Mesothelioma, An Asbestos Cancer
Asbestos related diseases are found to be very common among the persons who were once in the Navy. These people had got an asbestos exposure while working in the ships or shipyards during the 1940s, 50s and 60s. The long latency period of asbestos related diseases like Mesothelioma started to be felt even after 50 years.
The asbestos manufacturers provided help in writing ship product specifications during the second World War and because of this there were an expansion on the use of asbestos on US Navy ships. This caused the shipyard workers and sailors to be exposed to dangerous asbestos fibers during their activities of cutting, sawing, mixing, tearing, and overhauling products. The products that carried high risks of Mesothelioma were fireproofing sprays, pipe covering, boilers, firebrick, asbestos gaskets, asbestos cement, and asbestos gloves and cloth. The highest and daily exposures were experienced by the boiler tenders, firemen, machinist mates and also by those people who worked in the construction sites. Laborers like ship fitters, electricians, painters, insulators who used to work in the ship yards were exposed to a dust of jagged asbestos fibers.
The mid 1970s experienced the growth of the asbestos industry as the insulation products manufactured by this industry started find their place and application in the planes, ships, cars, schools and even households in America. But the most tragic feature is that the manufacturers knew very well about the harmful effects of asbestos exposure. But they simply did not care to inform the people. When the American Navy became aware of these harmful effects much time has passed by and the veterans had already been diagnosed with Asbestosis, Mesothelioma and lung cancer.
Many people chose to drop out from the military service during the asbestos era in order to live happily with their families. They married and started families and made great achievements in their careers without even knowing what was waiting for them. To their horror, they found that their longevity got affected!