Asbestos health risks prompt Surgeon General’s warning
Acting United States Surgeon General Steven K. Galson issued a clear statement that asbestos exposure is a serious health risk. In a statement marking “National Asbestos Awareness Week,” Galson warned that no amount of asbestos exposure is known to be safe and minimizing your exposure to asbestos is crucial for minimizing the risk of developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma. The only sure way to eliminate asbestos-related disease is to eliminate asbestos exposure.
Galson noted that, while asbestos exposure has diminished from the levels of past decades, individuals should still be concerned about the risk—particularly when asbestos-containing products are disturbed. When asbestos-containing products, such as joint compound, flooring tiles and other construction materials, are broken up or disturbed, the microscopic asbestos fibers can be suspended in the air and inhaled by anyone in the area. And these fibers can remain in the air for a very long time.
Once the fibers are inhaled, they can remain in the lung tissue for many years—even decades. When asbestos exposure causes repeated scarring in the lungs, it can result in asbestosis. Exposure can change the lining around the lungs, causing the membrane to harden or fluid to collect and press on the lungs. Asbestos exposure can also cause cancer, particularly mesothelioma and lung cancer. Galson warned that smoking greatly increases lung cancer risk in persons who have also been exposed to asbestos.
Galson urged people not to handle or try to remove asbestos-containing materials on their own. Any asbestos-containing products should be handled or removed only by trained and certified asbestos abatement contractors.
In his statement, Galson also directed concerned individuals to visit the ATSDR, the CDC or the EPA websites for more information. To read the full statement by Acting U.S. Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, visit the website of the Surgeon General.
