Asbestos News
Health expert warns of asbestos danger in New Zealand earthquake debris
Some experts are warning that the rubble from the earthquake that rocked Christchurch, New Zealand, in February of this year presents asbestos risks.Canterbury District Health Board member Andrew Dickerson said that some of the 4.25 million tons of debris likely contains asbestos, according to Stuff.co.nz.
"I am thinking about exposure to things like asbestos, toxins from electronic waste, toxins in the dust and toxins from treated timber," he told other members of the board.
Ensuring that workers are not exposed to asbestos in the rubble will be essential as the inhalation of the deadly mineral fibers can cause a number of serious illnesses such as asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma, a rare and deadly cancer that attacks the thin membrane that lines some of the body's cavities and many of its internal organs.
Many disasters, such as the Christchurch earthquake and the one in Japan, create rubble that contains asbestos as the naturally occurring mineral was once widely used as an insulator and flame retardant.
Dickerson also expressed concern for the people living near the landfill that would end up with the debris, reports the news source.
5/27/11
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