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Unbeknownst to many, teachers in the Unites States often deal with mesothelioma and other medical complications that come with asbestos exposure during their educational careers. A 1984 study conducted by a non-profit organization, known as the Environmental Working Group, found at least 35,000 schools throughout the United States contained asbestos. The 31 year old study was ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amidst concern that exposure to asbestos – a highly toxic carcinogen that was used in the construction of buildings until the middle of the 1970’s – was high amongst teachers, faculty and students, as half of the schools in the United States were built during a time where asbestos was used the most frequently.
There have been no additional tests or studies performed on the federal level regarding school buildings and asbestos since the original test in 1984. The federal government has left the removal of asbestos to the states and school districts where the schools are located. Due to the lack of a national program and the absence of any federal tests in the last three decades, removal of asbestos has not occurred rapidly.
A 1991 study published by the New York Academy of Sciences reports that the low response time by governments in removing asbestos located in U.S. schools has already done its damage. According to the study, many teachers have fallen victim to asbestos-related diseases where their only exposure to asbestos was at work. The study also found incidents where teachers’ lunchrooms had been placed close to boiler rooms where asbestos had been used as insulation. Ceiling tiles and floor tiles in school buildings also contained the deadly toxin.
Mesothelioma is a disease with an unusually long latency period, meaning that the illness lies dormant in a person’s body for a period of many years until symptoms of the disease begin to appear. For those exposed to asbestos, mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases are not diagnosed until decades after a person has been exposed. This means that other people continue to be exposed to the asbestos until someone notices a pattern. Reports of schools and other buildings being shut down because of the presence of asbestos are common, but this news will be too little too late for many dedicated teachers who have unknowingly spent many years exposed to asbestos.
If you, a loved one or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related illness, contact our team of Philadelphia asbestos lawyers at Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler right now. Our seasoned team of Philadelphia mesothelioma lawyers have helped countless clients recover the compensation they deserved for their injuries. Call us today at 800-369-0899 or submit an online inquiry to schedule a review of your case with one of our experienced lawyers.