Exposure

Veteran Asbestos Exposure

Navy Veterans and Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of the rare cancer Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma affects the protective lining around the lungs called the ‘mesothelium’.

Asbestos related lung diseases including Mesothelioma can not be diagnosed quickly because symptoms of Mesothelioma generally appear several decades after the initial asbestos exposure.

Many United States veterans who served in the military during World War II were exposed to the invisible fibers of asbestos in their daily routines.  Asbestosis and Mesothelioma continue to affect a disproportionate number of veterans, especially Navy veterans. Asbestos insulation and other asbestos containing materials were present in various naval boats and Navy ships including but not limited to:  

Many materials such as floor coverings, gaskets and cements contained significant amounts of asbestos. The asbestos was frequently disturbed during grinding, punching, machining, sanding or other jarring activities and released deadly, invisible fibers into the air. Again, inhalation of these fibers is the only known cause for asbestosis and Mesothelioma.  Naval records for asbestos-containing substances used in shipyards, ship repairs and ship construction still exist and are being used to study asbestosis and Mesothelioma. Naval shipyard records, ship databases, ship history records and war diaries are also used to identify specific products used.

Many asbestos-containing products named in veterans’ asbestos claims could be identified using Military specifications. These products include instruments, meters, panels, gaskets, insulating materials, packing material, prefabricated-forms, tubes, cables, capacitors, paper-dielectric capacitors, mixes, block insulation, pipe covering, adhesives, insulation felts, thermal materials, deck covering materials, refractory, mortar, aggregate mixtures, rods, valves, boilers, grinders, bonds, compounds, bedding compounds, coatings, packing assemblies and hydraulic assemblies.

Veterans exposed to asbestos could include, but are not limited to:

Fire Control Technicians, Boiler Technicians, Construction Mechanics, Electronics Technicians, Damage Controlmen, Enginemen, and many others.