Asbestos in Mississippi
Mississippi Asbestos
Resistant to heat and fire, asbestos was the top choice of insulation for power plants, shipyards and the metal works industries. Not only did asbestos provide great insulation, it was relatively inexpensive. Mississippi’s shipyards and power plants more than likely use asbestos as insulation in all their locations.
Jobs with Asbestos Exposure
As with most other states, Mississippi’s construction industry also uses asbestos-containing products. Hundreds of construction workers are at risk for exposure while on the job. The construction industry typically uses asbestos-containing products for insulation, cement and possibly even drywall. Construction workers are constantly at risk every time they build, destroy or remodel any structure with asbestos-containing materials.
The power plant industry and oil industry both rely heavily on asbestos materials to provide the fireproofing necessary to keep their daily operations running and their workers safe. Ironically, the same fireproofing aspect of asbestos may protect their workers from fire, but at the same time leaves them vulnerable to exposure and even the development of mesothelioma.
There are two main shipyards in Mississippi that more than likely contain asbestos. Ingalls and Naval Station in Pascagoula have been building ships since before World War II, and have continued to do so since. Asbestos found in these shipyards, when disturbed, are released into the air and leaves the hundreds of workers at risk for exposure. Many through the years were not aware of the dangers caused by asbestos, nor did they know they were working around asbestos.
Asbestos-Related Deaths
Deaths in Mississippi that were caused by asbestos-exposure were primarily either asbestosis or mesothelioma. Asbestosis is the scarring of the lungs, constricting lung movement. Mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. Like other cancers, mesothelioma can metastasize from the tumor to other parts of the body and organs.
In the state of Mississippi, mesothelioma deaths are less common. However, mesothelioma is much more aggressive than asbestosis. With asbestosis, the disease can develop and take years before becoming fatal, whereas mesothelioma cancer can metastasize just weeks or even months until it is at a late stage in cancer where treatments can no longer contain the cancer cell growth.
