Often when we think of someone suffering from lung cancer, we think about a chain smoker. However, smoking is only one of the risks. Lung cancer is an incredibly aggressive disease and as we only need to breathe in certain toxins for us to be at risk, it is nice to know what we might want to think of avoiding to stay safe.
The 4 key risk factors of lung cancer in no specific order are:
Exposure to asbestos.
Exposure to radon.
Air pollution.
Exposure to other chemicals
Now some of you might think that asbestos is a thing of the past. Well it is not - the town of Asbest in Russia depends on asbestos mining for their financial survival.
Asbestos is being used widely in Russia, China, India and yes, even in The States still to this date.
2 million tons of asbestos are exported into the developing world every year.
Asbestos is incredibly carcinogenic - even small doses cause massive health problems.
Asbestos cancer is called mesothelioma, it is a rare cancer that is directly associated with exposure to asbestos. Asbestos has been used in commercial products such as insulation and fireproofing materials, automotive brakes, and wallboard materials - these are the main sources of exposure. It affects the lining of the lungs when the fine fibers of the mineral become lodged in the system.
Asbestos is banned in many countries, but the US allows it in its products if it contains less than 1% of it.
However, more and more people are still getting sick from especially fireproofing mattresses and other furniture toxic fumes. Some other products that may include asbestos are gaskets, roofing and fireproofing materials.
Asbestos still kills people every year - this graph shows how many American lives are claimed from the asbestos industry annually.
American homes built before 1980 still contain asbestos, which can be found in floor tiles, roofs, furnaces, plumbing, appliances, fireplaces and window caulking.
Especially flame retardants used in couches and bed mattresses are the main culprits of exposure.
This is why it is essential to get mattresses and furniture that is marked free of PBDEs and other flame retardants.
Some things you need to be aware of even though it sounds super boring are that PBDEs are marketed with the trade names DE-60F, DE-61, DE-62, and DE-71 applied to pentaBDE mixtures, DE-79 applied to octaBDE mixtures, and DE 83R and Saytex 102E applied to decaBDE mixtures. So take note of these forms or just simply get furniture without flame retardants and you are safe.
If you or someone you love are suffering from asbestos induced disease, check out this resource site here.
Their website has a bunch of information to help you navigate through the maze along with attorneys specializing in standing up for your rights as a victim.
References:
Mesothelioma.net January 25, 2018
Asbestos.com January 25, 2018
Arch Environ Occup Health. 2014;69(4):191-206
Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2010 Feb;42(2):133-9