All About Mesothelioma : Canada exports asbestos danger

A group of researchers is condemning Canada for its failure to act to protect workers in poorer countries that receive their exported asbestos. They accuse the Canadian government of protecting the asbestos industry at the risk of many lives in other countries.


The accusation appears on the Canadian Medical Association Journal's website. It says, in part, that "Canada is the only Western democracy to have consistently opposed international efforts to regulate the global trade in asbestos." In a long article complete with scientific footnotes and references, the authors say the Canadian government knows it is doing something "shameful" by selling asbestos to underdeveloped countries that don't have the resources to use it safely.


The argument the Canadian government uses is that chrysotile asbestos is safer than other types (called amphibole). But the researcher-authors argue that there is no such thing as "pure" chrysotile asbestos because mines are not protected environments. They note that contamination with even a tiny amount of amphibole asbestos puts those breathing it as risk of mesothelioma.


The biggest reason the authors are so angry is that Canada is now repressing the use of asbestos within its own country because of the danger from this admitted carcinogen---yet it continues to defend its export operations. Canada is considered one of the leading exporters to countries such as India, Thailand, and Taiwan, where it is used to make cement for construction. Workers in these countries are being exposed without their knowledge to the risk of asbestosis and the devastating mesothelioma lung cancer.


For workers and/or family members who develop malignant pleural mesothelioma---which can happen as long as 50 years after exposure---the lung disease is deadly. Patients suffer with fluid in the lungs that can result in chest pain, coughing and more. This lung cancer progresses rapidly, treatments are difficult, and there is currently no cure.




Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Scott Hendler