Atlanta, GA - The Centers for Disease Control reports that despite efforts to lower occupational exposure rates to asbestos, young tradesmen continue to develop health problems associated with the hazardous fibers.
According to doctors at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, their research from over 38 years of data shows that the number of premature deaths (measured as deaths before the age of 65) from asbestos-related diseases are currently occurring at a high rate and still increasing. The researchers say the efforts to spread awareness of asbestos's dangers need to be kept up.
The research team conducting the study had analyzed 38-plus years of cause-of-death data. During that period, it was identified that almost 13% of victims who died from asbestosis were tradesmen between the ages of 25 and 64.
The study also found that of all tradesmen, construction workers accounted for the largest percentage of those deaths. The researchers estimated that currently 1.3 million construction workers are exposed to asbestos each year, mainly during building demolition or renovation work. According to their study, in 2006 alone, more than 2,000 metric tons of asbestos was used in manufacturing in the US.
Other top industries in which included high rates of asbestos-related diseases among workers included ship building and repair, the military, and automobile maintenance.
Since many symptoms of asbestos-related diseases are similar to other common illnesses, health experts recommend the use of chest x-rays, CT imaging, and biopsy to diagnose potentially exposed patients.
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