Fuentes de exposición al asbesto / Asbesto en el ejército de EE. UU.

El asbesto was used in Army vehicles, buildings, barracks, and even helmets and uniforms.

La historia del uso del asbesto se remonta a más de 4500 años cuando se añadía a las ollas y sartenes de barro, las servilletas, la ropa y el arte. En el siglo XX, sus propiedades adhesivas y resistentes al calor, su durabilidad y confiabilidad, convirtieron al asbesto en un aditivo de referencia en una variedad de industrias.

Se utilizó en componentes automotrices como frenos, válvulas y juntas, prendas protectoras como guantes, mantas ignífugas y delantales, y materiales de construcción como yeso, cemento, ladrillos y baldosas. El “mineral milagroso” también se usó en materiales de arte, como hilo, pintura y cinta adhesiva, en joyería y en maquillaje.

The United States has not banned all asbesto productos.

El asbesto cement makes up about 70% of asbesto products still used.

Hoy, más de 50 países han emitido una prohibición total del asbesto, but the United States is not one of them. Currently, there is no known level of exposición considered to be “safe,” but, rather, the government decides the level of risk based on the possibility of particles becoming airborne or being ingested in food or water. The fibrous material lingers in the multitude of products it was added to before it became a known carcinogen, and it is still added to asphalt shingles, cement, and is prevalent in the water supplies of those residing near mines. El asbesto is even still present in items used by the ejército de los Estados Unidos.

Historia del ejército de los Estados Unidos

El Ejército de los EE. UU. liberó las colonias durante la Guerra Revolucionaria y ha estado luchando desde entonces.

El El asbesto Revolution

La Revolución Industrial condujo a un aumento en el uso de asbesto in North America, and especially in the U.S. It was found everywhere, in homes to schools, places of work and industrial buildings. In fact, in the year 1973 raw asbesto consumption reached peak use in the US at 803,000 tons.

It was also in the ‘70s that the health risks of asbesto use were finally becoming public knowledge.

Sin embargo, asbesto would continue to be prevalent in many industries for another decade.

Se cree que el primer caso informado de asbestosis en los EE. UU. fue en 1933 when an American insulation worker fell ill. (There were earlier cases reported in other areas of the world.) He was first misdiagnosed with tuberculosis, a common misdiagnosis for asbesto-related illness at the time.

Journal of the American Medical Association recognizes asbesto as an occupational carcinogen.

No fue sino hasta 1949 que la revista de la Asociación Médica Estadounidense reconoció la asbestosis como una causa de cáncer ocupacional y ambiental. A pesar de este reconocimiento, el uso no disminuyó durante años.

During the height of asbesto use, many asbesto products and materials were used by the U.S. Army.

• Millions of soldiers were exposed to asbesto products and materials while in service.
• Many vets are only now showing symptoms of their asbesto-related illnesses.

Between the 1930s and the early 1980s, the Army depended on asbesto to build their bases, unknowingly subjecting soldiers to the carcinógeno. Like most consumers at the time, those in the Army were largely unaware of the hazards of asbesto use – and manufacturers concealed the health risks involved for years.

En ese momento, se creía que era un "mineral milagroso" debido a sus notables propiedades resistentes al calor y al fuego, y su extrema durabilidad. Por lo tanto, aquellos que estaban al tanto de los peligros potenciales para la salud a menudo miraban hacia otro lado, creyendo que las ventajas del uso superaban las desventajas.

El asbesto was present in Army barracks and bases, including in:

Aquellos que vivían en la base antes de mediados de la década de 1980 probablemente entraron en contacto directo con los asbesto products on a regular basis.

The largest bases that contained asbesto were:

• Fort Bragg, frontera de Tennessee y Kentucky
• Fort Hood, Texas
• Fort Benning, Georgia.
• Fort Lewis, Washington.
• Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Hay docenas de bases militares adicionales en todo el país que quedaron expuestas.

La exposición al asbesto while serving in the army overseas:

There were also military bases and shipyards overseas where army service members were exposed to asbesto:

• Alemania
• Japón
• Italia
• Kuwait
• Kosovo
• Corea del Sur

El asbesto in Vehicles and Weapons

Como la mayoría de los edificios industriales, las instalaciones de fabricación de armas contienen cantidades significativas de asbesto.

Again, for decades, it was preferred for its heat resistance as well as its resistance to chemical corrosion and electricity and the ease at which it can be combined with other materials to strengthen them. For this reason, a multitude of manufactured goods contain asbesto, incluida la armas y municiones.

Cartuchos de escopeta

Shotgun shell wadding uses a combination of asbesto and wood fibers to prevent explosions while the shells are still present inside the guns. During World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, the United States Army issued cloth mitts to their machine gun handlers. The mitts were also used by other Army personnel, including those who handled extremely hot mortars or other artillery pieces.

El asbesto Mittens

El asbesto mittens were used with artillery and other mechanics with high temperatures.

Vehículos y Piezas Mecánicas

It isn’t just weapons and protective gear that expose those serving in the U.S. Army to asbesto. Even vehicle parts used in combat contain the deadly fiber. El asbesto has a long history of being used in these parts because it can withstand friction and high temperatures. This is true particularly for cars manufactured before the 1990s. It wasn’t until 1987 that vehicle manufacturers stopped using asbesto in brakes. It is even used today on replacement brakes, gaskets, and clutches.

On older model vehicles, including those in the military, it’s not uncommon for asbesto to be present. It may reside in all of the following:

• Pastillas de freno
• Forros de freno
• Discos de embrague
• Piezas de transmisión
• Juntas
• Anillos de válvula
• Forros de capó
• Material de aislamiento
• Fibra de vidrio
• Trabajo de carrocería de plástico

Fireproofing Ships with El asbesto During WWII

Los barcos y otras embarcaciones militares también contienen asbesto.

El mineral tiene baja conductividad eléctrica, es insoluble en agua y es resistente al calor. Estas características hacen que muchas ramas de las fuerzas armadas de los Estados Unidos, incluido el Ejército, la Marina, y Fuerza Aérea, to use asbesto at an unprecedented scale. El asbesto was also used on airplanes made before the year 1980.

U.S. Army Servicemembers who traveled on ships before the 1980s may have been exposed to asbesto on the vessel.

• Boiler rooms, sometimes called ‘fire rooms,’ on military ships during World War II were known to have asbesto in their pipes and in the pipe insulation. The equipment inside, including the boilers and turbines, also required asbesto insulation to power the ships.
• The high-powered industrial pumps that resided in the ‘pump rooms’ used asbesto in gaskets and valves to properly function. Engine rooms on these ships, which were responsible for sending steam to power the vessels, required the equipment to be covered in asbesto insulation.
• The engine rooms and boiler rooms were often very small and poorly ventilated, increasing the risk of exposición. And the sailors weren’t even safe in their own bunkrooms from exposición al asbesto. 
• El mamparos in the cabins which were meant to ensure they were safe in their sleeping quarters also contained asbesto.
• The body of these ships, called the ‘hulls,’ were watertight and fireproof due to asbesto.

Additional areas of the ships that may have contained asbesto más comunes incluyen:

• Salas de navegación.
• Comedores (donde comían los marineros).
• Galeras o cocinas.
• Cableado eléctrico en el buque.

Opciones para veteranos

The people most at risk for exposición al asbesto in Army barracks include, but are not limited to:

• Carpinteros
• Personal de artillería
• Electricistas
• Pintores
• Maestros de drywall
• Trabajadores de la construcción
• Filtros para tubería
• Personal del equipo de mantenimiento
• Mecánica de equipos pesados ​​y livianos
• Trabajadores de demoliciones y reformas
• Constructores de molinos
• Bomberos
• Caldereros y licitadores de hornos
• Aisladores
• Mecánicos
• Fontaneros

Secondary Asbestos exposure by the families of Marine Veterans.

Like second-hand smoke, even loved ones and family members of Army soldiers may suffer from asbesto-related conditions from second-hand exposición. The fibers can be carried home on clothing, on firearms and on other essentials used by service members.

Veterans with asbesto-related health problems can seek compensation.

Los veteranos que sufren o han sufrido asbestosis, mesotelioma o cáncer de pulmón tienen presuntamente derecho a beneficios por discapacidad.
Otras condiciones de salud en la lista presuntiva incluyen:

• Cáncer de bronquios
• Cáncer de faringe
• Cáncer de laringe
• Placas pleurales
• Cáncer del tracto gastrointestinal (GI)
• Cáncer urogenital
• Fibrosis pulmonar intersticial
• Derrame pleural

Shortly after the discontinuation of ships constructed with asbesto, the United States Navy formed the El asbesto Medical Surveillance Program (AMSP). Cualquiera que haya estado expuesto a un barco de la Marina ship containing asbesto, even civilians, can apply for AMSP treatment.

El asbesto has a long latency. After exposición, symptoms take 20-50 years to appear.

El asbesto-related health issues can take 20-50 years to manifest, and by then treatment options may be less beneficial. In order to ensure the most successful treatment possible, anyone exposed should go on record with the AMSP to catch diseases before they progress.

Veterans are eligible for Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits after a mesothelioma or other asbesto-related diagnosis from the Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos. También pueden acceder a la atención médica a través del VA y obtener beneficios para sus seres queridos. Incluso se pueden cubrir gastos diarios, como comestibles.

Los veteranos con mesotelioma a menudo reciben más de $3,000 en beneficios al mes. According to the VA, to receive benefits, veterans must be diagnosed with an asbesto-related condition, prove that their ailment is related to their Army service, and not have a history of being dishonorably discharged.

For further compensation, veterans can file legal claims or asbesto fiduciarios fund claims. El asbesto manufacturing companies are legally obligated to financially compensate for the damage they’ve caused. If bankruptcy is a concern, asbesto trust fund claims ensure that veterans will receive compensation from bankrupt businesses.

Compensación para los veteranos del ejército de EE. UU. de la nueva legislación Burn-Pit

El 3 de marzo de 2022, la Cámara de Representantes de los Estados Unidos aprobó la Ley de Promesa para Abordar los Tóxicos Integrales (PACT). Con la nueva legislación vigente, los veteranos militares son elegibles para compensación y tratamiento gratuito de las condiciones de salud que se desarrollaron como resultado de su tiempo en el servicio.

Pero incluso con la legislación ‘Burn Pit’ que se aprobó recientemente, incluidos los beneficios de VA por la exposición to toxic substances from the pits (including asbesto), the price of medical care has skyrocketed. Fortunately, many veterans qualify for other reclamos incluyen asbesto bankruptcy trusts which usually can provide compensation without the need to file a lawsuit.

En el Ejército de los Estados Unidos, hay siete principios básicos que siguen los que están en el servicio: lealtad, deber, respeto, servicio desinteresado, honor, integridad y coraje personal. La servidumbre que estos soldados ofrecen a su país es inigualable.

El asbesto-related illnesses may only appear years after Army service.

However, many return home with various conditions and disabilities, including asbesto-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma (which typically develop years after they make it home). American veterans make up for 33% of all mesothelioma cases due to the level at which soldiers were regularly exposed to asbesto, and the majority of asbesto-related diseases can often be debilitating, disabling and even life-ending.

Si bien ningún monto de compensación financiera revertirá el sufrimiento que causan estas condiciones, existen opciones para que los soldados y veteranos responsabilicen a las partes responsables, y las opciones de tratamiento a través de programas gubernamentales se están expandiendo.

National Cancer Institute (NIH), El asbesto Fact Sheet.

A. Sotolongo , M. Falvo , S. Santos , I. Johnson , M. Arjomandi , S. Hines , S. Krefft , and J. Osterholzer. “Military Burn Pits.” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 201(7), pp. P13–P14.

Kara Franke & Dennis Paustenbach (2011) Government and Navy knowledge regarding health hazards of asbesto: A state of the science evaluation (1900 to 1970), Inhalation Toxicology, 23:sup3, 1-20, DOI:10.3109/08958378.2011.643417

Lemen RA, Landrigan PJ. Sailors and the Risk of El asbesto-Related Cancer. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 9;18(16):8417. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168417. Erratum in: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 02;18(21): PMID: 34444165; PMCID: PMC8394725.