Mesothelioma Death Highlights Risk for Navy Veterans

The recent passing of a mesothelioma patient has brought attention to the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease for previous United States Naval personnel.

Robert W. Landon died on January 8, 2010 at his home from mesothelioma cancer. During his time as a Merchant Marine throughout World War II, Mr. Landon served in the engine rooms of tankers, Victory ships and C-2 cargo ships.

Such a location was a prime hotspot for asbestos exposure, the primary cause of mesothelioma. After 1934, U.S. laws required all ocean-going vessels to be protected with fire-resistant materials, which was predominantly asbestos. The pipes in engine rooms were often covered with asbestos insulation to help prevent the occurrence of fires.

It is evident that the side effects of asbestos exposure from several decades ago are still being felt today as former Navy veterans and shipyard workers continue to develop malignant mesothelioma.

Due to close quarters and heavy use of ships during World War II, materials that contained asbestos fibers were routinely damaged and replaced. Crew members would often bump into the walls and pipes that contained asbestos insulation, which unfortunately led to the dispersion of asbestos fibers into the air. In addition, the overuse and age of a ship would often contribute to asbestos exposure because the natural deterioration of materials could also release asbestos fibers.

Throughout the 20th century, shipyards across the nation employed hundreds of thousands of workers. Those that were heavily exposed to asbestos usually included welders, painters and machinists on the ships.

Many of the workers did not have access to proper preventative gear to protect them from exposure. In fact, most were completely unaware that exposure to asbestos carried any risk at all. Today, asbestos is a hazardous material that is known to cause several forms of serious disease, including lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Additional information about mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.

This entry was posted on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 11:47 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.