Guest Post: Children exposed to asbestos at increased risk of asbestos disease

Below is a guest post from David Trenbath, the Digital Marketing Manager at Birchall Blackburn Solicitors. The company runs the National Asbestos Helpline at www.nationalasbestos.co.uk providing expert advice to those suffering from asbestos related diseases. They are also aiming to get over 1,000 signatures on their online petition to to campaign for a global ban on asbestos.

The piece below covers the amount of asbestos materials within school buildings, and the risks they pose to children:

In June 2013 The Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment released a statement on The Relative Vulnerability of Children to Asbestos Compared to Adults.

The facts

There are 24,372 schools in England. It is estimated that more than 75% of these schools have some buildings which contain asbestos-containing products. Where there are asbestos-containing products there is risk of exposure. When asbestos is present and is disturbed or damaged, risk of exposure can increase.

The Committee noted that all forms of asbestos are carcinogenic to humans and there is good evidence that childhood exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma in later life.

The Committee and the case studies

The Committee reviewed case reports in relation to children exposed to asbestos who then went on to develop mesothelioma. They were provided with a review of studies which included where the exposure to asbestos occurred through parents having occupational exposure, exposure in the home or environmental exposure.

The Committee looked into national mesothelioma mortality rates and rather alarmingly noted that although mortality rates in men are declining (the rate for those born in 1945 is much higher than for those born in 1955) this is not the case for women. The Committee speculates that this is because the majority of mesothelioma in women is the result of environmental or para-occupational exposure to asbestos which may have occurred before the age of 20 and possibly before the age of 10.

The Statement asserts that the younger a person is when they are exposed, the greater the risk of developing mesothelioma, which reflects the latency of the disease as younger people are more likely to live long enough for the disease to manifest itself.

The Conclusion

The Committee acknowledges that the data is limited and therefore it is not possible to say whether children are intrinsically more susceptible to asbestos-related injury. However the Committee recognises that due to the increased life expectancy of children when compared to adults and the long latency period of mesothelioma, children are therefore at an increased lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma. The Committee estimates that a five year old child exposed to the same level of asbestos as a 25 year old adult is predicted to have a 3.5 times greater chance of lifetime risk of developing mesothelioma and this estimate jumps to 5 times more likely when compared to a 30 year old adult.

When these assertions are taken in consideration with the number of schools in our communities containing asbestos the results are alarming.

The National Asbestos Helpline is committed to providing help for asbestos disease sufferers and their families across the UK. Help us join the fight for a global ban on asbestos. Sign our online petition at lobbyingforlife.co.uk.