Children and Asbestos: A Combination You Want to Avoid
Children can inhale and swallow cancer-causing asbestos fibers just like everyone else if they’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Asbestos exposure in children can harm them later in life, potentially leading to lung cancer and mesothelioma. If there are asbestos hazards in your home or community, you should do whatever you can to prevent your child’s exposure.
What is Asbestos?
Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring minerals composed of thin, microscopic fibers. The fibers are heat-resistant, strong, and are excellent insulators. Asbestos was widely used in many industries and construction applications for much of the 20th century. It was commonly incorporated into building materials, insulation, automotive parts, and numerous other products.
Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, particularly when they are inhaled or swallowed, can lead to serious health problems, including lung diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma (a rare form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart).
Where Can Children Be Exposed to Asbestos?
Given how widespread asbestos was used, there are many locations and situations where children may encounter asbestos.
Older Buildings
Asbestos was commonly used in construction materials before its health risks were widely known. Older buildings, particularly those constructed before the 1980s, may still contain asbestos in insulation, roofing, flooring, and ceiling tiles.
Schools
Older schools have a higher risk for asbestos exposure in children. They may contain asbestos in various materials, including floor titles, ceilings, pipe insulation, and fireproofing on steel beams.
If the products are in poor shape, they may shed asbestos fibers into the air. Schools must manage and monitor asbestos-containing materials to prevent exposure, but some do a better job at it than others.
More than a third of US students used schools containing asbestos, according to a 1984 study. Though that number should’ve dropped considerably by now, there still could be hundreds or thousands of schools with asbestos in them
Homes
Homes and apartments built before the 1980s may have asbestos-containing materials. It’s commonly found in the insulation, roofing, siding, and flooring materials.
Disturbing these materials during renovations or repairs can release asbestos fibers into the air.
If you think asbestos products are in your house, have them tested. If they’re present, they should be professionally removed or encapsulated so they don’t pose a threat. Trying to do it yourself can worsen a bad situation by liberating far more fibers into your home.
If you live in an apartment and think asbestos may be present, ask your landlord to test the material. If they refuse, arrange for it yourself. If your apartment contains asbestos, notify your landlord. If they don’t deal with it, it may be grounds to break your lease because your apartment is unsafe to live in.
Vehicles
If your family maintains and repairs your vehicles, or you own a vehicle repair business, your children may be exposed to asbestos released when brakes, transmissions, and clutches are worked on.
There are techniques and equipment you can use to make the process safer and limit asbestos exposure in the area
Low-Income Neighborhoods
Everyone, including children, living in low-income neighborhoods has a higher risk of asbestos exposure and disease. Homes, apartment buildings, and schools are more likely to be older and not well-maintained. Property owners may be unwilling or unable to hire professionals to remove asbestos-containing materials. There also may be industrial buildings in the area containing asbestos
Children face many potential hazards in their lives. If their surroundings may include asbestos, this is something to watch out for.
How Might Asbestos Affect My Child?
If your child breathes in substantial amounts of fibers, they may develop asbestosis, which can severely restrict their breathing. Asbestos can also cause many kinds of cancer, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancers of the ovaries and larynx (voice box).
You try to keep your child safe, but if they fall and fracture a bone or come down with a stomach flu they caught from classmates, you discover it quickly, so you can do something about it.
It may take 30 or 40 years before asbestos-related diseases progress to the point they can be diagnosed. By then, it’s far too late to protect your child. The damage is done, so you need to be proactive to prevent these potentially fatal conditions from occurring.
Can Children Get Mesothelioma?
Yes, children get mesothelioma, but it’s extremely rare.
According to the National Cancer Institute, just 2% to 5% of mesothelioma patients are affected during their first 20 years of life. Less than 300 mesothelioma cases in children have ever been reported.
If a child was exposed to asbestos that causes mesothelioma, it likely won’t develop until they’re an adult.
How to Know a Child Was Exposed to Asbestos
There is no immediate way to know if your child was exposed to asbestos. Symptoms typically do not appear for decades.
The only way to know for sure if a child was exposed to asbestos is if they spent time in a room or building where it was confirmed from a test that asbestos fibers were present.
What to Do if You Suspect Your Child Was Exposed to Asbestos
If you think your child was exposed to asbestos, it’s important to remove them from the environment as soon as possible. Try to avoid any activity that would disturb materials containing asbestos, and then have the area inspected by a licensed professional.
If tests confirm that asbestos is present, follow their recommendations for removal or encapsulation.
Keep detailed records of this in case health issues arise later. You should also inform the child’s doctor so it can be part of their medical history to monitor symptoms in the future.
Call Us Today For A Free Consultation
Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, attorneys are your boots on the ground if you or a family member in Kentucky suffers from mesothelioma or another asbestos-related condition. Call us at 855-385-9532, locally 502-589-5600, or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with a Satterley & Kelley PLLC lawyer.