Meso Foundation commends U.K. efforts on mesothelioma, urges U.S. to follow suit

UK Justice

Secretary Jack Straw

Meso Foundation commends U.K. efforts on mesothelioma, urges U.S. to follow suit
Earlier this month, Chris Hahn, executive director of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) expressed his support for the recent announcement from the UK that it plans to not only endorse compensation for mesothelioma victims, but to promote research and treatment. In a news release, Hahn praised the U.K. for its recognition “that society’s obligation and moral responsibility to remedy the tragic legacy of decades of asbestos use requires funding research to develop effective medical treatments.” Then, he asked the all-important question: “Will the United States follow?”
Hahn’s praise and plea followed remarks by the U.K.’s Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Jack Straw, who has been outspoken about the government’s role in caring for workers harmed by asbestos on the job. Straw issued a statement Feb. 25, 2010, in response to an ongoing debate over the government’s decision on the question of compensation for pleural plaques.
Although pleural plaques, which are small areas of fibrosis in the pleura of the lung caused by asbestos exposure, indicate that a person has been exposed to asbestos, they generally do not cause any significant change in lung function. As a result, the Law Lords on Oct. 17, 2007 determined that people who have pleural plaques, but no other asbestos-caused illness, are not eligible for any compensation for medical treatment or other financial claims. The debate over pleural plaques sparked a national debate about asbestos disease.
Although subsequent research did not provide enough evidence to overturn the Law Lords’ ruling, it has provided significant information about asbestos disease, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. The government also is establishing a number of policies to make it easier for those who are diagnosed with mesothelioma or serious asbestos disease to receive compensation more quickly. Additionally, the research has encouraged the UK government to take a stronger stand on mesothelioma research and treatment.
According to Straw’s statement, “The fact that the UK has one of the highest rates of death from mesothelioma in the world is a legacy of our industrial heritage and the part that asbestos played in it. Just as the UK was a global leader in the asbestos industry, we must now become a global leader in research into asbestos-related disease.”
The government of the UK is calling for the creation of a National Centre for Asbestos-Related Disease, which will be a “collaborative network of funded researchers whose core purpose would be to advance medical research into the prevention, cure and alleviation of asbestos-related disease – primarily mesothelioma,” according to Straw. He said the insurance industry has pledged £3 million toward this research effort.
Benefits of such a concentrated and cooperative research and treatment program would not only benefit mesothelioma patients, but also would significantly reduce the costs of litigation, death and disability benefits, and health care costs, Hahn points out.
“This is exactly what the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation has been urging in the United States the past ten years,” Hahn says. “Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are a fundamental problem of social justice. And a just solution to that problem requires medical research to develop effective treatments to end the suffering and save lives. It is encouraging to see that the U.K. is getting it; we hope the U.S. will catch up soon.”

view post : dr freska

Screening Would Prevent Deaths from Colon Cancer

New Report: Screening Would Prevent Deaths from Colon Cancer

If more Americans were properly screened for colorectal cancer, it would significantly reduce the proportion of people who get the disease as well as the rate of deaths, according to a new report by the American Cancer Society.
The report, Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2011-2013, notes there has been substantial progress in the last decade reducing colorectal cancer incidence and death rates in most population groups in the US, largely through the prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer through screening. But even more progress is possible by increasing access to and use of colorectal cancer screening tests. Almost half of Americans 50 and older are not getting screened according to guidelines.
“The value of early detection has become a topic of wide debate for some cancers,” said Edward Partridge, M.D., national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society. “But for colorectal cancer there should be no debate: screening for colon cancer saves lives. The American Cancer Society has identified colorectal cancer as a major priority because of the enormous potential to prevent the disease, diminish suffering, and save lives.”
According to new data in the report, about 141,210 new cases and 49,380 deaths are expected in 2011. About 72% of cases occur in the colon, and about 28% in the rectum.Other highlights of the report include:
In both men and women, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death.
Colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates are highest in African American men and women. Incidence rates are 20% higher and mortality rates are about 45% higher than those in whites.
Incidence and mortality rates among other major racial/ethnic groups are lower than those among whites.
Colorectal cancer incidence rates have been declining in the U.S. since the mid-1980s. Since 1998, rates have been declining by 3.0% per year in men and by 2.3% per year in women. The acceleration in the decline in the past decade has largely been attributed to the detection and removal of precancerous polyps as a result of colorectal cancer screening.
Modifiable risk factors that have been associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer in epidemiologic studies include physical inactivity, obesity, high consumption of red or processed meats, smoking, and moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption.
A recent study found that about one-quarter of colorectal cancer cases could be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle, i.e., maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active at least 30 minutes per day, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, and not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
One of the most important determinants of individual screening participation is a health care provider recommendation.

view post : mr saso

Study reveals persistent, significant reduction in lung function for 9/11 responders, workers

Study reveals persistent, significant reduction in lung function for 9/11 responders, workers
A study published today in The New England Journal of Medicine reveals that Fire Department of New York (FDNY) firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) workers who responded to the 9/11 attacks at the World Trade Center have suffered significant, persistent declines in lung functions. According to the report, exposure to World Trade Center dust created when the towers collapsed led to “large declines” in lung functions for FDNY rescue workers during the first year, and that “the declines were persistent, without recovery over the next 6 years, leaving a substantial proportion of workers with abnormal lung function.”
The study included 12,781 workers who were present at the WTC site between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 24, 2001, which is 91.6 percent of the workers that were present. The report notes that the event exposed the workers – as well as those living and working in the surrounding area – to a dense cloud of pulverized building materials and chemical byproducts, including pulverized glass and cement, insulation fibers including asbestos, and toxic chemicals.
According to a report in The New York Times that summarizes the study findings, this is the first study to document long-term harm in a large group of firefighters and emergency medical workers who worked at Ground Zero. All of the subjects of the study had had previous lung function tests, providing a baseline for the study.
The study was authored by Dr. David J. Prezant, chief medical officer in the Office of Medical Affairs at the New York City Fire Department. The study was approved by the institutional review board at Montefiore Medical Center.
Results of the study revealed that firefighters, who had heavier exposure to dust by the nature of their work had greater first-year declines than EMS personnel, especially for firefighters who were present in the morning on 9/11, when the dust cloud was most intense after the buildings fell. However, researchers noted they were surprised to see “little or no recovery of average lung function during the 6-year follow-up period.” In fact, they noted continued decline in lung function among the study groups.
Normally, the study notes, “smoke inhalation during firefighting causes relatively mild and reversible respiratory impairment.” Additionally, according to the report, long-term effects of firefighting on pulmonary function also are normally mild.
The average loss of lung function for 9/11 rescue workers is about 10 percent. Most of the loss occurred within the first year after 9/11 exposure, with little or no subsequent recovery.
Thousands of workers injured at Ground Zero have been fighting for compensation from the City of New York. Last month about 10,000 plaintiffs reached a settlement agreement totaling $657.5 million, but a judge rejected the settlement shortly afterward, saying it did not provide enough compensation for the plaintiffs. The matter is now back in negotiations, and a new hearing is set for Monday, according to the Times.

view post : dr freska

New Website Helps Explain Health Care Law

New Website Helps Explain Health Care Law

Eight consumer and health organizations have created a new Web site to help the public understand the Affordable Care Act, the health care reform law enacted last year.
The site, HealthCareandYou.org, launched today. It is a joint effort of the Health Care and You Coalition, which includes the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and 7 other organizations, including AARP and the American Medical Association. ACS CAN is the American Cancer Society’s advocacy affiliate.
The site will provide information on which provisions of the new law are already in effect, and which will be going into effect in the future. It also helps consumers locate health coverage options in their state.
“Key provisions of the law have the potential to help millions of Americans with cancer or at risk for cancer to access lifesaving care, but first they need to understand what the law means for them,” said Christopher W. Hansen, president of ACS CAN. “HealthCareandYou.org is an essential tool that will inform families struggling with cancer about new coverage options, patient protections and no-cost preventive services such as mammograms and colonoscopies.”
Information on the site will be updated to reflect any changes in the healthcare law, the participating organizations say. There are also plans to add a chat feature in the future that will allow users to ask questions of the member organizations.

view post : mr saso

Detroit demolition plan halted due to asbestos concerns

Detroit demolition plan halted due to asbestos concerns

Representatives from the City of Detroit, Michigan, meant well, but nearly put lives in danger recently with plans to demolish around 3,000 dilapidated homes and other buildings in a blighted area. The project, whose ultimate goal was to remove 10,000 dangerous abandoned buildings over the next four years and eliminate risks like collapse, fire and disease, was featured in the local newspaper, the Detroit Free Press. As it turned out, someone from the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment was reading, and the story raised a red flag.

After a quick investigation, DNRE spokesman Robert McCann told the Free Press the agency discovered the City had not completed required asbestos inspections on the properties scheduled for demolition. The City also had not notified the state – which is required by law – of the planned demolition. The planned project was halted April 5, and City officials met with DNRE representatives to learn what they should do.

According to the Free Press, representatives from the City said they were unaware they were violating any federal regulations, and said the City has not had a history of inspecting buildings for the presence of asbestos before demolition under past administrations. The current Mayor is Dave Bing.

Some demolition occurred before DNRE officials were able to call a halt; however, subsequent asbestos testing did not find any asbestos present. The project is under the direction of the City’s Buildings and Safety Engineering Department. The houses planned for demolition are located in southwest Detroit. The City still plans to demolish 3,000 structures by the end of this year, and 10,000 structures during the next four years.

Federal regulations require that businesses or individuals planning demolition first test the structure for the presence of asbestos, remove any asbestos that is found using approved abatement procedures to ensure the safety of workers and the public, and provide a 10-day notice to the DNRE before beginning demolition. Violations could incur fines of up to $27,500 per day, and jail time. It was not noted in the Free Press story if the City is in danger of being prosecuted for its violations.

However, public interest in the story did raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, which can result in mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that affects the lining of the chest and lungs, the lining of the abdomen, or the lining of the heart. As a result of reader interest, the newspaper published a helpful Q&A about asbestos exposure the following day.

view post : dr freska

Former Inspector Who Faked Safety Tests Is Sentenced

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced an ailing former safety inspector to more than five years in prison for faking hundreds of asbestos and lead test reports, saying that his crimes were monumental and had put New York City’s residents at risk.

John Marshall Mantel for The New York Times

The case against the inspector, Saverio F. Todaro, who pleaded guilty in March to mail fraud, environmental crimes and making false statements, and the breadth and simplicity of his offenses revealed the city’s system of oversight and enforcement as strained at best and raised questions about whether such improper conduct was more widespread.

Mr. Todaro never performed hundreds of tests but filed false reports and failed to submit laboratory reports in some instances.

At the sentencing in United States District Court in Manhattan, Mr. Todaro, a wizened 68-year-old, sat hunched over in a wheelchair, breathing with the aid of an oxygen tank and sometimes holding his hand to his head as his lawyer argued for a sentence of home detention.

The lawyer, Steven M. Statsinger, acknowledged that his client’s crimes had been “unusually severe,” because they occurred over a long period of time — more than seven years — and had the potential to affect so many people. But he cited his severe health problems and his mentally retarded 40-year-old son; Mr. Todaro, he said, had a very close relationship with his son and helped care for him.

But the judge, Kimba M. Wood, told Mr. Todaro before she sentenced him that only his son’s needs and his own poor health kept her from giving him a “much, much higher” sentence. The prison term she meted out, five years and three months, was at the top of the range of advisory guidelines.

She also said he had concocted an elaborate web of lies to evade detection and avoid prosecution.

“The inventiveness of your lies,” she said, “was outstripped only by the callousness with which you put the health and lives of New York City children and adults at risk.”

Judge Wood ordered Mr. Todaro, a certified asbestos investigator, to pay more than $450,000 in forfeiture, fines and restitution.

In a brief and somewhat disjointed statement, Mr. Todaro apologized and asked the judge not to send him to prison.

“Basically, look, I’m sorry what I did,” he said. “I’m sorry the effect it’s had on my family, my relatives, clients, everybody. I feel really bad about it. And it’s been on my mind.

“I am sympathetic to everything I’ve done, the people I hurt, but if I go to jail my wife cannot keep the house up, my kid wouldn’t be taken care of. And what else can I say?”

The prosecutor in the case said in court papers that in all but a few instances, it was impossible to say whether the fake reports masked real environmental hazards. “It is unknown whether people will get sick as a result of his conduct,” wrote Anne C. Ryan, an assistant in the office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney in Manhattan. “Among other things, asbestos-related diseases can take decades to develop.”........

view post : dr freska

In a Town Called Asbestos, a Plan to Restart the Industry That Made It Prosperous

ASBESTOS, Quebec — The belief in asbestos lives on in this mining town of 7,000 people, not just in the name — retained despite its association with cancer — but in the ambitions of the mineral’s long-time champion here, G. Bernard Coulombe.

Multimedia

Graphic

Mr. Coulombe, 69, says he believes that you can recapture the past. At a time when Canada, like many countries, is spending millions of dollars to remove asbestos from buildings, to say nothing of covering asbestos-related disability claims, Mr. Coulombe wants a $58 million loan guarantee from the province of Quebec. He is hoping to attract investors and revitalize the mine that gave rise to the town in 1879 and for more than a century has swallowed chunks of it into its ever-expanding pit.

Adding to the controversy over the plan, Mr. Coulombe’s strategy is to sell to countries like India, Pakistan and Vietnam, where enthusiasm for cheap asbestos often comes with a lax approach to workplace health and safety.

It would seem a quixotic venture. Mr. Coulombe’s proposal has been widely condemned by the medical and public health community both in Canada and abroad. The mineral’s dangers have largely eliminated the market for it in Canada as well as the United States, where the last asbestos mine closed in 2002.

But while many Canadians outside Quebec view the mine’s survival as something of an international embarrassment, history suggests it would be unwise to dismiss Mr. Coulombe. The asbestos industry was once a prominent symbol of Quebec’s might in natural resources, and the mine — now known as Mine Jeffrey — played an outsize role in the province’s political history.

“The whole asbestos debate is purely emotional,” said Paul Lapierre, the vice president for cancer control at the Canadian Cancer Society and an opponent of Mr. Coulombe’s proposal. “As Quebeckers we were once so proud of our mining industry, including asbestos.”

The political strength of asbestos will be tested this month when the province is expected to announce a decision on the loan guarantee.

Jeffrey was once a key operation of Johns Manville, the American building materials company, and at one time provided most of the world’s supply of one type of asbestos. But over time a large body of scientific evidence linked it to lung cancer and mesothelioma, a fast-acting cancer of major organs, and asbestosis, a hardening of the lungs that ultimately suffocates its victims.

In 1982, health-related lawsuits forced Johns Manville into bankruptcy; the Jeffrey mine was sold to its managers a year later.

The fortunes of asbestos have continued to sink. After peaking at 4.79 million metric tons in 1977, worldwide production reached only 1.97 million metric tons last year. Some countries, including the members of the European Union, now ban the mineral’s general use. Synthetic fibers have assumed most of the tasks it once handled, if at a higher cost. Asbestos’s remaining markets are mainly less developed nations as well as China and the countries of the former Soviet Union and China, some of which have mines. Its one remaining attraction is its low cost.

Once it reaches developing countries, asbestos from the Jeffrey mine is usually mixed with cement and formed into inexpensive pipes and roof sheeting.

The town of Asbestos, once prosperous, has tracked the mineral’s decline. The former town hall sits abandoned. When repairs to the building proved unaffordable, the local government moved into a church it purchased for $1. The mine pit, which is about a mile wide and 1.2 miles long, and its two huge mills are currently inactive........

view post : dr freska

directory of asbestos attorneys

Asbestos Lawyer List is a directory of asbestos attorneys and law firms who handle legal cases involving mesothelioma and mesothelioma settlements. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is almost exclusively a result of exposure to asbestos. In this disease, cancer cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining of cells covering the lungs and other organs.

By the 1930s and '40s, medical evidence had clearly linked asbestos exposure to lung disease and deadly asbestos cancers. But many companies witheld this information rather than spend the money to remove the asbestos from the workplace. Since then, many lawsuits and mesothelioma settlements have been filed against asbestos manufacturers and employers, for neglecting to implement safety measures after the links between asbestos, asbestosis, and mesothelioma became known.

A mesothelioma attorney who specializes in asbestos-related cases and mesothelioma settlements can review expenses that could be covered under your mesothelioma settlement and mesothelioma lawsuit, including medical bills, lost wages, funeral and other expenses. An experienced asbestos lawyer understands that their clients are often not physically able to deal with the details of filing a lawsuit or attending trial. For this reason, asbestos attorneys usually handle all the details of the case.......

view post : .dr freska

Mesothelioma Trial Date-How Is Set ?

The setting of a trial date is often the fourth stage a mesothelioma lawsuit passes through after the initial three stages of the trial. Setting a trial date does require some consideration and at least one meeting with the judge and the defendant. Your lawyer should prepare you for what to expect when it comes to setting a trial date and will take care of the entire process. Remember, if your case does go to trial, you do not have to attend-your lawyer will handle every aspect of the case and trial proceedings........

by: dr freska

View Post …

Mesothelioma Taxas law is the most favoring law for mesothelioma patients

Mesothelioma Texas law has been amended to bring it into its present form in 2005. This law is a relief to the mesothelioma patients though a bit complicated to mesothelioma attorneys. Considering mesothelioma Texas law’s salient features, in other states there is a bar to file a mesothelioma case, where as this law removes all bars of filing the case. This bar is called limitation period. It means the patient is entitled to file the case only if he files within the permissible time limit between the diagnosis of the case and date of filing. Previously, it was easy to file a mesothelioma case within the said time limit without permission from any one. But, now the new mesothelioma Texas law makes it mandatory for all mesothelioma attorneys to seek permission from State Health Department before filing any mesothelioma case. Under the old law it was difficult for a petitioner to get relief as the defendant company, usually a billionaire, could afford more expensive and expert lawyers to turn the case into its favor. But, now the new law has a view to support and favor the petitioner.......

View Post …

The center for Natural and Intergrative Medicine

The Center for Natural and Integrative Medicine :

I met Dr. Kirti Kalidas M.D., N.D., last year through a friend who recommended that I speak with him about his overall approach to cancer treatment…and wow was she right! Dr. Kalidas is the founder and medical director of The Center for Natural and Integrative Medicine (TCNIM) in Orlando. He is a leading proponent of blending conventional medical practices with scientifically validated alternative and natural therapies – and he has the experience to back it up! Read on to see how his incredible approach can help…

View Post …

Asbestos Clearance

Coffey Environments awarded Australia’s first accreditation for asbestos clearance inspections

Asbestos Clearance

Coffey International Limited subsidiary, Coffey Environments, has been awarded Australia’s first accreditation for asbestos and hazardous materials clearance inspections by the National Association of Testing Authorities (“NATA”).

Coffey Environments global leader David Browne said: “This accreditation endorses the technical level of our occupational health & safety specialists and cements Coffey Environments as a leading consultancy in Australia accredited by NATA in asbestos management.”

NATA chief executive officer Alan Patterson said: “NATA is committed to using accreditation as a way of promoting the health and safety and well being of our community. I congratulate Coffey Environments for leading the way with this achievement, which is a first in Australia.”

As part of the accreditation process, all internal procedures for asbestos clearance undertaken by Coffey Environments were submitted to NATA for peer review, explained Lee McAlister-Smiley, occupational health & safety group leader for Coffey Environments in Queensland.

“Overall, the accreditation process took about eight months. Once all our procedures were submitted to NATA, two independent assessors conducted the peer review and we were required to demonstrate our competency and amend some procedures.

“The accreditation was timely as we were able to change some of our procedures ahead of the implementation of recently announced legislation changes, ensuring we are well positioned to assist our clients.”

The introduction of the Fair Work Act in January and the move to national occupational health and safety laws are likely to impact the way in which Australian businesses manage asbestos and other hazardous materials.

Occupational Health & Safety is set to undergo major reform as the country moves towards one set of laws in this area, developed by Safe Work Australia. Each state and territory will be required to pass mirror laws by December 2011.

Asbestos-containing materials are not only found in commercial and industrial structures, but also in refineries, vessels and offshore facilities and contaminant materials in mineral ores. Under the new laws, a wide range of facilities may be newly identified as sites that require a plan to manage asbestos.

“An up-to-date asbestos register and an asbestos management plan provide businesses with information to operate their sites safely and to cost-effectively manage asbestos-containing material in the workplace.

“We have worked with a number of clients to incorporate asbestos and hazardous materials management plans into their businesses’ operational plans in a very cost-effective manner, helping them go beyond legal compliance and ensuring the health and safety of their staff,” said Lee.

Coffey Environments delivers environmental, social and safety performance professional services, including asbestos and hazardous materials technical solutions, across Australia, New Zealand and the USA for clients in the infrastructure, government, resources and property sectors.

The original topic : asbestos world

Removing asbestos safely

---

Previous | Next

Take asbestos to a licensed waste facility

It is important to get advice about how to identify, remove and handle asbestos and hazardous substances properly.

Photographer Health and Envioronment Services

The original topic : photo asbestos

Killer Asbestos Companies Enjoy Govt Protection

Killer Asbestos Companies Enjoy Govt Protection

Indian asbestos companies are following the path of the scandal of the James Hardie asbestos company. As a consequence huge number of people who die from asbestos diseases continues to rise, and will do so for another decade. On 27 November 2007, Australian political campaigner, Bernie Banton, died at his home after having suffered asbestosis, mesothelioma and Asbestos-Related Pleural Disease (ARPD). Banton contracted these diseases after working for James Hardie asbestos compnay for 6 years. He was the public face of asbestos victims in Australia and was closely involved in the negotiations between James Hardie, unions and governments from 2004 to 2007.


Russia, Canada, Kazakastan and others have been exporting asbestos fibers to India. Exposure to asbestos is encountered in the form of asbestos mining, asbestos cement industries, asbestos processing unit and during renovation and demolition of old asbestos cemented roof, modern electrical and mechanical appliances wherte it is found. Construction workers, electricians, vehicle mechanics and other workers in the building trades are exposed to asbestos. India exports and imports asbestos to other countries. Transport of the hazardous material on road and roadside residents all are vulnerable to this uncommon disease. Workers and consumers cmplain of shortness of breath, persistent and productive cough due to pulmonary fibrosis can show up many years after the asbestos exposure.


This leaflet published by UK's Health and Safety publications titled "Asbestos kills: Protect yourself! You are more at risk than you think" which is aimed at people working in the building or maintenance trades, e.g. electricians, plumbers, joiners or heating and ventilation engineers captures the hazards aptly. It explains the risks of working with asbestos and what one should do to protect oneself.


The paid misleading advertorial above was published in The Times of India on 17 December, 2009 and earlier 20 November, 2009 as an excercise in misinformation campaign has been severely criticised by all sane sections within the society. It was on 17 December that a three day International Conference on "Preventing Emerging Occupational and Environmental Risks in South Asia and Beyond" commenced.

It was sad to not that at the conference it was admitted by A K Agarwal, Additional Secretary, Directorate General of Health Services that none of the 300 medical collages in India have teh capacity to deal with asbestos related diseases.

In India, no one has the Asbestos Removalist or Asbestos building Demolition Licence.

Quebec' Premier Jean Charest is coming to India on January 30, 2010 to promote the sale of Quebec products in India, such as asbestos. His mission in India is set from January 31 to February 6, 2010. India is one of the biggest customers of Canadaian asbestos (white asbestos or chrysotile asbestos). Despite asbestos bans in many Western countries and the fact that Canadians spend millions each year to safely remove the substance from buildings - including Parliament Hill - Canada remains a world leader in asbestos exports.

One does not know as to who all would be able to speak to him, if one get an opportunity, one can ask a question about why is he supporting asbestos export to India, when Quebec itself doesn't use it and is paying millions of dollars to remove it from Quebec's schools, hospitals and public buildings, and when leading Quebec health experts have called for Quebec's mining and export of asbestos to be stopped.

India's state human rights commission of Kerala has ruled that exposing humans to asbestos is human right violation. Also ask him about his reaction to the Ban White (Use & Import) Bill, 2009 which is pending in the Indian parliament.

In the Union Budget 2009-10, the governmment has increased the excise duty incidence on cement products from 4% to 8%. The excise duty on goods in which not less than 25% by weight of fly ash or phospho-gypsum or both have been used, has been increased from 4% to 8%. In India, the frontline players use fly ash in excess of 25% by weight in asbestos cement roofints, and hence, Excise duty rate on Asbestos Sheets has been doubled to 8% from 4%.
The original topic : online asbestos

Mesothelioma Lawyers, New York – Now Available On Amazon

Mesothelioma Lawyers, New York – Now Available On Amazon

We were warned. 2012 is in sight. And mesothelioma will never be the same again.

After a brief but furious sprint of pounding out words that seemed to come from the heavens, followed by a virtual eternity of painstaking proofreading and editing, my first novel is now available on Amazon.com.

Named after the town that holds the key to the 2012 mystery, the novel is called Mesothelioma Lawyers, New York: The Truth About 2012. It can loosely be described as a cross between The Da Vinci Code, 24, and Wayne’s World.

To make things interesting, I’d like to offer a prize to the first person to find and decipher the Easter eggs. An “Easter egg” in a book, movie, game, etc. is a hidden message, inside joke, or feature. For example, a hidden track on a CD, or a flight simulator hidden in a spreadsheet application.

The prize will be one of the books that I’d like to recycle (mailed anywhere in the world). I’m not exactly sure what they are, but at a minimum, your choices will include:

• Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina
• Achieve Anything in Just One Year by Jason Harvey
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Some hints for you:

• There are 5 Easter eggs, and they all follow the same pattern.
• While the novel is filled with inside jokes, the ones meant as Easter eggs will be self-evident, at least in my opinion.
• If not, the fact that there are exactly five, all fitting the same pattern, will leave no doubt as to whether you have found them.
• You have to not just find them, but explain their significance.

If you figure them out, send me an email listing the five Easter eggs and their significance (don’t ruin it for others by revealing them in a comment). If you’re right, then you get to pick a book. I’ll update this post to indicate when the contest is over.

Boy, it feels great to finally get this book out there! Thanks for giving me an audience to write for. Retweets and reviews on Amazon or your blog are greatly appreciated.

The original topic : online asbestos mesothelioma world

Action Mesothelioma 2010

Action Mesothelioma 2010

Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer. The great majority of cases will be due to exposure to asbestos

The British Lung Foundation campaigns to raise awareness of mesothelioma and to improve the treatment and care of people who are affected by it. This campaigning culminates each year on Action Mesothelioma

Raising awareness of the risks of asbestos amongst tradesmen - those most likely to be exposed to it - is something HSE has campaigned on for several years.

Said Chair of HSE, Judith Hackitt,

"HSE welcomes action to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos and that is why, on Action Mesothelioma Day, we are supporting the British Lung Foundation's call for people to 'be asbestos aware'.

"Asbestos is not a problem of the past. It could be present in any building built or refurbished before the year 2000. In good condition, undisturbed and properly managed, asbestos does not pose a significant health risk. Those most at risk are tradesmen such as joiners, electricians and plumbers who routinely disturb the fabric of buildings as part of their work. Through our 'Hidden Killer campaign we are working hard to help tradesmen appreciate that they are at risk and advise them on how to protect themselves. It makes eminent sense to also remind householders of the dangers they may encounter when doing DIY work themselves.

"We continue to work with a wide and diverse group of organisations and businesses to ensure asbestos awareness is fundamental to any trade where workers are at risk."

The original topic : new asbestos

Making the Case for White Asbestos

Chrysotile is the source of white asbestos

Demand for Zimbabwean-produced asbestos is steady, even growing, despite moves by the European Union and much of the industrialized world to ban all types of the mineral due to health concerns.

Zimbabwe is the world's fifth largest producer of chrysotile fiber, or white asbestos, after Russia , Canada , China and Brazil.

Earnings from the industry in Zimbabwe are expected to top US$40 million this year through exports to over 50 countries around the world, the major export destinations being the Far East , Middle East and Africa .

Still, the sector's growth has been dampened by the EUs campaign for a total ban on all types of asbestos. Due to pressure from its Green movement, the Union has given its members until early 2005 to remove all asbestos from the market. Argentina , Australia , Chile , Croatia and Saudi Arabia are also among countries that have banned the substance.

The ‘Ban Asbestos in America ' Bill

Asbestos fiber is used mainly in the lining of brake and clutch pedals of heavy vehicles and for high temperature seals, as well as in asbestos-cement applications such as in roofing sheets. Unmatched in terms of strength, durability and cost, the fiber is estimated to be, or to have been, a component of some 5,000 products.

Mesothelioma of the lungs results from exposure to asbestos

Although the material is not a banned substance in the US , where asbestos products worth US$208 million entered the country last year, there is increasing pressure to do so. In May, Senator Patty Murray of Washington introduced a ‘Ban Asbestos in America ' bill arguing, “It is outrageous that at the same time Congress is trying to protect companies from future asbestos lawsuits, we continue to import and consume more and more asbestos.”

Murray says asbestos is a carcinogen with no known safe level of exposure. She contends that at least 2,000 Americans per year die from mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the lining of the lungs and internal organs caused by exposure to asbestos.

The proposed legislation aims to compel the Centers for Disease Control into creating a National Mesothelioma Registry to improve tracking of the disease, including lung cancer and asbestosis. In addition, 10 mesothelioma treatment centers would be established around the country to improve treatments for, and awareness of, the disease.

More significantly, if the bill is passed, within one year the Environment Protection Agency would propose regulations to outlaw the manufacture, processing, importation and distribution of asbestos-containing products.

A Chrysotile Asbestos Taskforce Formed

Such moves are bad news for the asbestos industry in Zimbabwe , which fears the trend might spread to its markets. Apart from the potential loss of crucial foreign exchange earnings, jobs would also be on the line. The country's two asbestos mines employ 7,000 people directly. Another 120,000 people work in downstream industries.

Given such stakes, the Zimbabwe asbestos industry has been at pains to explain that it only produces white asbestos, which it says is no health hazard if handled correctly.

This effort has been supported by the government which, four years ago, set up a National Chrysotile Asbestos Taskforce to make the case for white asbestos.

The taskforce's deputy chairman is Phil Whitehead. He says there is ample evidence to prove that white asbestos, unlike its two shorter-grained cousins – crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos) - is not harmful to health if produced and manufactured under responsible conditions and when its use is strictly controlled.

Blue and brown asbestos were mined mainly in South Africa and Australia . But production has since ceased owing to adverse health effects.

“Certainly there is a lot of disinformation from the first world on our particular kind of asbestos,” Whitehead says, adding, “And we need to balance that up with scientific information, again from the First World , that supports our industry.”

Zimbabwe's Chrysotile is Pure and Rare

From the top: chrysotile, amosite and crocidolite

The industry in Zimbabwe argues that the crusade to ban asbestos has failed to make a distinction between the dangerous blue and brown types and the relatively safe and widely-used white asbestos whose health risks are miniscule and barely measurable.

Furthermore, the industry states that questions about the safety of asbestos suffer from inherent bias: that they are not based on current (and much improved) standards of asbestos manufacturing, but on those of 30 to 50 years ago, the effects of which are being felt only now.

Rabelan Baloyi, an environmental and occupational health specialist who is also a member of the asbestos industry taskforce, says there is still a risk from over-exposure to all types of asbestos.

But he says Zimbabwean chrysotile asbestos has been shown to be a pure and rare variety unlike Canada 's which, for instance, is contaminated with another type of asbestos, trimolite.

According to Baloyi, cases of mesothelioma in Zimbabwe have only been detected in people exposed to a mixture of chrysotile and crocidolite. These have mainly been in people working for the railways. Zimbabwe used to import crocidolite, which was also the material of choice for mattresses of steam engines.

“Chrysotile has been shown experimentally to cause tumors in rats,” Baloyi says. “But is has not been shown to do the same in humans.”

Government Slow to Ratify ILO Convention

Whitehead maintains that the Zimbabwe asbestos industry, which still has reserves that will last another two years at current consumption levels of 175,000 tons a year, has been a success story.

“Asbestos is widely-used more and more around the world,” he says. “Ninety percent of the asbestos fiber that we sell to those 60 countries around the world is used without any risk in asbestos-cement applications.”

Indeed, as demand for asbestos faded in the industrialized world, it has escalated in developing countries. For instance, global sales of asbestos to Asia rose from 661,000 metric tons in 1970 to 1,137,000 metric tons in 1995.

Whitehead points out that the most common products of such asbestos-cement applications are cement roof sheets and pipes. In Zimbabwe itself, about 90 percent of the water pipeline is made of asbestos-cement pipes.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) makes specific statements about the gastro-intestinal risks and those risks are zero coming from the water,” Whitehead says. “There is fiber release from the roof sheets but the amount of fiber released is no different from the amount of fiber that's in the air anywhere.”

Despite such safety assurances, the speed with which the Zimbabwe government has thrown its weight behind white asbestos has been unmatched by its commitment to improving safety standards. Despite signing the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 162 on the safe and controlled use of white asbestos in 1986, it only ratified it in May of this year.

Baloyi says to comply with the convention, the government still lags behind in adopting legislation that will compel the industry to adequately protect workers from exposure as well as guarantee compensation for those already affected, the number of which is a closely-guarded industry secret.

The original topic : online asbestos mesothelioma world

New Mesothelioma Treatment

5 New Mesothelioma Treatment

Entering the 21st century, experts and scientists are working hard to solve the problems behind the disease mesothelioma cancer.

Through the long lab and research eventually resulted in several New Mesothelioma Treatment constantly being developed.

Research focused on developing treatments and finding New Mesothelioma Treatment, new drugs and improves the traditional treatment. This gives great hope for the patient and the patient Mesothelioma.

New Mesothelioma Treatment

There are several New Mesothelioma Treatment produced, Namely:

1. Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is one of New Mesothelioma Treatment, a new treatment model in mesothelioma based on the theory that sebua single-celled organism if exposed to light at certain frequencies will die.

In New Mesothelioma Treatment for drug forosensitif given to patients intravenously and mesothelioma patients and is expected to be the perfect solution to tackle the problem of cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

2. Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a New Mesothelioma Treatment which is sometimes referred to as biological therapy, in New Mesothelioma Treatment depends on the immune system of each patient. In other words, the immune system is the cure for the disease mesothelioma.

In immunotherapy is trying to rejuvenate the immune system of patients and there is also a way of improving the immune system naturally which is a very effective way to combat a variety of other diseases.

Immunotherapy which is a New Mesothelioma Treatment was expected to improve the immune system is damaged. In this immunotherapy using a biological response modifier substance (BRMs).

3. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is a New Mesothelioma Treatment that focuses on increasing local control to cure the disease mesothelioma.

4. Gene therapy
Gene therapy is a New Mesothelioma Treatment a very promising future for the treatment of mesothelioma. Focus of gene therapy in repairing and replacing the abnormal gene that is owned by the patient.

There are two types of gene therapy, ie gene replacement therapy and knockout gene therapy. In the first type of replacement gene therapy, genes mutate and disappear so that the cause of mesothelioma is expected to be replaced. While in the KO gene therapy, genes responsible for the tumor or cancer is removed.

5. Multimodality Therapy
New Mesothelioma Treatment This is some combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Multimodality therapy is still under research and development.
The original topic : online asbestos world

Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma

Symptoms of Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma

Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma Also known as one of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure to used in the industry, but the Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma is relatively less frequent than on other similar cancer with mesothelioma cancer.

Peritoneal Cancer Mesotheliomais nothing more than a quarter of all cases of mesothelioma are often suffered by the workers and industries that use asbestos exposure. Symptoms of Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma sufferers could be felt the first time is abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, and change in your bowel habits.

peritoneal cancer mesothelioma

Diarrhea is more common in Symptoms Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma and sufferers are often also affected by constipation, then there lumps in the stomach tissue to affect body weight in a relatively short time.

There are several treatment options in case of Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma, such as patients undergoing radiotherapy to the requested approval for the operation. And at Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma surgery is used when detected early is often called the unknown disease in the peritonectomy.

But if we look at the results achieved in the operation of Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma is not too good, because the postoperative mortality rate for such cases is still very high.If the cancer is still localized on the origin in the case of the Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma is often to use chemotherapy. Use of anti-cancer drug is an option for this disease from the beginning and end of the stage.

The patient is expected to undergo routine maintenance on a weekly or two times a week, in all depends on the doctor and team of experts who handle cases of Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma and the type of drug used.

When the process completed operations on patients by physicians and a team of disease experts Peritoneal Cancer Mesothelioma, there is one more step that must be implemented patient to prevent the possibility of cancer re-occurred, additional therapy is a procedure that is often used and is known as adjuvant chemotherapy.

The original topic : online asbestos world

Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma

Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma – The Review

Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma

Asbestos is a mineral found naturally in some rocks and soil fibrous, Industry has long been used as building materials for roof shingles, furnace, electrical insulation, fire proofing, heat pipes and in some friction products.

Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma is a disease caused by exposure to asbestos to cause several diseases such as asbestosis and Mesothelioma lung cancer. The workers in industries that utilize natural mineral Asbestos or people who live in industrial areas like this is very implicated in damage to health arising Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma.

The main cause of these workers was once against the Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma has implications for every day, they breathe air which has been the industry polluted by fine particles of asbestos in the air, Transmission can also occur through skin contact.

Serious influence attributable to the Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma

Because of a very significant effect at all on the carcinogenic asbestos particles up to very large effect on the incidence of lung cancer, colon, rectum, esophagus, kidney and the vocal cords caused Mesothelioma entered on the most serious category of diseases related to asbestos.

Recent research suggests that approximately 80% of the Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma is a result of asbestos exposure that occurred in the workplace and the industries that use asbestos industry people who live around it.

Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma is not immediately felt in a short time effect on the body, but slowly until a few years ahead. This occurs because the bias of asbestos particles in the body fall asleep, and when the situation is very grim prognosis of the Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma appear.

But all this is a bit late if just realizing the next few years because of the possibility of disease when diagnosed with Asbestos Disease Mesothelioma may have spread significantly throughout the body.
The original topic : online asbestos world