Thirty-Six-Year-Old Man Believes He Contracted Mesothelioma from A Bunsen Burner Mat
The official policy of successive governments has been to leave asbestos undisturbed. Provided it isn’t shedding fibres and painted over, it is still commonly believed to be ‘stable.’ Despite this, campaigners are desperately urging governments to abandon this policy and take the urgent action required.
Given that many schools and other public buildings that were initially erected with asbestos insulation are now aged and commonly in varying degrees of disrepair, this policy is no longer believed to be in the best interest of public safety.
The result of asbestos exposure is oftentimes a disease called Mesothelioma, a cancer that develops in the mesothelium (the membrane that covers the heart, lungs, and abdomen.
There is currently no known cure, and treatments such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy can only slow the disease’s progress, meaning most die within 18 months of being diagnosed.
Asbestos was banned in 1999, but even today is still found in ceiling tiles, attics, and, in some cases, everyday items such as toasters and ironing boards. As a result of its widespread use in the UK, the country now has the highest mesothelioma mortality rate in the world. And the rate at which people are being diagnosed is increasing.
In a recent article for the Daily Mail, a thirty-six-year-old transport manager from Bradford spoke to the newspaper to explain that just months prior to his devasting diagnosis, he was participating in charity bike rides and playing rugby.
Unexpectedly, the young man started experiencing a loss of appetite, followed by stomach pain.
After being sent to A&E by his GP, doctors proceeded to drain nine litres of fluid from his stomach. Following a biopsy, doctors diagnosed him with peritoneal mesothelioma (mesothelioma in the abdominal lining).
On speaking about the suspected cause of his cancer, the thirty-six-year-old wrote, “one theory is that asbestos was in the ceiling tiles in my school or in the mats we used with Bunsen burners in science lessons.”
Speaking to a sixty-three-year-old who believes to have contracted the disease whilst working as a receptionist at age sixteen, the retired schoolteacher said, “I’m dying because of where I worked and it makes me so angry.”
“I was only at the company for 18 months, but it seems to have signed my death warrant.” After developing a dry cough back in 2021, her GP initially suspected long Covid. However, a CT scan a week later and a biopsy revealed the cause to be mesothelioma.
For further information on the disease, go to: https://www.mesothelioma.uk.com/
Source: here.
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