Asbestos Exposure for Marine Corps Veterans
Regarded as one of the most unique building materials, asbestos was used in a number of industrial functions during the 20th century. Due to its flame resistant and durable traits, it has many of the traits that were needed in construction. Power generation, the military real estate and ship building were just a few of the industries affected by asbestos.
Every branch of the military used asbestos extensively, but none of them used as much of it in as many materials as the Navy. Asbestos could be found all through the ships that took to the water from the early 1940s to the late 1970s. The material was utilized to line the boilers, provide a heat safeguard between the residential areas and the working areas of the ship. It was also woven into the ropes that were plentiful aboard the Navy vessels.
Marine units regularly worked together with Navy crews, utilizing Navy aircraft carriers as their base from which to fly fighter-bombers on ship to shore missions. As a result they would live on these ships for the extent of the mission. This close-working affiliation between the Marines and the Navy puts Marine veterans at just as high of a risk of asbestos related illness as those veterans who served in the Navy. In fact, even Marines that never set foot on a Navy vessel are at risk of asbestos exposure. Asbestos was commonly used in the cement pipes, ceiling tiles and insulation in the barracks where Marines spent their time.
Asbestos exposure happens when the asbestos-containing materials become worn. Asbestos fibers are released into the air when this wear occurs. At this point, the fibers can be easily ingested or inhaled. The fibers remain in the body for years, until decades later when the veteran develops health problems connected with the exposure.
Asbestos exposure can lead to a variety of health problems. Because asbestos is a known carcinogen, exposure to it increases the risk of all types of cancers.There is no mesothelioma cure and the disease is difficult to diagnose early. Typically, by the time a diagnosis is made the tumors have often spread throughout the body. This type of cancer does not respond well to treatment, and the average mesothelioma life expectancy is a mere two years after diagnosis.
Source: http://usmc81.blogspot.com
Digg
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Googlize this
Facebook
Wikio