Homes in Australia built before 1990 could contain asbestos. What is that so alarming? Asbestos is a known substance that when inhaled or ingested causes various health problems including mesothelioma and lung cancer. The following will discuss what you need to know about asbestos and what to do about it if you find out it is in your home.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a natural silicate mineral that consists of miniscule fibres. When it gets stirred up, it can produce dust particles that contain asbestos fibres. When these dust particles are breathed into the lungs, it heightens the risk of health issues from pleural plaques to mesothelioma.
Asbestos was frequently used in building materials from the 1940s to the late 1990s due to its fire-resistant, efficient insulating, and durable …show more content…
Construction workers who haven’t participated in safety practices probably encountered higher than normal levels of asbestos fibres in their working conditions. Not only might they have inhaled asbestos, but they could have also carried in home on their clothing, hair, and skin, possibly exposing their family to the fibres.
Diseases Associated with Asbestos Exposure
• Asbestosis is a disease that causes progressive scar tissue in the lungs, which hinders breathing.
• Pleural plaques is a health condition that presents with thick patches of scar tissue in the lining of the lungs.
• Lung cancer occurs over decades after being exposed to asbestos. People with asbestosis and those who smoke are at higher risk of lung cancer.
• Mesothelioma is a lung cancer that affects the linking of the lungs (the pleura) and the diaphragm and chest wall. Like lung cancer, mesothelioma develops over decades after exposure.
Asbestos Around the Home
Asbestos may be found in some of these