Mesothelioma in the United States
Deaths from Mesothelioma by Gender, 1999 & 2000
(source: NIOSH NORMS database1)
| Gender |
1999 |
2000 |
| Male |
1,995 |
2,043 |
| Female |
490 |
488 |
| Sub Totals |
2,485 |
2,531 |
|
Deaths from Asbestosis by Gender, 1999 & 2000
(source: NIOSH NORMS database1)
| Gender |
1999 |
2000 |
| Male |
1,225 |
1,439 |
| Female |
40 |
54 |
| Sub Totals |
1,265 |
1,493 |
|
Ten thousand Americans die each year as a result of asbestos related diseases. Men are primarily the ones affected by asbestos-related diseases, and 1 out of every 125 men over the age of 50 who die will pass on as the result of asbestos exposure. NIOSH databases reveal that some 80% of deaths are in men. Most were exposed to asbestos, unaware of its dangers, in the workplace, as they processed asbestos or manufactured or utilized products that contained asbestos.
Malignant mesothelioma and asbestosis (a non-cancerous, chronic respiratory disease) are two of the most familiar diseases attributed to asbestos exposure. The risk of lung cancer is also increased by exposure to asbestos and when coupled with cigarette smoking, dramatically increases the risk of lung cancer. The following charts outline deaths from asbestos-related diseases.
Deaths from Asbestos-related diseases
(source: EWG Action Group2)
| Disease |
Number of deaths per year |
| Mesothelioma |
2,509 |
| Asbestosis |
1,398 |
| Lung Cancer |
4,800 |
| Gastrointestinal cancer |
1,200 |
| Total |
9,907 |
The incidence of mesothelioma in the United States is not supposed to peak until 2015, a direct result of high asbestos exposure levels in the 1970s. Interestingly, although, the asbestos industry had finally accepted asbestos' danger the decade before (despite having been aware of its risks since the 30s), it was not until the early 80s that safety precautions of any merit were put in place.
What kinds of building materials may contain asbestos?
| Product |
Location |
%
Asbestos |
Dates of
Use |
| Roofing & Siding |
| Roofing felts |
Flat, built up roofs |
10-15 |
1910-present |
| Roof felt shingles |
Roofs |
1 |
1971-1974 |
| Roofing shingles |
Roofs |
20-32 |
?-present |
| Roofing Tiles |
Roofs |
20-30 |
1930-present |
| Siding shingles |
Siding |
12-14 |
?-present |
| Clapboards |
Siding |
12-15 |
1944-1945 |
| Walls & Ceilings |
| Sprayed coating |
Ceilings, walls, and
steelwork |
1-95 |
1935-1978 |
| Troweled coating |
Ceilings, walls |
1-95 |
1936-1978 |
| Asbestos-cement sheet |
Near heat sources such as fireplaces, boilers |
20-50 |
1930-present |
| Spackle |
Walls, ceilings |
3-5 |
1930-1978 |
| Joint compounds |
Walls, ceilings |
3-5 |
1945-1977 |
| Textured paints |
Walls, ceilings |
4-15 |
?-1978 |
| Millboard, rollboard |
Walls, commercial buildings |
80-85 |
1925-? |
| Vinyl wallpaper |
Walls |
6-8 |
? |
| Insulation board |
Walls |
30 |
? |
| Floors |
| Vinyl-asbestos tile |
Floors |
21 |
1950-1980? |
| Asphalt-asbestos tile |
Floors |
26-33 |
1920-1980? |
| Resilient sheet flooring |
Floors |
30 |
1950-1980? |
| Mastic adhesives |
Sheet flooring and tile backing |
5-25 |
1945-1980? |
| Pipes & Boilers |
| Cement pipe and fittings |
Water and sewer mains |
20-? |
1935-present |
| Block insulation |
Boilers |
6-15 |
1890-1978 |
| Preformed pipe wrap |
Pipes |
50 |
1926-1975 |
| Corrugated asbestos paper |
Pipes, high temp., moderate temp. |
90
35-70 |
1935-1980?
1910-1980? |
| Paper tape |
Furnaces, steam valves, flanges, electrical wiring |
80 |
1901-1980? |
| Putty (mudding) |
Plumbing joints |
20-100 |
1900-1973 |
| Other Products |
| Gaskets/Packing |
Pipe flanges, boiler doors, valves, pumps |
10-80 |
1900-1980s |
| Cloth/Blankets |
Welding accessory, pipe insulation, curtains, clothing |
40-100 |
1900-1985 |
| Clothing (gloves, mittens, sleeves, aprons, coats, jackets, pants, hoods, spats) |
Heat and fire resistant protective clothing |
40-100 |
1900-1985 |
| cement/mortar |
Used as a castable insulation on furnaces, pipes, boilers, brick |
5-100 |
1900-1975 |
| metal-clad firebrick |
Found in Open Health Furnaces and Basic Oxygen Furnaces |
10 |
1950-1980s |
| gunnite/fire-proofing spray |
Sprayed onto furnaces as well as structural steel for fireproofing protection |
20-75 |
1900-1980s |
| hot-tops (ingot mold covers and inserts) |
Used with ingot molds in the steel pouring process |
10-80 |
1960-1980 |
Who is at increased risk for developing mesothelioma?
- Mesothelioma or Asbestosis as an underlying or contributing cause of death listed by gender from NIOSH National Occupational Respiratory Mortality System:
http://webappa.cdc.gov/ords/norms.html
- Deaths from asbestos-related diseases from EWG Action Group:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/asbestos/facts/fact1.php
|
