(Mesothelioma News) - In the wake of Japan's recent catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, the country suffered devastation on multiple levels. Thousands perished, many more were left homeless, and radiation from a damaged nuclear power plant contaminated the air, raising fears of meltdowns and a Chernobyl-level disaster.
Now, there's the prospect of deadly asbestos exposure. In air and debris around Japan's stricken northeastern coast, asbestos experts have found the cancer-causing material-and expect levels to rise sharply once cranes and work crews begin the cleanup effort in earnest.
Clouds of toxic asbestos rose, too, from the debris of structures that were devastated after the collapse of the World Trade Center in September 2001.
Asbestos-long used in the construction industry because of its resistance to heat and fire-has been scientifically linked to deadly diseases including lung cancer and mesothelioma, an aggressive, incurable cancer that strikes the protective tissue lining many of the body's organs.
Mesothelioma lawyers and experts say that even short-term asbestos exposure can be sufficient to trigger horrific cancers years or even decades later. That was a worry for those who worked and lived around the World Trade Center site, and it is now a worry, too, for those impacted by events in Japan.
Cleanup work poses particular hazards, because asbestos is most dangerous when it is disturbed and asbestos fibers are released into the air.
Much of the debris from the earthquake and tsunami is thought to contain the hazardous material-particularly in insulation and fireproofing from buildings that were destroyed back in March. In digging through and cleaning up the debris, crews can inadvertently shake asbestos fibers loose, presenting a danger not only to themselves but to whole communities.
Once inhaled into the lungs, asbestos fibers seemingly lay dormant for years. But in fact, they are often setting the groundwork for catastrophic diseases like lung cancer and mesothelioma. A diagnosis of mesothelioma is particularly grim: Because the disease is usually not detected until it is at an advanced stage, treatment options are limited, and even the most advanced therapies typically add just months to a patient's life.
While mesothelioma lawyers have had success in obtaining large-and often multimillion-dollar-settlements and verdicts for victims of asbestos exposure, researchers still struggle to find a cure to the disease.
Compounding the problem in Japan is that the risk of asbestos exposure-as significant as it is-has largely been overshadowed by Japan's nuclear and humanitarian crises. Officials in hard-hit areas like Miyagi prefecture have acknowledged that they have yet to focus on asbestos contamination.
Meanwhile, workers, volunteers and residents are regularly sifting through the debris, creating great clouds of dust that could be toxic. Few of these individuals are wearing protective masks, and already, many have complained of stinging eyes and irritated throats.
"There are a lot of people going back into the rubble to search for valuables and photos," said Takuo Saitou, a Sendai-based attorney and spokesperson for a group concerned about the risks of asbestos exposure. "There are people who are not even wearing masks. This is like a suicidal act. We want people to know this is a problem."
In April, Saitou's group submitted letters to the environment minister and other government officials calling for air monitoring at disaster-hit areas, as well as mask distribution and proper handling of asbestos-laden waste.
Japan's health ministry has announced that it has issued pamphlets outlining safety guidelines and distributed 90,000 masks in the hardest-hit prefectures.
Samples taken from debris around the Sendai area, which confirm the presence of asbestos, have put current levels of the material within Japan's safety standards. But mesothelioma experts worry that those levels will rise if proper safeguards aren't taken-and a catastrophe today will be followed by another years down the road when people finally begin to exhibit the grave symptoms of mesothelioma.
This news story was brought to you by the mesothelioma lawyers at Cooney & Conway. For more than half a century, we have been advocates for those injured due to the wrongful actions of others. We have litigated and resolved some of the nation's most significant asbestos lawsuits, bringing justice-and compensation-to victims of asbestos exposure and the lung cancer, mesothelioma and other deadly diseases it can cause.
Social Media Tags: asbestos fibers, toxic asbestos, mesothelioma lawyers, asbestos exposure, catastrophic earthquake, collapse of the world trade center, lung cancer,
Other Mesothelioma News:
Asbestos Conference to Feature Judicial Roundtable on Financial Compensation
Protecting Against Asbestos: Workplace Regulations
Asbestosis: The Other Asbestos-Related Disease
