity and shrinks. This causes shortness of breath and strains the heart. The sufferer eventually dies, owing to diminished lung capacity or complications of the disease.
Lung cancer can result from asbestosis. Asbestos-induced lung cancer can affect smokers and non-smokers, but people who have been heavy smokers have a much higher risk of contracting any asbestos lung disease.
Pleural plaques are hard, wax-like crusts which form on the lung, as a consequence of inhalation of asbestos fibres. They cause loss of lung function and reduced elasticity. It is quite common for people suffering from asbestosis or other asbestos lung diseases to have pleural plaques as well.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive malignant cancer which attacks the lung’s outer lining, the pleura. Mesothelioma can develop once asbestos fibres have penetrated through the lung tissue and invaded the pleura. It is an extremely painful and debilitating disease, and its progress is usually rapid. Mesothelioma can also attack the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity, and can cause secondary cancers.
At the beginning of the 21st century, 2600 Australians are dying of asbestos disease each year. Epidemiologists predict that the toll will exceed 60,000 in the first quarter of this century alone and that the impact of asbestos disease will not peak until at least 2025. The worst is yet to come.
The International Labour Organisation estimates that 100,000 people die in the world each year because they worked with asbestos, but the figure would be much higher if it included those who inhaled asbestos dust in or near their homes. This estimate by the International Labour Organisation suggests that the global asbestos toll so far is in the hundreds of thousands and will eventually reach millions. Bans and restrictions on the use of asbestos in the First World will not halt the rise of asbestos disease in developing countries. This is an international disaster which only a worldwide strategy can contain.