Skip to main content

Asbestos in Chemical Plants

Given its known resistance to heat and fire, asbestos also has a natural resistance to chemicals, which makes its use as a material common in chemical plants and laboratories. In addition, the use of asbestos as a protective layer minimizes the chances of an unintended chemical reaction.  



As in other industries, asbestos was used in chemical plants to create a safer work environment. Some of the industrial uses of this material in this sector were as a protector in work clothes, banks and work tables. However, when the use of this material began to be regulated, people quickly began to recognize its dangers.

Although it is an effective insulator against heat, fire and chemical agents, asbestos has a significant risk when it is fragmented as this allows it to enter the body and cause multiple health problems, such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. In addition, these plants frequently used the chrysolite, which is the most dangerous variety. It is paradoxical that even when the public in general began to know the risks of this material, companies insisted that this form of asbestos was safe.


Given the long latency period of mesothelioma, the first workers of the chemical plants will now begin to show the first symptoms of the disease.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

General Information about Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which malignant (cancerous) cells form in the lining of the chest or abdomen. Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the pleura (the thin layer of tissue that lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs) or the peritoneum (the thin layer of tissue that lines the abdomen and covers most of the organs of the abdomen). Malignant mesothelioma can form in the heart or testicles, but this is not common Exposure to asbestos can influence the risk of malignant mesothelioma. Anything that increases the risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean you are going to have cancer; Having no risk factors does not mean you will not have cancer. Talk to your doctor if you think you may be at risk. Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked or lived in places where they inhaled or swallowed asbestos. After exposure to asbestos, it usually takes a lon...

Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma treatment depends on the stage of the disease is, and you can tell that there is no standard treatments because of the smallness of their impact. The following therapies are currently used: Surgery Surgery with curative intent is, in theory, the best choice for the treatment of mesothelioma, however, complete resection (with large and negative margins) is rarely achieved. Less than 25% of the operated patients remain alive at 5 years. We have the following options:   Extrapleural pneumonectomy: is bloc resection of the parietal pleura and visceral, along with the lung infiltrated by the tumor, mediastinal lymph nodes, diaphragm and pericardium. All this is reconstructed meshes. It is a very complicated technique that is not done in all centers and having a high perioperative morbidity and mortality (in highly selected cases and expert hands is 4%). It has an average survival between 9 and 19 months and a survival rate at two years between 9...

What is Mesothelioma and Causes

Mesothelioma is a tumor derived from mesothelial cells of the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium and tunica albuginea. The mesothelium is a membrane that covers all our cavities inside. Pleural is the most common location (80%), affecting the pleura diffusely. The pleura is the membrane that covers the rib cage and the surface of the lungs. It is a rare tumor. It occurs between the 5th and 7th decade of life due to prior occupational exposure to asbestos or asbestos (a mineral) in youth. The incidence is highest in Australia, Belgium and Britain (with more than 20 cases per million inhabitants). The incidence is higher in men than in women. The mean survival of those affected by malignant mesothelioma is between six and 18 months. Causes of Mesothelioma The trade-name asbestos mineral formed by silica, magnesium oxide ferroso- lime and is the leading cause of mesothelioma, having proven carcinogenic potential in animals. In humans it has been shown that the risk is prop...