exposure to asbestos
A good example of an environmental toxicant is asbestos. Human respiratory system can be affected by several types of toxicants. The toxins lead to the development of infections in the body in various process that happens in the body. The toxins are normally referred to as pneumoconiosis. The naming of the toxins is grounded on the offending agent. Asbestos can be located and used as roofing material in various houses. The problem can be an occupational challenge to those people who work in construction. Some of the main risks that are associated with the hazards in respiratory cancer which is normally referred to as mesothelioma. Asbestos can be described as an acute lung disease which is associated with the formation of scar-like tissue in the lungs. It is also referred to as pulmonary fibrosis. Lungs are soft tissues that are highly susceptible to little damage or interaction. Asbestos makes it difficult for an individual to breathe. The lungs do not need to be contaminated because they are sensitive to foreign environments. Some of the factors that determine the susceptibility of the body to toxins include the level and duration the organ has been exposed. Long exposure leads to an acute disorder which may result in lung cancer. The period when a person has been in exposure to toxins also determines susceptibility. Additionally, the age at which an individual was exposed to asbestos is a key determinant whether an individual will have the disorder. The respiratory system will be susceptible depending on size and type of asbestos fibres. The respiratory system allows human beings to take in important oxygen and expel carbon dioxide through the breathing process. The main components of the system are lungs, diaphragm and trachea. According to current research, the average time for exposure to cancer is about 20-30 years. Therefore, long-time exposure to asbestos makes the respiratory organs weak hence causing lung cancer. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Many possibilities can expose people to asbestos. For instance, people can be exposed to primary and secondary exposure. Primary asbestos exposure happens to people who work directly with asbestos. The possibility was common among people in the 20th century. During the period, men were mostly employed in areas and jobs that had direct contact with products of asbestos. Secondary asbestos exposure was common among children and women in society. The exposure common in the 19th century before implementation and regulations. The activity was common among employees who brought home asbestos from work through their tools, shoes and clothes. Both secondary and primary asbestos exposure poses equal consequences to human beings. The health of human beings is normally affected by little amounts of asbestos. Long term and repeated exposure of secondary asbestos have been proved to cause the same disorders and cancer just like primary asbestos exposure. Additionally, secondary asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma.
In the current world, secondary asbestos exposure has reduced compared to haw used to happen a decade ago. The reduction of diseases is based on the ground that workers are provided with facts that workers have facilities to change contaminated clothes before they go home. Besides, industries that are dealing with asbestos are supposed to provide shower facilities. The action will help workers to was off possible remaining of asbestos from their hair and skin before they go home. Employers are also supposed to provide laundering services to help them in cleaning contaminated clothes and make them ready for reuse. Since workers do not have access to laundering facilities, they are advised to not to wash their own contaminates clothes. In an occasion where children as indirectly exposed to asbestos, they develop diseases associated with asbestos after becoming adults.
After the asbestos is breathed in, it is trapped in the lungs and remains there for a long period. The toxicants keep on accumulating and forms inflammation and scarring. It then affects the breathing system and leads to serious health problems in the body. Based on the report that was released by the Department of Health and Human Services, asbestos is considered a human carcinogen. It as a substance that is responsible for causing cancer in the human body. The toxicant is also responsible for causing rare cancer associated with thin membranes that line in the abdomen and the chest. The toxicant has been connected with inflammatory disorders that affect the normal functioning of the lungs. The commonly known chronic include pleural disorder and plaques, nonalignment lungs, permanent destruction of the lungs and coughing. Research has indicated that asbestos has the potential to attract increase laryngitis. The immune system is affected by a high level of asbestos in the body. The changes that occur when it comes to changes in immune function are as a result of long term exposure to asbestos. The chronic symptom caused by asbestos is retroperitoneal which leads to the development of a hole behind the lining of the membrane. The main step to be done in handling the situation is to make sure that worker walk home asbestos-free. The members of the public are supposed to be given medical coverage.