Center for Disease Control
Says Asbestos Deaths Are Skyrocketing
Condition can lie dormant
for years before symptoms develop.
By
DANIEL YEE, Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA - Asbestos deaths in the United States have skyrocketed since the
late 1960s and will probably keep on climbing through the next decade because
of long-ago exposure to the material, once widely used for insulation and
fireproofing, the government said Thursday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 1,493 people died from
asbestos in 2000, compared with 77 in 1968.
In fact, in 1998, asbestos-related deaths overtook those black lung
disease, reflecting in part the decline of the coal mining industry, the
federal agency said.
The CDC reached its findings by reviewing the death certificates of nearly
125,000 people who had lung conditions linked to inhaling dust or fibers from
minerals such as coal or asbestos.
Asbestos was used in the railroad industry as locomotive boiler insulation
and its use in buildings increased substantially after World War II and peaked
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Because asbestos-related illnesses are slow
in developing - it can take up to 40 years between the time someone is exposed
to the material and dies from it - asbestos deaths will probably increase
through the next decade, said Michael Attfield, a CDC epidemiologist.
"What you have are folks in their 60s and 70s who might otherwise
live longer, but because of the damage to their lung tissue, it leads to an
early death," said Forest Horne, a
Government regulations in the 1970s helped curb the use of asbestos. It is
still used, though under heavy regulation. It is found in more than 3,000 products,
including brake linings, engine gaskets and roof coatings, and is still present
as insulation in older buildings.
"The disease that's being manifested now is basically the result of
high exposures over a long period of time - 20, 30, 40 years ago - and don't
reflect what current regulations requires," said Bob Pigg, president of
the Asbestos Information Association of North America. "Today's products
can and are being used safely."
Exposure can cause asbestosis, in which asbestos fibers get into the lungs and scar them. The lungs get stiff and it becomes difficult for them to take in air or to transfer oxygen to the blood. This can lead to frequent lung infections and heart or respiratory failure. There is no effective treatment.
Whether someone will develop asbestosis depends on such factors as the
intensity and duration of exposure and the person's age when exposed.
For years, coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or black lung, was a much more
common lung disease. But cases have been on the decline, possibly because fewer
people are employed in the coal mining industry today, the CDC said.
Also, asbestos was probably listed on death certificates more often in
recent years as health officials became aware of its dangers.
On the Net:
CDC info: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr
EPA asbestos information: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos
Posted: