Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

Canada, like the United States, is one of the few industrialized nations that hasn’t yet banned asbestos and many health experts are predicting that asbestos-related health issues for Canadian workers will increase over time. Jim Brophy, director of the Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) and an expert on the risks of asbestos exposure, has noted an increase in the number of calls over the last three years that OHCOW gets regarding asbestos-related health problems. He expects the deaths from asbestos exposure to peak in the next decade.

Canada is the one of the world’s leading exporters of asbestos and is under tremendous pressure from the asbestos industry to continue the mining and resale of the fibrous material. While industry members state that the type of asbestos mined in Canada, chrysotile, is safer than other forms and that modern advancements in its extraction and use have meant asbestos can be used safely, many health public experts disagree. In particular, Barry Castleman, an American occupational health scientist and one of the most cited sources regarding the risks of asbestos exposure, has said that any claim of asbestos being safe to use is a “delusion.”

The most feared disease of asbestos exposure is mesothelioma, which most often manifests as a cancer in the lining that surrounds the lungs. Lung cancer, which is a cancer distinct from mesothelioma, and asbestosis are also diseases common to those who have been exposed to asbestos.

Labels: asbestos, mesothelioma