Asbestos provides great fire retardant and other properties that made it a very popular option in many military facilities and ships, in particular. That means that many veterans have had or are experiencing exposure to asbestos. You might be surprised that asbestos is a natural fiber found in many mineral mines around the world. Nevertheless, natural or not, this mineral fiber can be deadly to humans that breathe it in or ingest it. The fibers target the linings of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. They irritate these linings and start producing the effects that eventually lead to cancer, known as mesothelioma.
Here are some facts to consider about mesothelioma, asbestos, and the military:
- Many Navy and Coast Guard ships had asbestos from stem to stern in the 20th century. Asbestos became a very popular building material at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. It offered a cheap option for fire retardant and a fill that offered heat retention. The Navy saw the potential of this material in the years after World War I. In an effort to modernize the fleet, many new ships started coming online during the 1930s. That is when the use of asbestos really took off in ships, both military and civilian.
- Most exposure to asbestos happened from the 1930s through the 1970s. As World War II took off, so did the military use of asbestos. Navy and Coast Guard ships had asbestos around boilers, pipes, and other essential systems. It helped retain heat and provided fire prevention measures. It was popular as electrical insulation. The use of asbestos continued through the late 1970s on US military ships. Many military veterans of this era walked around loose asbestos for years without knowing they had a problem brewing.
- Other military veterans had regular exposure to asbestos also. Don't think the problem was found just in the Navy or Coast Guard. Asbestos is virtually fire proof. It was common to put the fibers into all sorts of textiles, building materials, and other common items in barracks, office buildings, and supply areas. The Air Force used it as an electrical insulator in their planes. The Army used it to build military buildings and housing units. Anyone working around this material had exposure risk.
- Mesothelioma is a growing problem in certain military veterans' experience. Many people with exposure to asbestos don't know they have a problem for decades. Many do not show signs or problems until 50 years after the fact. As the Vietnam era veterans are aging, the problems are starting to show up. Asbestos exposure during military service was very common during that era. Veterans of older conflicts already have a good track record of getting mesothelioma due to the exposure.
- Certain benefits are available for military veterans with mesothelioma. The military veteran cannot sue the federal government for medical problems. It is just a fact of law. However, there are ways to get benefits related to asbestos-related illnesses. The veteran has to document the disease and show they had asbestos exposure during military service. That connection must be clear or the VA may deny the benefits the veteran seeks.
Lawrence Reaves writes for Mesotheliomapage.com, a wonderful resource for people who want to learn more about non smoker lung cancer and other ways people can be impacted by asbestos exposure.
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