HEALTH EFFECTS OF ASBESTOS EXPOSURE Asbestos is a
Description: HEALTH EFFECTS OF ASBESTOS EXPOSURE Asbestos is a hazardous air pollutant An inhalation hazard in humans An airborne human carcinogen If asbestos is allowed to float in the air, and is inhaled, asbestos disease may result. If asbestos is
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slide1. HEALTH EFFECTS
OF
ASBESTOS EXPOSURE<br>
slide2. Asbestos is a hazardous air pollutant
An inhalation hazard in humans
An airborne human carcinogen If asbestos is allowed to float in the air, and is inhaled, asbestos disease may result.
If asbestos is not allowed to become airborne, there is little or no hazard to humans.<br>
slide3. RELATIVE EXPOSURE HAZARDS Passive or ambient exposure - normal background - passive exposure - low disease potential
Occupational Exposure - workplace exposure - on-going basis - high disease potential<br>
slide4. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE An ongoing exposure as a result of the work being performed, perhaps for a working career:
Factory workers
Shipyard workers
Construction Industry
Maintenance Industry Historically: Today:<br>
slide5. Most of our early data on the health effects of asbestos exposure came from heavily exposed populations in manufacturing and application. Entire populations in factory settings eventually died of this very high unprotected exposure. Since we have not used asbestos in this way since about 1980, this exposure no longer happens.
Today, harmful exposure is mainly in the construction industry where employees unknowingly disturb the asbestos materials that are in place in buildings and facilities. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE<br>
slide6. The next slide shows various ambient air levels, from a very high level measured in New York City in the early 80’s to a low level measured outside buildings in Phoenix, AZ in the 1990’s.The middle 3 are agency threshold levels. The U.S. Army number is what the Corps of Engineers has used as an asbestos clearance level for asbestos projects in buildings, meant to represent the limit of accurate detection of regulated fibers in the air using the PCM microscope. PASSIVE EXPOSURE<br>
slide7. PASSIVE EXPOSURE The ambient air:
New York .2 f/cc
OSHA PEL .1 f/cc
EPA clearance .01 f/cc
U.S. Army clearance .005 f/cc
Phx. background .0006 f/cc<br>
slide8. The NYC number at .2 f/cc is very high for an ambient air sample. This is probably due to 2 issues, one is the asbestos brake shoe use at that time, and the other is from uncontrolled demolition and renovation activities in that building environment. The second number (0.1 f/cc) is the current OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for an 8 hour day. The third is final clearance under AHERA (completion of response action; OK for reoccupancy). The forth number at .005 f/cc is final clearance from a Corps of Engineers specification. The last number is average Phoenix, AZ background taken outside buildings, probably typical of city environments in the Western U.S.
The question is, ‘what do these numbers mean’? The following slide represents ambient exposure at .005 f/cc over a life of 50 years, with no occupational exposure. Still, the accumulated body burden of asbestos fibers is very high. Asbestos disease usually comes from adding occupational exposure on top of normal exposure.<br>
slide9. INHALED ASBESTOS FIBERS Average 50 year old person at average background exposure (.005 f/cc):
.005 x 20,000 (20 lpm) = 100
100 x 60 (min. / hr.) = 6000
6000 x 24 (hr. / da.) = 144,000
144,000 x 365 (da. / yr.) = 52,560,000
52,560,000 x 50 = 2.6 Billion fibers<br>
slide10. DISEASE PREVENTION Dr. Selikoff’s One Fiber Theory: - One fiber of asbestos, properly placed in lung tissue, has the potential to cause a tumor.
There is no cure for the disease.
Asbestos disease is dose-response related.
Prevention of exposure will prevent disease.<br>
slide11. Mesothelioma occurs on the pleural & peritoneal membranes Lung cancer occurs in the bronchial tubes of the lung Asbestosis occurs in the alveoli area of the lungs Pleural membrane Peritoneal membrane Upper respiratory Bronchial tubes Alveoli area ANATOMY AND THE DISEASE PROCESS<br>
slide12. ASBESTOS DISEASES LUNG CANCER
ASBESTOSIS
MESOTHELIOMA<br>
slide13. LUNG CANCER A cancer of the lung tissue
The most common asbestos disease, therefore the most important
The 5 year survival rate of lung cancer victims is about 7% regardless of treatment
Latency Period = 20 - 30 years
The incidence of lung cancer in occupationally exposed smokers is about 90 times that of the general population<br>
slide14. ASBESTOSIS A scarring of the lungs at the alveoli
Inhibits oxygen transfer to the blood
Latency Period = 15 - 20 years
Diagnosed disease may continue to progress regardless of current exposure<br>
slide15. MESOTHELIOMA A cancer of the tissue which surrounds the lungs and the intestines
An asbestos marker disease
Latency period: 30 - 45 years
No treatment
Uniformly fatal within about 6 months of diagnosis
At least 3 times more common in the abdominal area than in the lung area.<br>
slide16. By far, the majority of asbestos disease cases on record are from very heavy, unprotected occupational exposure.
However, there are cases on the record of asbestos disease with no occupational exposure at all, although these are rare.
Knowing that these two extremes are real, it only makes sense to minimize any further asbestos exposure.<br>
slide17. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
ASBESTOSIS MORTALITY STUDY
1996<br>
slide18. The following data slides show that the death rate from asbestosis is steadily increasing in the U.S. The most affected industry, of hundreds of industries in this country is construction. Your work is considered construction industry work. Janitor and custodial is listed in the top 10 occupations affected by asbestosis death.
Mesothelioma deaths are twice as high as asbestosis deaths, and are increasing at a faster rate.
All this is in the industry that you work in.
The reason for this is simply that people in the construction industry ignore these facts. They don’t know about asbestos issues. They think that they are not asbestos workers.
Everyone in the construction industry is an asbestos worker.<br>
slide19. Asbestosis death rate is steadily increasing in the U.S.<br>
slide22. CDC REPORT
2002
Asbestos Mortality<br>
slide23. CDC 2002 Report Each successive report shows an increase in the death rate<br>
slide24. CDC 2002 Report<br>
slide25. CDC 2002 Report<br>
slide26. CDC 2002 Report<br>
slide27. CDC 2002 Report<br>
slide28. ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP (EWG)
2004 REPORT<br>
OF
ASBESTOS EXPOSURE<br>
slide2. Asbestos is a hazardous air pollutant
An inhalation hazard in humans
An airborne human carcinogen If asbestos is allowed to float in the air, and is inhaled, asbestos disease may result.
If asbestos is not allowed to become airborne, there is little or no hazard to humans.<br>
slide3. RELATIVE EXPOSURE HAZARDS Passive or ambient exposure - normal background - passive exposure - low disease potential
Occupational Exposure - workplace exposure - on-going basis - high disease potential<br>
slide4. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE An ongoing exposure as a result of the work being performed, perhaps for a working career:
Factory workers
Shipyard workers
Construction Industry
Maintenance Industry Historically: Today:<br>
slide5. Most of our early data on the health effects of asbestos exposure came from heavily exposed populations in manufacturing and application. Entire populations in factory settings eventually died of this very high unprotected exposure. Since we have not used asbestos in this way since about 1980, this exposure no longer happens.
Today, harmful exposure is mainly in the construction industry where employees unknowingly disturb the asbestos materials that are in place in buildings and facilities. OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE<br>
slide6. The next slide shows various ambient air levels, from a very high level measured in New York City in the early 80’s to a low level measured outside buildings in Phoenix, AZ in the 1990’s.The middle 3 are agency threshold levels. The U.S. Army number is what the Corps of Engineers has used as an asbestos clearance level for asbestos projects in buildings, meant to represent the limit of accurate detection of regulated fibers in the air using the PCM microscope. PASSIVE EXPOSURE<br>
slide7. PASSIVE EXPOSURE The ambient air:
New York .2 f/cc
OSHA PEL .1 f/cc
EPA clearance .01 f/cc
U.S. Army clearance .005 f/cc
Phx. background .0006 f/cc<br>
slide8. The NYC number at .2 f/cc is very high for an ambient air sample. This is probably due to 2 issues, one is the asbestos brake shoe use at that time, and the other is from uncontrolled demolition and renovation activities in that building environment. The second number (0.1 f/cc) is the current OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for an 8 hour day. The third is final clearance under AHERA (completion of response action; OK for reoccupancy). The forth number at .005 f/cc is final clearance from a Corps of Engineers specification. The last number is average Phoenix, AZ background taken outside buildings, probably typical of city environments in the Western U.S.
The question is, ‘what do these numbers mean’? The following slide represents ambient exposure at .005 f/cc over a life of 50 years, with no occupational exposure. Still, the accumulated body burden of asbestos fibers is very high. Asbestos disease usually comes from adding occupational exposure on top of normal exposure.<br>
slide9. INHALED ASBESTOS FIBERS Average 50 year old person at average background exposure (.005 f/cc):
.005 x 20,000 (20 lpm) = 100
100 x 60 (min. / hr.) = 6000
6000 x 24 (hr. / da.) = 144,000
144,000 x 365 (da. / yr.) = 52,560,000
52,560,000 x 50 = 2.6 Billion fibers<br>
slide10. DISEASE PREVENTION Dr. Selikoff’s One Fiber Theory: - One fiber of asbestos, properly placed in lung tissue, has the potential to cause a tumor.
There is no cure for the disease.
Asbestos disease is dose-response related.
Prevention of exposure will prevent disease.<br>
slide11. Mesothelioma occurs on the pleural & peritoneal membranes Lung cancer occurs in the bronchial tubes of the lung Asbestosis occurs in the alveoli area of the lungs Pleural membrane Peritoneal membrane Upper respiratory Bronchial tubes Alveoli area ANATOMY AND THE DISEASE PROCESS<br>
slide12. ASBESTOS DISEASES LUNG CANCER
ASBESTOSIS
MESOTHELIOMA<br>
slide13. LUNG CANCER A cancer of the lung tissue
The most common asbestos disease, therefore the most important
The 5 year survival rate of lung cancer victims is about 7% regardless of treatment
Latency Period = 20 - 30 years
The incidence of lung cancer in occupationally exposed smokers is about 90 times that of the general population<br>
slide14. ASBESTOSIS A scarring of the lungs at the alveoli
Inhibits oxygen transfer to the blood
Latency Period = 15 - 20 years
Diagnosed disease may continue to progress regardless of current exposure<br>
slide15. MESOTHELIOMA A cancer of the tissue which surrounds the lungs and the intestines
An asbestos marker disease
Latency period: 30 - 45 years
No treatment
Uniformly fatal within about 6 months of diagnosis
At least 3 times more common in the abdominal area than in the lung area.<br>
slide16. By far, the majority of asbestos disease cases on record are from very heavy, unprotected occupational exposure.
However, there are cases on the record of asbestos disease with no occupational exposure at all, although these are rare.
Knowing that these two extremes are real, it only makes sense to minimize any further asbestos exposure.<br>
slide17. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
ASBESTOSIS MORTALITY STUDY
1996<br>
slide18. The following data slides show that the death rate from asbestosis is steadily increasing in the U.S. The most affected industry, of hundreds of industries in this country is construction. Your work is considered construction industry work. Janitor and custodial is listed in the top 10 occupations affected by asbestosis death.
Mesothelioma deaths are twice as high as asbestosis deaths, and are increasing at a faster rate.
All this is in the industry that you work in.
The reason for this is simply that people in the construction industry ignore these facts. They don’t know about asbestos issues. They think that they are not asbestos workers.
Everyone in the construction industry is an asbestos worker.<br>
slide19. Asbestosis death rate is steadily increasing in the U.S.<br>
slide22. CDC REPORT
2002
Asbestos Mortality<br>
slide23. CDC 2002 Report Each successive report shows an increase in the death rate<br>
slide24. CDC 2002 Report<br>
slide25. CDC 2002 Report<br>
slide26. CDC 2002 Report<br>
slide27. CDC 2002 Report<br>
slide28. ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP (EWG)
2004 REPORT<br>