Asbestos was a popular product for an entire century since the 1880s. This man-made material is loved for its heat resistant properties, commonly used for insulation. If a building was built before the mid-twentieth century, it almost certainly contains asbestos in its lining. The issue is that when this material turns into dust, it can be inhaled, causing myriad healthy issues including cancers, such as Mesothelioma, and its own “personalized” disease called Asbestosis.
How does asbestos turn to dust? In two ways: as it ages and when it is disrupted. During the construction or remodeling of an asbestos-containing building, asbestos fibers are inevitably released into the air and inhaled by many of the people inside. These tiny fibers are no joke, which is why asbestos has been banned for over 50 years.
Unfortunately, while it has been banned from proactive use, it has not been banned from all of the existing buildings containing it. This means that if a building was made before asbestos was banned and has this deadly material in it , it legally does not have to have it removed until it becomes a noticeable threat. Isn’t that a bit silly considering that at that point it may already be too late? Yes, but building administrators don’t seem to care about that.
And these aren’t just any buildings, these are often school buildings. It is not uncommon for school buildings to be over half a century old. Funding for remodeling is often sparse and if it ain’t broke, they probably won’t fix it. So what does this mean for all of our students and teachers that pile into these buildings 5 days a week? It means they may be learning and teaching in a contaminated zone. Schools have done the utmost to make their buildings safe against the threat of COVID-19. Social distancing, masking, and even distance learning have been put in place. So why should they go on ignoring the also extremely dangerous threat of asbestos? We don’t know. Especially considering the fact that teachers are shown to have twice the average mortality rate, as do other professionals that work in old buildings like electricians and mechanics.
It is a terrible reality that school boards are not being transparent about the asbestos risks in their buildings, often even hiding health reports made by staff or students. What amplifies the problem is the public’s lack of knowledge on this issue. Asbestos is a very undiscussed topic in the realm of public health. The word itself has never even been heard by many. That is why, in our efforts to keep schools safe in this pandemic, we should not stop at masking and social distancing. Rather, we should use this public health crisis to inform on other lethal ones like it. When asbestos fibers are released in a school, severe health ramifications will show up in some of its inhabitants, albeit decades later.
Don’t only stop the spread, let’s tackle the fibers too.
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