Asbestos was once used because of its toughness and fire-resistant properties. Over time, however, scientists discovered the cause of lung cancers to be asbestos fiber inhalation.
Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. have developed the first airborne asbestos detector.
They hope that the device will be commercialized in the U.K. in the next few years, providing roofers, plumbers, electricians and other workers in commercial and residential buildings with a way to quickly identify if they have inadvertently disturbed asbestos fibers into the air.
Currently, the most common way to identify airborne asbestos at worksites is to filter the air, count the number of fibers that are caught, and analyze the fibers with X-ray technology to determine if they are asbestos. This approach requires expensive lab work and hours of wait time.
The team hopes that the new asbestos detector will help reduce the 100,000 annual death toll that the World Health Organization attributes to exposure to airborne asbestos.
Exposed to Asbestos? Our Attorneys Find Justice for Workers and Families
The Centers for Disease Control claims that diagnoses of mesothelioma surged from the 1970s through the 1990s as a reaction to the peak asbestos exposure period for occupational workers. Over 2,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with mesothelioma annually.
If you or a loved one has received a mesothelioma diagnosis, contact us today at (504) 522-7885 to review the options available to you.