Mesothelioma is not a risk worth taking—even for the story
It’s a cliché to hear a journalist say “anything for the story,” but of course, there must be limits. One good limit is to stop short of creating a risk of mesothelioma to yourself and others. Even a very great story for the high school paper isn’t worth risking asbestos exposure.
Apparently one high school journalism teacher decided her students should try some hard-hitting investigative journalism. See the story in The Star Press. The teacher and her students investigated a substance at their school that they believed to be asbestos—scraping the material to obtain samples, attempting to verify whether the substance of asbestos and writing an exposé about their discovery.
If they knew enough to know asbestos in their school could be a problem—and a news story—then they should also have known that asbestos exposure can make you sick. Inhaling even small amounts of asbestos contributes to your risk of developing mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer. They should also have known, or easily been able to discover, that scraping or disturbing asbestos products can release the fibers into the air where they can be inhaled. Once asbestos fibers are inhaled, they remain lodged in the body. If they cause harm, the consequences generally won’t be seen for decades.
We are certainly in favor of being aware of asbestos and being alert to possible asbestos sources in your environment. Because of their age, many schools in the U.S. do, in fact, have some asbestos materials in them. But don’t take things into your own hands, literally or figuratively. Only professional, certified asbestos abatement specialists should remove asbestos; and only experienced labs should test for the presence of asbestos. The EPA has information available on its website for those who are concerned that they may have asbestos in their homes or schools.
