1 Chapter 3 Health Effects 2014 Asbestos NESHAP Inspection and Safety Procedures Course

2 Asbestos Health Effects Facts Asbestos is a known carcinogen – can cause cancer No known “safe” level of asbestos exposure There is no certainty that a single exposure will cause sickness

3 Asbestos Health Effects Facts Asbestos fibers usually enter your body while airborne – breathed through mouth and nose Can also be swallowed To be released into the air, ACM and related dust and debris must be disturbed Asbestos fibers do not enter via your eyes or through skin cuts

4 Asbestos Health Effects Facts Unlike some chemicals, there are NO immediate health effects from immediate or recent asbestos exposure Most asbestos diseases will take years to develop, if at all Most who contract asbestos disease had significant longer term (chronic) exposures at some point in their life In rare cases, cancer has occurred with limited exposure - mesothelioma

5 Asbestos Health Effects There are three major asbestos-related diseases Asbestosis Lung cancer Mesothelioma Non-life threatening Pleural plaques and thickening Pleural effusion Reported increased cancer risks Colon, pancreas and other organs

6 Asbestosis Scarring of lung tissue Restrictive lung disease Reduces lung capacity Exposure vs time Latency period is years

7 Medical Analyses Asbestosis Doctors trained to determine asbestos disease on x-rays are called “B” readers

8 Lung Cancer Abnormal growth of cells in the lung Dose response relationship Latency period is years Increased risk with smoking is times

9 Smoking and Asbestos Synergistic Effect

10 Mesothelioma Cancer of the chest cavity lining (pleura) or in the lining of the abdominal cavity Latency period years Rarest of the diseases CDC estimates ~2,500 cases per year - less than % of the U.S. population per year

11 Paths of Entry How does a contaminant enter our bodies? Inhalation Primary route of entry for asbestos Ingestion Secondary route of entry for asbestos Skin contact

12 Respiratory System  When you breathe, the air:  enters the body through the nose or the mouth  travels down the throat through the larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe)  goes into the lungs through tubes called main-stem bronchi  One main-stem bronchus leads to the right lung and one to the left lung

13 Respiratory System  In the lungs …  the main-stem bronchi divide into smaller bronchi  smaller bronchi divide into even smaller tubes called bronchioles  bronchioles end in tiny air sacs called alveoli

14 Mesothelium A protective tissue, around the lungs and in the gut area Around the lungs, it is called the pleura Around the gut area, it is called the peritoneum Asbestos can effect the mesothelium in both areas

15 Body Defenses Nose Hair Mucus Cilia White Blood Cells (Macrophage)

16 Questions?