Mesothelioma: Questions and Answers

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles.

What is the mesothelium?

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.
The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

How common is mesothelioma?

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.

What are the risk factors for mesothelioma?

Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure at work is reported in about 70 percent to 80 percent of all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.

Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.

excerpt from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma

Asbestos OSHA Standards

Asbestos hazards are addressed in specific standards for the general industry and shipyard employment. This page highlights OSHA standards, preambles to final rules (background to final rules), Federal Registers (rules, proposed rules, and notices), directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to asbestos.

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, often referred to as the General Duty Clause, requires employers to "furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". Section 5(a)(2) requires employers to "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act".

Excerpt from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/asbestos/standards.html . Go to this link for more info

Reduce Exposure to Asbestos

Steps to Reduce Exposure

It is best to leave undamaged asbestos material alone if it is not likely to be disturbed.
Use trained and qualified contractors for control measures that may disturb asbestos and for cleanup.

Follow proper procedures in replacing wood stove door gaskets that may contain asbestos.

If you think your home may have asbestos, don't panic!

Usually it is best to leave asbestos material that is in good condition alone. Generally, material in good condition will not release asbestos fiber. There is no danger unless fibers are released and inhaled into the lungs.

Do not cut, rip, or sand asbestos-containing materials.

Leave undamaged materials alone and, to the extent possible, prevent them from being damaged, disturbed, or touched. Periodically inspect for damage or deterioration. Discard damaged or worn asbestos gloves, stove-top pads, or ironing board covers. Check with local health, environmental, or other appropriate officials to find out about proper handling and disposal procedures. If asbestos material is more than slightly damaged, or if you are going to make changes in your home that might disturb it, repair or removal by a professional is needed. Before you have your house remodeled, find out whether asbestos materials are present.

When you need to remove or clean up asbestos, use a professionally trained contractor.
Select a contractor only after careful discussion of the problems in your home and the steps the contractor will take to clean up or remove them. Consider the option of sealing off the materials instead of removing them.

Asbestos and Asbestosis Related Terms and Terminology

We have compiled the following glossary of asbestos abatement and removal terms and terminology to assist our clients.

AHERA - The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, passed by Congress in 1986
CERCLA - The Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act which is alsoo known as the "Superfund."
EPA - The United States Environmental Protection Agency
EHSD - Environmental Health and Safety Division, U.S. EPA
Friable Asbestos Material - Any material containing more than one percent asbestos, as determined using the method specified in Appendix A, subpart F 40 CFR part 763, section 1, Polarized Light Microscopy, that when dry, can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure. If the asbestos content is less than 10 percent as determined by a method other than point counting by polarized light microscopy (PLM), verify the asbestos by point counting using PLM.
Glovebag - A sealed compartment with attached inner gloves used for the handling of asbestos- containing materials.
NARS - National Asbestos Registry System
Negative pressure enclosure - means any enclosure of an asbestos abatement project area where the air pressure outside the enclosure is greater than the air pressure inside the enclosure and the air inside the enclosure is changed at least four times an hour by exhausting it through a HEPA filter.
NESHAP - The National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants found in Title 40 CFR Part 61 promulgated under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.
NIOSH - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NVLAP - National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program
OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health Administration
PLM - Polarized light microscopy, as defined in Appendix A, subpart F, 40 CFR part 763, section 1
RACM - Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material. RACM means (a) Friable asbestos material, (b) Category I nonfriable ACM that has become friable, (c) Category I nonfriable ACM that will be or has been subjected to sanding, grinding, cutting, or abrading, or (d) Category II nonfriable ACM that has a high probability of becoming or has become crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by the forces expected to act on the material in the course of demolition or renovation operations regulated by the Asbestos NESHAP.
RCRA - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
TSCA - Toxic Substances Control Act
Visible Emissions - Any emissions, which are visually detectable without the aid of instruments, coming from RACM or asbestos- containing waste material, or from any asbestos milling, manufacturing, or fabricating operation.

OTHER TERMS

Asbestos Abatement Project - means any demolition, renovation, repair, construction or maintenance activity of any public or private facility that involves the repair, enclosure, encapsulation, removal, salvage, handling, or disposal of any asbestos-containing material (ACM) with the potential of releasing asbestos fibers from asbestos-containing material into the air.

Asbestos Abatement Worker - means any employee of a licensed asbestos contractor who engages in asbestos abatement, has completed a training program approved by the governing agency and has been issued a certificate by that agency.

Asbestos Abatement Site Supervisor - means any asbestos abatement worker employed by a licensed asbestos contractor who has been specifically trained as a supervisor in a training program approved by the governing agency and who has been issued a certificate by that agency.