Asbestos News

The March earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused a great deal of damage to Japan but now that the natural disasters have passed, the country will have to deal with another major problem: asbestos.

According to The Associated Press, some of the buildings damaged during the disaster contained the naturally occurring mineral. This is not surprising as the substance was once widely used in the construction of buildings because of its resistance to heat and its utility as an insulator.

The news source reports that air monitoring has already been able to detect the fibers and while the levels are currently within the Japanese government's limits, the cleanup work is expected to disturb more of the carcinogenic substance. Once work crews start moving around the debris, they will likely come in contact with asbestos.

A danger to those in the area

Many people's homes were destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami. Survivors will likely want to return to find treasured items such as photos, which could present a major danger.

"There are a lot of people going back into the rubble to search for valuables and photos," a Japanese asbestos attorney told the news source. "There are people not even wearing masks. This is like a suicidal act. We want people to know this is a problem."

Health risks posed by asbestos are great

The asbestos lawyer did not overstate the danger of asbestos. The inhalation of the deadly mineral fibers can cause a range of serious illnesses such as asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer that attacks the membrane that lines the chest, abdomen and many of the body's internal organs.

The risks posed by asbestos are so great that the World Health Organization estimates that such asbestos-related diseases claim the lives of as many as 107,000 people each year around the globe.

Japan has faced asbestos issues before, seeks to improve

According to the AP, Kobe, Japan, was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 1995. Masahide Sakamoto, a Senshu University researcher who examined the cleanup after that incident, told the news source that no measures were taken to prevent the spread and inhalation of asbestos in 1995.

Hisao Yamaguchi, an official with the environment ministry, told the news source that the country has learned from the lessons of the past.

"We have experience from the past, so we do believe that this time, similar issues with asbestos will emerge," he said. "Public awareness of asbestos is also much higher now."