1. 1 Chapter 3 Health Effects Version 2012.1 Asbestos NESHAP Inspection and Safety Procedures Course

2. 2 Asbestos Health Effects Fact 1 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. 3 Asbestos Health Effects Fact 2 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. 4 Asbestos Health Effects Fact 3 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 Many 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. 5 Paths of Entry How does a contaminant enter our bodies? Inhalation Inhalation Primary route of entry for asbestos Ingestion Ingestion Secondary route of entry for asbestos Absorption Absorption Injection Injection

6. 6 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

7. 7 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

8. 8 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

9. 9 Body Defenses Nose Hair MucousCilia White Blood Cells (Macrophage)

10. 10 Asbestos Health Effects There are three major asbestos-related diseases Asbestosis Asbestosis Lung cancer Lung cancer Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Non-life threatening Pleural plaques and thickening Pleural plaques and thickening Pleural effusion Pleural effusion Reported increased cancer risks Colon, pancreas and other organs Colon, pancreas and other organs

11. 11 Asbestosis Scarring of lung tissue Restrictive lung disease Reduces lung capacity Dose response relationship Latency period is 15-30 years

12. 12 Medical Analyses Asbestosis Doctors trained to determine asbestos disease on x-rays are called “B” readers

13. 13 Lung Cancer Abnormal growth of cells in the lung Dose response relationship Latency period is 20-30 years Increased risk with smoking is 50-90 times

14. 14 Smoking and Asbestos Synergistic Effect

15. 15 Mesothelioma Cancer of the chest cavity lining (pleura) or in the lining of the abdominal cavity No dose response relationship Latency period 30-40 years Rarest of the diseases CDC estimates ~2,500 cases per year - less than 0.0008% of the U.S. population per year

16. 16 Questions?