Asbestos in Maine
Maine Asbestos
Maine is known for its coastal lifestyle. It’s no surprise that the shipyard industry holds a lengthy presence in the state. Maine also has industries in metal works and power plants, both of which have the presence of asbestos. For such a small, densely populated state, Maine does have its share of mesothelioma. With some of the highest numbers in asbestos-induced diseases in America, mesothelioma remains the most dominant. The small state of Maine has a population of a little over 1.2 million and is still growing everyday. According to a study conducted, there are nearly 12 cases of mesothelioma per million people.
Jobs with Asbestos Exposure
The mining industry is not dominant in Maine, but there are a few that do have asbestos. Miners had a high risk of exposure due to the ill-ventilated spaces in which they worked. Such closed spaces were ideal for asbestos exposure and only maximized the chances of fiber inhalation by workers. Miners often do not wear protective gear over their work clothes due to the fact manufacturers never disclosed the hazards and companies didn’t feel the need for safety precautions. This increased the chances of miners carrying asbestos-ridden clothes into their homes, leaving their families at risk for secondary exposure.
Maine’s paper mills and other plants and factories may have asbestos. Providing electricity to millions of homes across the state, power plants generate a lot of electrical heat through its pipelines. Because of this, typically asbestos insulation is used to provide protection to the pipes. Asbestos insulation is popular among power plants due to its heat and fire resistant properties. Construction and metal works are two other industries that are present in Maine.
Metal Works:
- Bath Iron Works
Power Plants:
- Yankee Nuclear Power
Shipyards:
- Portsmouth Naval
- Bath Iron Works
Asbestos-Related Deaths
Of all the asbestos-related illnesses, mesothelioma is the most common. It is no surprise that when inhaled, the toxic fibers attach itself to the lung’s lining before slowly developing into mesothelioma over a latency period of up to 50 years. Asbestosis is perhaps the second most common disease caused by asbestos exposure. Asbestosis is when the lungs begin to scar, causing great difficulty in breathing due to the lungs’ inability to fully expand.
Asbestos exposure can be fatal. The most popular methods of treatment for mesothelioma are the same as those used for other cancers.
