Asbestos in Maryland
Maryland Asbestos
Asbestos-containing industries in Maryland include plants, shipyards and paper mills. However, shipyards and power plants are the most predominant of the three. Maryland does have a relatively high number of asbestos-related deaths for a state so small in size.
Jobs with Asbestos Exposure
Power plants are known for its usage of asbestos to provide insulation for its pipes. Asbestos is composed of small, thin fibers that are woven together to create products that are fireproof and heat resistant, providing ideal insulation for pipes that generate millions of megawatts of electrical energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The construction industry in Maryland is probably has the highest risk of asbestos exposure. Asbestos is heavily used in the construction industry to provide residential and business buildings with insulation. Asbestos-containing insulation is not only cheap, but provides heat and fire resistance. However, when the asbestos is disturbed, fibers are released into the air. Workers on the construction site are left at risk for asbestos exposure, possibly even inhaling the fibers that could result in either asbestosis (scarring of the lungs) or mesothelioma (cancer of the lung linings).
Asbestos-Related Deaths
Maryland, unlike most other states, has a reverse asbestos-induced death rate in which asbestosis caused 633 out of 1,086 fatalities. This fatality rate covers a 20-year span from the 1970s to 1990s. Asbestosis is the scarring of the lung tissues that leaves the lungs’ expandability very limited. Mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. In mesothelioma, tumors typically grow within the pleura (lining of the lung) and can often metastasize to other parts of the body. Mesothelioma has a very long latency period in which symptoms may not show up to 50 years after exposure to asbestos.
