Toxic Effects Of Asbestos Exposure And Disease Causation

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer which develop because of asbestos fiber exposure. A lot of excellent research has been on asbestos and its wide reaching impact. One interesting study is called,  In vitro cytotoxicity of asbestos and man-made vitreous fibers: roles of fiber length, diameter and composition  by G.A. Hart, L.M. Kathman and T.W. Hesterberg – Carcinogenesis Volume 15, Number 5 Pp. 971-977.

The excerpt is:

The study is investigated:

• the impact of various fiber parameters on in vitro toxicity to cells and
• the validity of an in vitro test system as a toxic screen for fibre products.

Chinese hamster ovary cells were exposed in vitro to a series of size-selected inorganic test fibers. It is represented a range of different diameters, lengths and compositions. Toxic end-points (inhibition of proliferation), induction of micronuclei and polynudei and viability. All tested compositions , toxic effects were similar: a concentration-dependent decrease in proliferation and increase in incidence of morphologically abnormal nuclei with minor decreases in viability.

When concentration was expressed as number of fibers/cm Length-dependent differences in toxicity were, diameter-dependent differences in toxicity were slight or absent for fiber diameters ranging from 0.3 7 m. However, striking concentration in fibers/cm that reduced cell proliferation to 50% of unexposed control cultures plotted against fiber length produced a hyperbolic curve, demonstrating that toxicity increases with fiber length up to 20 m.

All fibers tested fell on this hyperbola. These data suggest that: (a) the primary toxic effect of fibers on CHO cells is the induction of nudear morphologic alterations resulting in cytostasis; (b) fiber diameter has little or no impact on in vitro toxicity when concentration is calculated as fibers/cm (c) fiber length is directly proportional to in vitro toxicity; and (d) toxicity of asbestos and vitreous fibers to CR0 cells is not affected by composition. The lack of compositional effect in CHO cells does not correlate with findings from recent rodent inhalation studies using the same test fibers. Thus CHO cells may not be an appropriate in vitro model of fiber pathogenesis and would not constitute a valid toxicologic screening system for fibers.

Another interesting study is entitled,  Asbestos exposure as a risk factor for retroperitoneal fibrosis  by T.Uibu, P.Oksa, A.Auvinen, E.Honkanen, K.Metsirinne, H.Saha, J.Uitti, P.Roto – The Lancet, Volume 363, Issue 9419, Pages 1422-1426. Here is an excerpt: Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is an uncommon disease with unknown causation in most cases. The pathognomonic finding is a fibrous mass covering the abdominal aorta and the ureters. The aim was to clarify the possible role of asbestos exposure in the development of RPF. The hypothesis was based on the ability of asbestos to cause fibrosis in pulmonary and pleural tissue. The methods that were used are undertook a case-control study of 43 patients with the disease (86% of eligible cases) treated in three university hospital districts of Finland in 1990 2001. For every patient, five population-based controls were selected, matched by age, sex, and central hospital district. The researchers assessed asbestos exposure and medical history using a postal questionnaire and a personal interview. Of the 215 eligible controls, 179 (83%) participated in the study.

 

Findings – The age-standardised incidence of RPF was 0 10 (95% CI 0 07 0 14) per 100000 person-years. The disease was strongly associated with asbestos exposure. Other risk factors were previous use of ergot derivates (OR 9 92 [1 63 60 26]), abdominal aortic aneurysm (OR 6 73 [0 81 56 08]), and smoking for more than 20 pack-years (OR 4 73 [1 28 17 41]). Interpretation – Our results show that occupational asbestos exposure is an important causal factor for RPF. For patients with work-related asbestos exposure, RPF should be considered an occupational disease.

If you found any of these excerpts helpful, please read them in their entirety.

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The Excess Risk Of Cancer After Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos fibre exposure has been known as a cause for cell transformation and chromosomal mutations. One of interesting study which studied one group of workers that has been extensively studied is factory employees in London entitled Mortality from all cancers of asbestos factory workers in east London 1933 – 1980. The study was conducted by G Berry, M L Newhouse and J C Wagner. Here is an excerpt of the study: Objective – To give the observed and expected deaths due to cancer at all separate sites in asbestos workers in east London, and to analyse these for overall effect and exposure-response trend. METHODS – The mortality experience of a cohort of over 5000 men and women followed up for over 30 years since first exposure to asbestos has been extracted.

RESULTS – There was a large excess of deaths due to cancer (537 observed, 222 expected). Most of these were due to cancer of the lung (232 observed, 77 expected) and pleural (52) and peritoneal (48) mesothelioma. The exposure-response trend for all these three causes was highly significant. There was also an excess of cancer of the colon (27 observed, 15 expected) which was significantly related to exposure. There were significant excesses of cancer of the ovary, of the liver, and of the oesophagus but with no consistent relation to exposure.

The study conclude that the excess risk of cancer after exposure to asbestos was mainly due to cancer of the lung and mesothelioma. An exposure related excess of cancer of the colon was also detected but the possibility that some of these deaths may have been peritoneal mesotheliomas could not be excluded. There was no consistent evidence of exposure related excesses at any other site.

Another study which discussed about this is conducted by Thomas W. Hesterberg, Charles J. Butterick, Mitsuo Oshimura, Arnold R. Brody and J. Carl Barrett from Environmental Carcinogenesis Group. The study entitled Role of Phagocytosis in Syrian Hamster Cell Transformation and Cytogenetic Effects Induced by Asbestos and Short and Long Glass Fibers which analyzed and observed both asbestos and glass fibers were phagocytized by these cells and accumulated in the perinuclear region of the cytoplasm. In order to understand the mechanism of fiber length-dependent cellular effects, we examined the phagocytosis and intracellular distribution of glass fibers of differing lengths in cells at various times after treatment. Glass fiber length was decreased by milling with a mortar and pestle. Cells treated with an equal dose of milled glass fibers (on a weight per surface area basis) were exposed to 7-fold more fibers since milling of glass fibers resulted in a 7-fold decrease in length with little change in diameter.

However, the cell which expose to milled glass fibers phagocytized a similar number of fibers as cells exposed to an equal mass of unmilled glass fibers, indicating that milled fibers were less readily phagocytized. In cells treated with either unmilled or milled glass fibers, the length of the intracellular fibers was more than 2-fold greater than the length of the fibers on the surface, suggesting that cells selectively internalized longer fibers. Fibers length did not appear to affect the migration of intracellular fibers to the perinuclear region of the cytoplasm. Even though cells treated with milled glass fibers contained a similar number of fibers as those treated with unmilled glass fibers, the resulting cytotoxicity, transformation frequency, and frequency of micronuclei were greatly reduced in the cultures treated with milled glass fibers. Thus, fiber length appears to affect the phagocytosis of fibers as well as the ability of intracellular fibers to induce cytogenetic damage and the resultant transformation.

Anothe research was conducted by R. Bigin, A. Cantin, Y. Berthiaume, R. Boileau, S. Piloquin and  S. Massi analyzed the specific influence of asbestos exposure could not be clearly differentiated from the effects of the cigarette smoking habit. The study is called Airway function in lifetime-nonsmoking older asbestos workers. In this study, airway function was evaluated in lifetime-nonsmoking, long-term workers of the mines and mills of Quibec. The 17 asbestos workers in this study had worked for an average of 28 years in the mines and mills of the local asbestos industry and did not have any other respiratory industrial dust exposure. They did not have a history of previous pulmonary disease and did not meet the usual diagnostic criteria for chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or asthma. Seven of the workers met the diagnostic criteria for asbestosis and 10 workers did not. The latter group of workers did not differ from a matched control group except in terms of a higher isoflow volume. The data were collected from lifetime-nonsmoking, long-term asbestos workers provide further evidence of small airway obstruction associated with asbestos exposure and independent of the smoking habit and predominantly observed in workers with a restrictive pattern of lung function associated with peribronchiolar alveolltis.

Read the studies in entirety if you find these helpful and interesting.

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Layer Landscape Designs

Between a nice, neat looking yard and a breathtaking professionally landscaped, the difference is their design. Their design is one of the unspoken secrets of the pros is using layers. go to some of the most exclusive and expensive neighborhoods where you live and really look at the differences in those landscapes and the ones in the more middle-class areas if you have any doubts about that.

Canada’s Buchart Gardens or the Missouri Botanical Gardens should be your reference and you will see that there is layers too.

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Other than just using layers of plants, there are many other elements about a design, but for a spectacular garden and landscape versus one that is attractive but somewhat mundane, this is the one.

You’ll find for example large shrubs in the background or maybe some of the tall slender Italian Cypress-type trees in using layers but there will be other shorter plants and flowers in front of those in every part of the design.

Think again if you think your small little yard can’t look amazingly beautiful and get a lot of attention from the neighbors.

Having the tallest shrubs, say, against your back fence, maybe Red-Tipped Photinia or a Privet Hedge with 2-3 tall cypress-type trees, either in front of the hedge or off to the side, and then in front of that could be some Japanese Boxwood which kept to about a 4-6′ heigh, depending on the height of the hedges in back, and then to compliment the layers, maybe a statue or birdbath surrounded by smaller shrubs such as dwarf Youpon Hollies or dwarf Pittosporum or flowers as an alternative,  is one example that could be used in a smaller landscape and get that gorgeous, lush appearance.

For creative landscaping, corners are wonderful. one between my back gate and the house is one of the favorite corners in my own landscape. Two 4×6 pieces of trellis have been put there, one on the fence, the other on the house to make a corner of trellis. With lush beautiful ivy, it is covered. A 20″ angel cemented birdbath is in front of that, and the birdbath is surrounded by small Youpon Hollies flanked by a beautiful hot pink Sage Bush and deep green Lariope. The fountain is striking and very finished looking but simple, layered and inexpensive.

The “layering theory” suggests that large plants nearest the tree and smallest at the borders of the planting would apply if you have a center-of-yard type garden design such as flowers or a ground cover around a tree for example, and you have several plants there.

Hopefully this theory is helpful and will be applied in your own landscape design. The immediate difference will be seen!

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How to Protect People Outside of The Asbestos Removal Work Site

It is now known that inhaling asbestos fibers causes many grave health illnesses but you don’t need to be afraid if asbestos is in intact cause it will not cause any health issue at all. The problems is only when asbestos breaks or becomes cracked then fibers from the material are sent into the air. This is what makes people sick. Removing asbestos is always a challenging job because of many precautions must be taken, like workers properly clothed and protected from inhaling harmful fibers.

Removing large segments of the material need an extra pre-cautions. To make it smoother and safest, damp the removed area to keep the fiber inhaled cause of it becomes airborne. Before, asbestos or shingles was once used to side houses and was commonly used at home. The shingles were drilled and then nailed into the hole. These boards are usually safe as long as pieces do not break off and cause loose fibers. Later on it was found that shingles were also containing asbestos materials. Homeowners that choose to remove their asbestos board will find themselves with a very expensive project. Removal can be accomplished by snipping off the heads of the nails and then removing the entire shingle in one piece.

Encapsulation is needed before doing removal job in order to as not to expose anyone outside the work area to asbestos fibers. Buildings that contain asbestos-covered pipes should be removed in as large a piece as possible and encapsulation keeps any asbestos fibers from getting into the air. In the Australia the federal government regulates asbestos removal policies. Many localities have passed ordinances to further regulate the safe removal of asbestos materials.

Despite its dangerous healthy risk, removing asbestos should never be your first choice. Asbestos that is undamaged does not pose any health risk. In this case covering the damaged area is a better alternative. Property owners are held responsible for all asbestos, and any health issues caused from asbestos exposure. It is wise to hire a specialized company Asbestos Watch Mackay to remove asbestos as they will conduct the work in compliance with the regulations and proper procedures.

In conclusion, the decision to remove asbestos should always be the last option chosen. Undamaged asbestos is not a health risk. Sometimes it is better to just cover the damaged asbestos containing materials (ACMs).

 

living in Fear of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is another name for lung cancer. It is usually caused by asbestos fibers. The disease is hard to detect because the latency of the disease is 20 to 50 years after first exposure. There is no special symptoms as the early symptoms of mesothelioma is similar with other disease. It requires further examination to get accurate result. The symptoms of mesothelioma usually are:

1. shortness of breath
2. coughing
3. chest pains
4. feeling very tired.

Why should I be scared of it?

Taken from someone true story

When he was child, he used to live near factory which used asbestos to make fire-proof products. The factory also produced other insulating materials for the building industry. He believed that asbestos was used in the manufacture of break linings. He remembered seeing the asbestos dust that spewed out of the factory covering the surrounding area with the deadly snow like powder. He even played in it because he completely unaware of its risks. Later, the factory was closed down and he can see so many white snow looking powder. As he grows older, he realized what can be happen to him and people who lived in the same area as him.

TV Documentary.

The factory received national television coverage, and on one program they interviewed families who had suffered due to the problem of asbestos. He watched the documentary and was shocked to see that he knew the people who had been interviewed and lost his family members due to mesothelioma. It made him realized what kind of disease he might faced later.

Treatments.

Mesothelioma can be cured if its detected early. It is possible with a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. However for more advanced illness, curing the disease is impossible. You can only slow down the grow of cancer and ease the pain by having right treatments.

X-Rays.

He did an X-rays as a precautions and found out that he was healthy. The doctor recommended him to have X-rays on regular basis just to be on the safe side. Still, the danger of fiber materials is lurking in his life.

Source: online-mesothelioma-guide.com

Smoking And Asbestos Exposure Results In Impaired Lung Function

One group of people that asbestos exposure has hit considerably hard is sheet metal workers. As many people know, exposure to asbestos has been linked to several diseases including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. We must remain vigilant when it comes to supporting research so we can someday find a cure or at least mitigate the damage to some extent.

A study by Schwarts DA and friends entitled Asbestos-induced pleural fibrosis and impaired lung function adressese the issue. The study aims to assess the clinical significance of asbestos-induced pleural fibrosis, we evaluated the relationship between radiographic evidence of pleural fibrosis and spirometric values in 1,211 sheet metal workers. Of those with pleural fibrosis78% had circumscribed plaques and 22% had diffuse pleural thickening involving the costophrenic angle. It was found that there are factors which are associated with the presence and type of pleural fibrosis included increased age, more years in the trade, more years since first exposure to asbestos, more pack-years of cigarette smoking, and the presence and degree of interstitial fibrosis.

Linear multivariate regression models demonstrated that both circumscribed plaques (p = 0.007) and diffuse pleural thickening (p = 0.008) were independently associated with decrements in FVC after controlling for these potential confounders. But decrements in the FEV1/FVC ratio were not independently associated. The findings of this study is pattern of spirometry can associates with the presence of pleural fibrosis among asbestos-exposed workers.

A second study which discuss about similar matter is entitled Asbestos and Smoking by Irving J and friends. They are trying to find the impact of smoking cigarettes is  connection with asbestos related diseases. The study discusses that danger of inhaling fiber minerals increasing the already high lung cancer risk for cigarette smokers. The study take sample of group of asbestos workers who smoked cigarettes had roughly 90 times the risk for similar men who neither smoked nor worked with asbestos.

Read the studies in entirety if you find these helpful and interesting.