Iowa
There are no natural deposits of asbestos in Iowa, but that didn't stop it from leaving its dangerous mark on the people of this state. Asbestos exposure is dangerous and leads to health issues, such as mesothelioma, a cancer that is known to be caused by asbestos alone, as well as asbestosis, which will decrease the function of the lungs due to scar tissue. Asbestosis can be treated, but the persons that survive asbestosis can still be subject to mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a malignant form of cancer to which there are very few survivors. If you have lived and worked in Iowa, you should be concerned if you have been associated with construction, chemical plants, or power generation plants.
Chemical Plants
In the field of chemical manufacturing, there is high risk for damage to the body, as well as fires that can be accidentally started due to the nature of the chemicals being manufactured. The electrical components in a chemical plant would need to be insulated well so as to keep from being a risk to igniting volatile chemicals, and workers would need to handle very hot materials. The building would be insulated with asbestos, as would the handling equipment that would be worn by the workers, and the pipes and electrical housing would also be insulated by asbestos, because it was not just a fire retardant or insulator of heat, it also insulated electricity. Exposure in such a plant would result from breaking or crumbing of insulation materials, and any wear on the asbestos-laden safety gear that the employees would wear daily.
Power Generation Plants
The majority of the exposure in Iowa has been attributed to the power generation plants of the state. Again, electrical wires and housings would need to be insulated. They also had steam pipes that would be insulated with asbestos, and the safety gear that the employees would wear would also be constructed of asbestos material. Asbestos is very versatile in that the fibers can be used to make a woven fabric that has been employed since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
The top ranking industry-related exposure role for the country is that of the construction laborer. In the days before more stringent laws were put into place about the testing and abatement of asbestos, workers on a construction crew on a demolition job or a remodeling job would just tear through the wall boards, ceiling tiles and floor tiles that held large quantities of asbestos. The persons that installed these materials were at great risk, but when homes and businesses were later torn down they created great clouds of asbestos dust that would put the workers as well as the surrounding families at risk of inhalation related ailments.
If you believe that someone that you know has been exposed to asbestos in the past, then you should strongly urge them to seek the care of a doctor and notify them that they have been exposed to asbestos. Since the illnesses have such a long latency period it can be easy to disregard, but it is all the more reason to keep a watchful eye over their health. There are legal remedies that may be afforded to people that have been exposed and have developed symptoms of asbestos related illnesses designed to help them get the best care.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
