Whoa! You almost knocked over the coffeepot! Watch it,
eh! Your spiralling down from the cybersky is getting a little erratic. Must be
the air at higher altitudes. Good to see you though... as always. What’s left
of the coffeepot is to your right next to the awesome assortment of astoundingly
aromatic virtual treats so help yourself. Segue! Y’know, Nong and I like to watch
those home renovation shows and one thing they often come up against is
asbestos. Deadly stuff. Well, asbestos is in a lot more things than we know
about. Read on...
When you give a child crayons to colour with or a
crime-scene fingerprinting set to nurture his or her inner investigator, the
last thing you probably consider is that these toys may be harming the child.
But, according to new research from the Environmental Working Group Action Fund
some of these toys have been found to contain the well-established carcinogen,
asbestos.
The group’s tests showed that four brands of children’s
crayons and two brands of crime scene fingerprinting kits contain the deadly
asbestos fibres. That’s alarming news considering that exposure to even trace
amounts of asbestos can cause cancer and other deadly diseases since there is
no safe amount of asbestos.
What’s worse: the U.K. Committee on Carcinogenicity
indicates that a child exposed to asbestos is 3.5 times more likely than a
25-year-old to develop the asbestos-caused lung disease known as mesothelioma
due to the length of time between exposure and diagnosis.
Dr. Philip Landrigan, professor of paediatrics and
preventive medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York told EWG Action Fund:
“Asbestos in toys poses an unacceptable risk to children, today as it did in
2000 and 2007, the last time tests found the deadly substance in these
children’s products.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos is
made up of minerals that form bundles of fibers that can be separated into
thin, durable threads. Because the fibres are heat and fire-resistant, and do
not conduct electricity, they are widely used in many industries since the late
1800s.
Most people believe that asbestos has been banned due to its having been
established as a carcinogen many years ago, but it is still in widespread use.
According to the EWG Action Fund, it kills an estimated 15,000 Americans every
year.
The National Cancer Institute indicates that U.S.
manufacturers of crayons agreed to eliminate talc from their products since
talc is the asbestos-containing culprit. But the EWG Action Fund’s research
suggests that for some crayon manufacturers, talk is cheap.
If asbestos fibres are disturbed through contact with
products containing it, the microscopic fibres are released into the air where
they are breathed in and become trapped in the lungs. Over time, an
accumulation of asbestos fibres can cause inflammation and scarring, and
increase the risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a type of
cancer of the thin membranes that line the abdomen and chest; it is the most
common cancer linked to asbestos exposure. It can take one to four decades for
asbestos-related illnesses to present themselves.
Other Places Asbestos is Found
The National Cancer Institute indicates that asbestos can
be found in:
Boilers, steam pipes and hot water pipes used in
shipbuilding
Brake shoes and clutch pads in the automotive industry
Cement
Fireproofing materials
Floor and ceiling tiles
Insulation
Paints and adhesives
Plastics
Roofing
Sound absorption materials
Talc-containing crayons
Vermiculite-containing garden products
Now ain’t that good news for the day!
See ya, eh!
Bob
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