28
2011
Asbestos: Japan’s Hidden Danger
Asbestos is now being recognized as a hidden threat in the wake of the Japanese Tsunami that devastated the country on March 11, 2011. While officials and the media have been focusing primarily on the dangers of nuclear contamination caused by a nearby nuclear power plant; they are just now beginning to worry about the effects of asbestos particles as the cleanup process begins.
A couple of weeks ago when everything was still heavy with moisture there was not threat of asbestos, now that things are beginning to dry out and debris is being moved around it has been said that they can actually see particles of asbestos swirling around in the air.
Asbestos was a popular product used throughout the world due to its virtual indestructibility. It has been found that asbestos is not harmful when left alone; however when it is destroyed or moved it releases small fibers into the air that can become lodged in the lungs and overtime cause a series of deadly diseases; including lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other cancers. These diseases often take decades to develop and Japan will be dealing with the affects of the disaster for decades to come.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency faced similar issues during Hurricane Katrina and the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11th. The health ministry in Japan has issued pamphlets outlining safety guidelines and distributed 90,000 masks to the hardest hit areas of Japan.
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