Asbestos News
UK coroner rules man's mesothelioma death caused by asbestos exposure
A UK man who worked in machine shops for decades died of the asbestos-caused cancer malignant mesothelioma, a coroner recently ruled.Peter Wilson was killed by an industrial disease, Coroner for South and East Cumbria Ian Smith ruled, according to the North-West Evening Mail.
Between 1965 and 2008, the 61-year-old Wilson reportedly held a variety of jobs in machine shops.
Wilson's widow, Marian, said that she and the rest of the family never associated Peter's work with asbestos exposure. However, Wilson's mesothelioma attorney said that even small levels of asbestos exposure can cause the rare cancer mesothelioma.
"It is often thought it’s a condition exclusively to shipyard workers and places with high levels of asbestos exposure, but intermittent exposure can cause the condition," the asbestos lawyer told the news source.
Malignant mesothelioma, which attacks the lining of the chest, abdomen or an internal organ, isn't the only disease caused by asbestos exposure as asbestosis and lung cancer can also result from the inhalation of the deadly mineral fibers.
The World Health Organization estimates that such illnesses kill 107,000 people each year around the world.
12/12/11
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