Asbestos has become our biggest industrial killer. Mesothelioma has already killed 7000 Australians — within 14 years, asbestos will have caused an estimated 50,000 cancers.
What is Mesothelioma ? It's a rare form of cancer in which malignant cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibres ou can breathe these fibres in when you come into contact with asbestosThe fibres work their way into the pleura ining the lung. They irritate the pleura and damage the cells that the pleura are made of Some of the fibres that have been breathed in can be coughed up and swallowed This is probably the cause ofperitoneal mesothelioma. Asbestos fibres can be carried home on your clothes.
Asbestos isn't new.It's not an invention of modern science but a mineral as soft and flexible as cotton or flax, yet fireproof. The Ancient Greeks named the mineral asbestos, meaning inextinguishable. The harmful biological effects were also observed by the Greeks. The Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder both mentioned a sickness of the lungs in the slaves that wove asbestos into cloth.
Asbestos was used for the wicks of the eternal flames of the vestal virgins, as the funeral dress for the cremation of kings, and as serviettes. Supposedly the Romans would clean asbestos napkins by throwing them into a fire.
Asbestos use declined in the Middle Ages, but it was said that Charlemagne had asbestos tablecloths. Marco Polo was shown items made from asbestos cloth on his travels.Asbestos use did not re-emerge until the 1700's, but it did not become popular until the late 1800's and during the Industrial Revolution. Asbestos then began to be used as insulation for boilers, steam pipes, turbines, ovens, kilns, and other high-temperature equipment. Apparently, the ancient observations of the health risks of asbestos were forgotten... or ignored
What is Mesothelioma ? It's a rare form of cancer in which malignant cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles. Asbestos is made up of tiny fibres ou can breathe these fibres in when you come into contact with asbestosThe fibres work their way into the pleura ining the lung. They irritate the pleura and damage the cells that the pleura are made of Some of the fibres that have been breathed in can be coughed up and swallowed This is probably the cause ofperitoneal mesothelioma. Asbestos fibres can be carried home on your clothes.
Asbestos isn't new.It's not an invention of modern science but a mineral as soft and flexible as cotton or flax, yet fireproof. The Ancient Greeks named the mineral asbestos, meaning inextinguishable. The harmful biological effects were also observed by the Greeks. The Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder both mentioned a sickness of the lungs in the slaves that wove asbestos into cloth.
Asbestos was used for the wicks of the eternal flames of the vestal virgins, as the funeral dress for the cremation of kings, and as serviettes. Supposedly the Romans would clean asbestos napkins by throwing them into a fire.
Asbestos use declined in the Middle Ages, but it was said that Charlemagne had asbestos tablecloths. Marco Polo was shown items made from asbestos cloth on his travels.Asbestos use did not re-emerge until the 1700's, but it did not become popular until the late 1800's and during the Industrial Revolution. Asbestos then began to be used as insulation for boilers, steam pipes, turbines, ovens, kilns, and other high-temperature equipment. Apparently, the ancient observations of the health risks of asbestos were forgotten... or ignored
posted by Susanna Duffy @ 3:46 PM
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