Pipe Covering - Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure Risks

For very many years, especially during the Second World War, asbestos was a very frequently used product that was used in many different products including pipe covering. Asbestos is a word that today inspires a feeling of dread in most people because we now know that asbestos is bad for health and that working with asbestos can be quite hazardous and cause diseases. We didn't always know that asbestos was dangerous, and during that time, asbestos was used for insulating pipes as pipe covering and was found in many buildings and homes.

Asbestos is known for its resilience - asbestos fibers are tough and they make for great insulation. Use for asbestos rocketed during the Second World War and for many years after that time. It wasn't until a considerable time later that it was found that asbestos can cause diseases and death from a cancer called mesothelioma.

Pipe covering insulation is everywhere - just think about all the pipes in your home and in your office building. Every square inch of pipe is insulated with something, to protect it from heat and cold. In the past, much of the pipe covering was made using asbestos because of its strong properties and cost effectiveness.

Asbestos use was heavy throughout the years of the Second World War, especially in ship yards across the country and most of the pipe covering in the ships was made with asbestos. However, many businesses used asbestos in their daily manufacturing for a variety of different products. For many people, these health problems and the symptoms of mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases don't show up for 15 to 40 years. One of the main diseases that are associated with asbestos exposure on pipe covering is mesothelioma - a type of cancer that affects the pleura (the lining of the lungs), or the lining of the abdomen or heart, called the mesothelium.

For people who worked with pipe covering and for those who had asbestos-laden pipe covering in their homes and office places, their risk of contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases is increased. There is no cure for mesothelioma - none of the standard cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy have any effect on this type of cancer. Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma yield to the disease after diagnosis is made.

With no known cure but a known cause, mesothelioma is a dangerous and incurable cancer. The only cause linked to mesothelioma is asbestos exposure such as with pipe covering. The fibers that are used to make pipe covering are very fine and easily inhaled. However, they are also very sturdy and when they are inhaled can become lodged in the mesothelium and the human body is incapable to rid itself of the invasion. The asbestos fibers inflame the affected area after some time, and for many people, cause mesothelioma malignant cells.

However, with that said, there is no precise amount of asbestos exposure that relates to diseases such as mesothelioma. People with very little exposure have been diagnosed with the cancer, while others with substantial exposure have not. Pipe covering is just one of the factors that can exacerbate and even cause mesothelioma, asbestosis or other asbestos-exposure related ailments, but there is no set amount. For many people, especially those whom are older today and lived in homes with asbestos pipe covering and worked in places with pipe covering and especially those people who worked to manufacture pipe covering, the chances of mesothelioma are definitely increased.

Mesothelioma News

Asbestos Testing for Oneida County Building Funded by Union
2008-11-20 15:50:02
The Oneida County Office Building in Utica, New York has recently tested negative for airborne asbestos. Apparently though, that isn't good enough for the union, which represents county employees. Uni ...Read More
Asbestos Tests Show New Jersey Sports Field Poses No Risk
2008-11-20 15:36:54
Asbestos was discovered last month at a public area in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, which prompted concerns that there may be exposure risks for locals. Now, however, those fears have been allayed, as tests ...Read More
EPA and Vermont Working Together to Solve Asbestos Mine Problem
2008-11-20 15:19:39
State of Vermont officials have released a new statement about the urgent need for investigating the impact of an abandoned asbestos mine in Colchester. The mine, located near the towns of Eden and Lo ...Read More