Danger of ‘asbestos’ after earthquake – Health news
Asbestos ie white soil; It is a flexible, fibrous mineral that is highly resistant to heat, abrasion and chemicals. Because of this structure, asbestos is used for insulation and sealing purposes in many industrial areas, such as ships, automobiles and construction, until its industrial use is banned, explains chest disease specialist Dr. Başak Burgazlıoğlu said: “Asbestos, ‘white earth’, has traditionally been widely used in rural areas for gypsum, heat and water insulation of roofs and insulation of furnaces.
You can be exposed to asbestos as a result of breathing in airborne asbestos fibers due to the loss of plaster in the home and the deterioration of the plaster or roof integrity due to natural events outside the home. Asbestos; In the textile, sheet and pipe production, building materials industry, paint putty, filling materials, synthetic resin molding materials, thermoplastics, rubber products, insulation industry such as heat, noise and fire control, shipbuilding and vehicle construction, brake, clutch, lining systems used in the paper industry. While illnesses associated with short-term exposure to asbestos have been reported, it usually takes many years for asbestos-related illnesses to appear. This period varies from 10 to 50 after exposure. When inhaled, the most commonly affected organ is the lung, and it can accumulate in the membrane of the lung and cause calcification and cancer over the years.
Burgazlıoğlu stated that during the demolition of buildings with the earthquake disaster, asbestos was released into the environment along with many chemicals that pollute the air we breathe through debris and excavations. Due to the insufficient mapping of asbestos of the buildings and the inadequacy of the archives of the areas where asbestos is used, the determination of the buildings at risk cannot be made, the asbestos load created during the earthquake and subsequent demolition is not exactly known. Access to rubble, demolition and waste areas should be restricted. , the environment should be kept wet during transportation and cutting. Again, dust should not be collected on surfaces contaminated with asbestos, they should not be swept, they should be cleaned by wet methods. Because these methods cause asbestos to mix in the air.” he spoke.