The history of miners in the United States has been one of productive work that supplies our economy with crucial raw materials. Unfortunately, mining is an occupation that poses serious dangers to workers, including the risk of asbestos exposure . Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been linked in recent decades to serious illness such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Before Asbestos Regulations

There are currently some 14,000 active mines in the U.S. Before the 1980s, when the uses of asbestos were finally heavily regulated and limited by the federal government, U.S. mines may have been the source of toxic levels of exposure to asbestos. The mining of asbestos itself was especially dangerous, but miners in other kinds of mines have also been at risk of asbestos exposure because of the widespread use of asbestos in mining machinery.

Asbestos Fibers in the Air

The danger lies in the nature of asbestos. When this fibrous mineral is mined, manipulated, disturbed or deteriorating, its fibers are released into the air, where they can float for hours or days; the fibers are invisible to the naked eye, and may only noticed only when there is a significant cloud of asbestos dust.

Mesothelioma, a Fatal Cancer

Mesothelioma, a deadly and incurable cancer, begins when asbestos fibers are inhaled. Many miners inhaled asbestos fibers on a regular basis as part of their workday. The fibers lodged themselves in the miners' lungs or other internal organs, and the toxic fibers initiated the disease process that results in mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium, a membrane that lines the inside of the chest).

Decades After the Asbestos Exposure

The "incubation" time for mesothelioma is decades. The symptoms don't show up until about 10 to 50 years after the start of the asbestos exposure.

Since the 1970s, thousands of new cases of mesothelioma have been documented in the U.S., among miners and employees in other industries with high levels of asbestos exposure. Many of the miners who now have mesothelioma began their work in the 1940s, for example.

Learn More about Mesothelioma

To learn more about the mesothelioma resources available to you, contact us online today. The miners who have brought so much to our economy should not be spending the latter years of their lives struggling with asbestos-caused diseases.