Asbestos has not been produced in the United States for decades, and while it is still being imported in small quantities, the real danger lies in the asbestos that fills many of the older buildings in Boston and the rest of the nation.
According to a recent news article from the Boston Herald, the current presidential administration is attempting to step back from the mandated review of asbestos and other toxic chemicals that was established by U.S. Congress and the Obama administration. This includes a review of the dangers posed by what is estimated at millions of tons of asbestos in buildings across the county.
When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can become trapped in a layer of tissue called the mesothelium that serves as a protective membrane from most of the internal organs in the human body. Once these fibers become trapped, they can metastasize into the deadly form of cancer known as mesothelioma. Continue reading