Where Does Mesothelioma Cancer Come From?

According to the American Cancer Society one in 125 men over the age of 50 die from an asbestos related cause be it emphysema, lung cancer or mesothelioma. So naturally this begs the question, "Where did it come from?"

Even though asbestos is a group of naturally occuring minerals, the primary source of infection has been construction. While popularly believed to be a phenomena of the 20th century, as mentioned earlier asbestos related ilnesses were documented as early as the 18th century almost all centered around construction. The reason of course is because of it's low cost and durability. Older homes of course are more prone to be inundated with asbestos related materials. The reason is because the fibro, as asbestos is sometimes called, was coated with a cement mixture, like anything over time that cement mixture dissolves admitting asbestos to the air supply. For those of you concerned about whether or not your home is at risk, these are some of the following factors to consider:
1. How old is your home? While some of us might be old enough to remember stories of our ancestors being born in log cabins, most of us have grown up in post WWII housing. Which unfortunatley is considered the sweet spot of asbestos related ilness. If your home was built from the mid 40's to the mid 70's, there is a chance you could be at risk for asbestos related ilness.
2. Does your house have shingles or siding? Almost all shingles manufactured in the last 70 years have asbestos related materials. Even today's roofing shingles contain components similar to asbestos. If you live in an older home with asbestos shingles, do not build an enclosed deck. In fact, if it is within your budget, go ahead and side your home. Siding is more energy efficient and is considered more asthetically pleasing to the eye anyway.
3. If you have an acoustic ceiling and you notice significant deterioration, it is time for a new ceiling and an inspection of your home. Prior to the 1980's, asbestos was a common material in ceiling manufacturing.
4. When redoing an older home always use a mask. Whether your'e doing an add-on or simply tearing down a wall and opening up space for a room, you don't know what the home was comprised of. So if you have remodeled an older home without a mask, you could be at risk.

Here's a point to consider-While the tragedy of 9/11 took over 3000 lives from multiple countries, the effects of the collapse of the building could be felt for decades to come. As those buildings were built in the early 1970's, fiberglass and asbestos were common components. In fact many hundreds if not thousands of rescue workers are now battling lung diseases. It is estimated that the collapse could have contaminated the air supply of up to 2 million New Yorkers that day and in the years since. It is important to remember in the immediate aftermath of the assaults, Mayor Guiliani courageously led recovery efforts from Ground Zero. But prudently did so with a mask over his face. Imagine all the New Yorkers that did not. For this reason if you live in a high demolition area such as in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or Chicago you should be aware of your surroundings and informed of any scheduled demolitions as this is air you do not want to come in contact with.
Cross posted here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/4162943/According-to-the-American-Cancer-Society-one-in-125-men-over-the-age-of-50-die-from-an-asbestos-related-cause-be-it-emphysema
Also cross posted here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Todd-Bennett/blog/2008/07/28/Where-Does-Mesothelioma-Cancer-Come-From