From E.J. Dionne in today's Washington Post, brought to my attention by a friend:
"What the Republicans need is 50 Jack Abramoffs," his friend Grover Norquist told National Journal in 1995. "Then this becomes a different town."
I would add a comment on this, but it's just too easy. Creative suggestions welcomed.
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I thought the Republicans already had 50 lobbyists like him.
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For Sale:Nokia N95 /8800/
Dear Customer,
We are independent/ Major Marketers of all New brands/models of GSM and
mobile phones,leading broker in the G.S.M phones.Unlocked,Sim-free with all accesories intact made in Finland
Brand New Nokia N95 == 250 euro
Brand New Nokia N93 == 230 euro
Brand New Nokia N90 == 220 euro
Brand New Nokia 8800 ==210 euro
Brand New Nokia N92 == 205 euro
Brand New Nokia N91 == 230 euro
Brand New Nokia E65 ==175 euro
samsung SGH-i718 ==200 euro
samsung SGH-P318 ==210 euro
samsung SCH-W579 ==195 euro
samsung SCH-i819 ==190 euro
samsung SGH-i858 ==200 euro
motorola rizr Z8 ==210 euro
apple i phone ==170 euro
sony ericsson K818c==210 euro
sony ericsson P990i==230 euro
sony ericsson w958c==210 euro
Thanks,
valentin Chib
Sales Manager.
Email:vanek426@hotmail.com
For Sale:Nokia N95 /8800
Dear Customer,
We are Major Marketers of all New brands/models of GSM and
mobile phones. a registered leading brokers in the G.S.M phones.Unlocked,Sim-free with all accesories intact made in Finland
Brand New Nokia N95 == 250 euro
Brand New Nokia N93 == 230 euro
Brand New Nokia N90 == 220 euro
Brand New Nokia 8800 ==210 euro
Brand New Nokia N92 == 205 euro
Brand New Nokia N91 == 230 euro
Brand New Nokia E65 ==175 euro
samsung SGH-i718 ==200 euro
samsung SGH-P318 ==210 euro
samsung SCH-W579 ==195 euro
samsung SCH-i819 ==190 euro
samsung SGH-i858 ==200 euro
motorola rizr Z8 ==210 euro
apple i phone == 170 euro
sony ericsson K818c==210 euro
sony ericsson P990i==230 euro
sony ericsson w958c==210 euro
Thanks,
Sales Manager
Valentin Chib
mailto:excel@thelion.com,
email:excel_electronics@uymail.com
Hello Buyers
I am vcexcelscommunication, a registered brokers in the mobile phones/ G.S.M markets.
Brand New Nokia N95 == 250 US
Brand New Nokia N93 == 220 US
Brand New Nokia N90 == 210 US
Brand New Nokia 8800 ==200 US
Brand New Nokia N92 == 200 US
Brand New Nokia N91 == 210 US
Brand New Nokia E65 ==175 US
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Thanks
Vcexcels communication
Email:vcexcels@salesperson.net
mailto:vcexcels@hotmail.com
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EMAIL: dreamstelemobile@lycos.com
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EMAIL: dreamsatelemobile3@excite.co.uk
EMAIL: dreamsatelemobile4@excite.co.uk
MSN CHAT: dreamstelemobile2007@hotmail.com
NOTE: WE GIVE 10% DISCOUNT FOR ALL ORDER WITHIN 5-10 UNITS.FOR EVERY 5 UNITS OF EVERY PRODUCT PURCHASED FROM US YOU GET 2 OF THAT SAME PRODUCTS FREE.AND ALL ORDERS ABOVE 10 UNITS GET 4 FREE PLUS FREE SHIPPING.
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A payday loan or paycheck advance is a small, short-term loan that is intended to cover a borrower's expenses until his or her next payday. Typical loans are between $100 and $1500, on a two-week term and have interest rates in the range of 390 percent to 900 percent (annualized). The loans are also sometimes referred to as cash advances, though that term can also refer to cash provided against a prearranged line of credit such as a credit card.
Though payday lending is primarily regulated at the state level, the United States Congress passed a law in October 2006 that caps lending to military personnel at 36% APR. The Defense Department called payday lending practices "predatory," and military officers cited concerns that payday lending exacerbated soldiers' financial challenges, jeopardized security clearances, and even interfered with deployment schedules to Iraq.
Some federal banking regulators and legislators seek to restrict or prohibit the loans not just for military personnel, but for all borrowers [citation needed, because the high costs are viewed as an unnecessary financial drain on the lower and lower-middle class populations who are the primary borrowers.
Lenders say these loans are often the only option available to consumers with bad credit or who cannot get a bank loan, credit card, or other lower-interest alternatives. Critics counter most borrowers find themselves in a worse position when the loan is due than they were when they took the loan, with many getting trapped in a cycle of debt.
The industry's fast-paced growth indicates a highly profitable business model. Statistics compiled by the Center for Responsible Lending show that the majority of the industry's profit comes from repeat borrowers who are unable to repay loans on the due date and instead repeatedly renew their loans, paying fees each time
Borrowers visit a payday lending store and secure a small cash loan, usually in the range of $100 to $500 with payment in full due at the borrower's next paycheck (usually a two week term). Finance charges on payday loans are typically in the range of $15 to $30 per $100 borrowed for the two-week period, which translates to rates ranging from 390 percent to 780 percent when expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR). The borrower writes a post-dated check to the lender in the full amount of the loan plus fees. On the maturity date, the borrower is expected to return to the store to repay the loan in person. If the borrower doesn't repay the loan in person, the lender may process the check traditionally or through electronic withdrawal from the borrower's checking account.
If the account is short on funds to cover the check, the borrower may now face a bounced check fee from their bank in addition to the costs of the loan, and the loan may incur additional fees and/or an increased interest rate as a result of the failure to pay. For customers who cannot pay back the loan when due, members of the national trade association are required to offer an extended payment plan at no additional cost. In states like Washington, extended payment plans are required by state law.
Payday lenders require the borrower to bring one or more recent pay stubs to prove that they have a steady source of income. They are also required to provide recent bank statements. Individual companies and franchises have their own underwriting criteria.
Online payday loans are marketed through e-mail, online search, paid ads, and referrals. Typically, a consumer fills out an online application form or faxes a completed application that requests personal information, bank account numbers, Social Security number and employer information. Borrowers fax copies of a check, a recent bank statement, and signed paperwork. The loan is direct deposited into the consumer's checking account and loan payment or the finance charge is electronically withdrawn on the borrower's next payday.
For example, a borrower seeking a payday loan may write a post-dated personal check for $460 to borrow $400 for up to 14 days. The payday lender agrees to hold the check until the borrower's next payday. At that time, the borrower has the option to redeem the check by paying $460 in cash, or renew the loan ( a.k.a. "flip the loan") by paying off the $460 and then immediately taking an additional loan of $400, in effect extending the loan for another two weeks. In many states, "flipping" or "rolling over" the loan is not allowed. In states where there is an extended payment plan, the borrower could choose to opt into a payment plan. If the borrower does not refinance the loan, the lender may deposit the check. In this example, the cost of the initial loan is a $60 finance charge, or 390% percent APR.
When the Consumer Federation of America conducted a survey of 100 internet payday loan sites, it found loans from $200 to $2,500 were available, with $500 the most frequently offered. Finance charges ranged from $10 per $100 up to $30 per $100 borrowed. The most frequent rate was $25 per $100, or 650% annual interest rate (APR) if the loan is repaid in two weeks.
Regulation of lending institutions is handled primarily by individual states, and this growing industry exists atop an active and shifting legal landscape. Lenders lobby to enable payday lending practices, while opponents of the industry lobby to prohibit the high cost loans in the name of consumer protection.
Payday lending is legal and regulated in 37 states. In Georgia and 12 other states, it is either illegal or not feasible, given state law.When not explicitly banned, laws that prohibit payday lending are usually in the form of usury limits: hard interest rate caps calculated strictly by APR.
In the United States, most states have usury laws which forbid interest rates in excess of a certain APR. Payday lenders have succeeded in getting around usury laws in some states by forming relationships with banks chartered in a different state with no usury ceiling (such as South Dakota or Delaware). This practice has been referred to as "Rate exportation", the "agency model" and the "rent-a-bank" model. Under the legal doctrine of rate exportation, established by Marquette Nat. Bank v. First of Omaha Corp. 439 U. 299 (1978), the loan is governed by the laws of the state the bank is chartered in. This is the same doctrine that allows credit card issuers based in South Dakota and Delaware — states that abolished their usury laws — to offer credit cards nationwide.As federal banking regulators became aware of this practice, they began prohibiting these partnerships between commercial banks and payday lenders. The FDIC still allows its member banks to participate in payday lending, but it did issue guidelines in March 2005 that are meant to discourage long term debt cycles by transitioning to a longer term loan after 6 payday loan renewals.
For usury laws to be effective, they need to include all loan fees as part of the interest. Otherwise, lenders can charge any amount they want as fees and still claim a low interest rate.
Some states have laws limiting the number of loans a borrower can take at a single time. Some states also cap the number of loans per borrower per year, or require that after a fixed number of loan-renewals, the lender must offer a lower interest loan with a longer term, so that the borrower can eventually get out of the debt cycle. Borrowers often circumvent these laws by taking loans from more than one lender.
On March 1, 2006, the North Carolina Department of Justice announced the state had negotiated agreements with all the payday lenders operating in the state. The state contended that the practice of funding payday loans through banks chartered in other states illegally circumvents North Carolina law. Under the terms of the agreements, the lenders will stop making new loans, will collect only principal on existing loans and will pay $700,000 to non-profit organizations for relief.
Georgia law prohibited payday lending for more than 100 years, but the state was not successful in shutting the industry down until the 2004 legislation made payday lending a felony, allowed for racketeering charges and permitted potentially costly class-action lawsuits.
New Mexico will cap fees, restrict total loans by a consumer and prohibit immediate loan rollovers, in which a consumer takes out a new loan to pay off a previous loan, under a new law that takes effect November 1, 2007. A borrower who is unable to repay a loan will automatically be offered a 130-day payment plan, with no fees or interest. Once a loan is repaid, under the new law, the borrower must wait 10 days before obtaining another payday loan. The law will allow the term of a loan to run from 14 to 35 days, with the fees capped at $15.50 for each $100 borrowed. There also will be a 50-cent administrative fee to cover costs of lenders verifying whether a borrower qualifies for the loan, such as determining whether the consumer is still paying off a previous loan. A borrower's cumulative payday loans could not exceed 25 percent of the individual's gross monthly income.
According to the Canadian Criminal Code, any rate of interest charged above 60% per annum is considered criminal. On August 14, 2006 the Supreme oBritishColumbiassued its decision in a class action lawsuit against A OK Payday Loans. A OK charged its customers 21% interest, as well as a "processing" fee of C$9.50 for every $50.00 borrowed. In addition a "deferral" fee of $25.00 for every $100.00 was charged if a customer wanted to delay payment. The judge ruled that the processing and deferral fees were interest, and that A OK was charging its customers a criminal rate of interest. The payout as a result of this decision is expected to be several million dollars The British Columbia Court of Appeal unanimously affirmed this decision. Federal legislation passed in the spring of 2007 transferred regulatory authority on payday loans to the provinces.
Payday lending is a controversial practice and faces both legal battles and public perception challenges in nearly every state.
Critics blame payday lenders for exploiting people's financial hardship for profit. Lenders target the young and the poor, particularly those near military bases and in low-income communities. Borrowers may not understand that the high interest rates are likely to trap them in a "debt-cycle," where they have to repeatedly renew the loan and pay associated fees every two weeks until they can finally save enough to pay off the principal and get out of debt. Critics point out that payday lending unfairly disadvantages the poor, compared to the middle class who pay at most 25% or so on their credit cards.
However, supporters argue that some individuals that require the use of payday loans have already exhausted or ruined any other alternatives. They may not be able to obtain a credit card, or rely on secondary sources (such as loans from friends and family members)
By law, a payday lender can use only the same industry standard collection practices used to collect other debts.
In many cases, the borrower has written a post-dated check to the lender; if the borrower defaults, then this check will bounce. Some payday lenders have therefore threatened delinquent borrowers with criminal prosecution, for check fraud. This practice is illegal in many jurisdictions and has resulted in regulatory action.
Defenders of the higher interest rates say processing costs for payday loans do not differ much from other loans, including home mortgages. They argue that conventional interest rates for lower dollar amounts and shorter terms would not be profitable. For example, a $100 one-week loan, at a 20% APR (compounded weekly) would generate only 38 cents of interest, which would fail to match loan processing costs.
Critics say payday lenders' processing costs are significantly lower than costs for mortgages and other traditional loans. Payday lenders usually look at recent pay-stubs, whereas larger-loan lenders do full credit checks and making a determination about the borrower's ability to pay back the loan.
A study by the FDIC Center for Financial Research found "operating costs lie in the range of advance fees" collected and that, after subtracting fixed operating costs and "unusually high rate of default losses," payday loans "may not necessarily yield extraordinary profits." Based on the annual reports of publicly traded payday loan companies, loan losses can average 15% or more of loan revenue. Underwriters of payday loans must also deal with people presenting fraudulent checks as security or making stop payments.
Critics concede that some borrowers may default on the loans, but point to the industry's pace of growth as an indication of its profitability. Consumer advocates condemn the practice as a whole, regardless of its profitability, because it "takes advantage of consumers who are already hard-pressed to pay their debts".
Proponents claim that cash advance loans provide a service that is not available from other sources. Many credit unions have attempted to offer similar products, but have been unable to do so without government subsidies or grants, a fact that many lenders and reports have highlighted. Furthermore, most of these programs offered by credit unions have ended due to the high default rates of lenders.
A staff report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York concluded that payday loans should not be categorized as "predatory" since they may improve household welfare. "Defining and Detecting Predatory Lending" reports "if payday lenders raise household welfare by relaxing credit constraints, anti-predatory legislation may lower it." The author of the report, Donald P. Morgan, defined predatory lending as "a welfare reducing provision of credit." Results of the report indicated that payday loans may actually do the opposite by improving the welfare of the consumer.
Many believe that payday loans are the only option for consumers with bad credit, but other options do exist and most financial counselors would direct people to explore the alternatives. Other options are available to most payday loan customers.These include credit union loans with lower interest and more stringent terms credit payment plans, paycheck cash advances from employers, bank overdraft protection, cash advances from credit cards, emergency community assistance plans, small consumer loans and direct loans from family or friends.
Payday lenders do not compare their interest rates to those of mainstream lenders. Instead, they compare their fees to the overdraft, late payment and penalty fees that will be incurred if the customer is unable to secure any credit whatsoever.
The lenders therefore list a different set of alternatives (costs expressed here as APRs for two-week terms):
$100 payday advance with $15 fee = 391% APR;
$100 bounced check with $48 NSF/merchant fees = 1,251% APR;
$100 credit card balance with $26 late fee = 678% APR;
$100 utility bill with $50 late/reconnect fees = 1,304% APR.
A minority of mainstream banks offer advances for customers whose paychecks or other funds are deposited electronically into their accounts. The terms are similar to those of a payday loan; a customer receives a predetermined cash credit available for immediate withdrawal. The amount is deducted, along with a fee, usually about 10 percent of the amount borrowed, when the next direct deposit is posted to the customer's account. After the programs attracted regulatory attention Wells Fargo called its fee "voluntary" and offered to waive it for any reason. It later scaled back the program in several states.
Income tax preparation firms often partner with lenders to offer "refund anticipation loans" to filers. These loans are not technically payday loans (because they are repayable upon receipt of the borrower's income tax refund, not at his next payday), but they have similar credit and cost characteristics. A car title loan is similar to a payday loan, but it is secured by the borrower's car. These loans are available only to borrowers who hold clear title ( i.e., no other loans) to a vehicle. The maximum amount of the loan is some fraction of the resale value of the car. These loans may be available on slightly better terms than an unsecured payday loan, since they are less risky to the lender. If the borrower defaults, then the lender can still recover costs by repossessing and reselling the car
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Asbestos
What Is
Asbestos
?
Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. These minerals, found in soil and rocks in many parts of the world, are made of magnesium, silicon, and other elements. Some asbestos fibers are curly (or "serpentine"). The most common asbestos in industrial use, known as chrysotile, or white asbestos, has curly fibers. Other
Asbestos
fibers are straight and needle-like (or "amphibole"). These include amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite.
Asbestos
fibers are resistant to heat and many chemicals. As a result,
Asbestos
has been used as an insulating material since ancient times. Since the industrial revolution, asbestos was used to insulate factories, schools, homes, and ships, to make automobile brake and clutch parts, roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, cement, and textiles, and hundreds of other products. During the first half of the 1900s, growing evidence demonstrated that asbestos is a health hazard causing scarring of the lungs. In the early 1900s, exposure to
Asbestos
dust in the workplace was not controlled. Beginning in England in the 1930s, steps were taken to protect workers in the
Asbestos
industry by installing ventilation and exhaust systems. However, in the huge shipbuilding effort during World War II, large numbers of workers were exposed to high levels of
Asbestos
As
Asbestos
related cancers became better recognized in the second half of the twentieth century, additional measures were taken to reduce exposure, and exposure standards were established. In addition to more careful handling, there has been a dramatic decrease in the import and use of
Asbestos
since the mid-1960s, and alternative insulating materials have been developed. As a result,
Asbestos
exposure has dropped dramatically in the United States. However, exposure continues in some other countries. And in this country, there is still a potential for exposure from
Asbestos
that remains in place in older buildings, water pipes, and other settings.
How Are People Exposed to
Asbestos
People are exposed to
Asbestos
mainly through inhaling fibers in the air they breathe. This may occur when mining and processing
Asbestos
producing asbestos-containing products, or installing asbestos insulation. It may also occur when older asbestos-containing materials begin to break down. In any of these situations, asbestos fibers tend to create a dust composed of tiny particles that can float in the air. In addition,
Asbestos
can enter the body through ingestion. This may occur when people consume contaminated food or liquids (such as water that flows through
Asbestos
cement pipes). It may also occur when people cough up
Asbestos
they have inhaled, then swallow their saliva.
Many people are exposed to very low levels of naturally occurring
Asbestos
in outdoor air as a result of erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks. The potential for such exposure is higher in areas where rocks have higher asbestos content. After the collapse of the World Trade Center in 2001, there was concern about the presence of
Asbestos
in the dust. Recommendations were made for testing and cleaning of residences in Lower Manhattan to minimize any health risks from such exposures.
However, the people with the heaviest exposure were those who worked in
Asbestos
industries, such as shipbuilding and insulating. Many of these people recall working in thick clouds of
Asbestos
dust, day after day.
Family members of asbestos workers are also potentially exposed to higher levels of
Asbestos
because the fibers are carried home on the workers’ clothing, and can then be inhaled by others in the household. Removing asbestos from homes and other buildings can cause some exposure, although modern
Asbestos
abatement workers are trained to use appropriate protective equipment to minimize exposure.
Exposure to
Asbestos
containing building material is also a concern, particularly in older buildings. If building materials like insulation and ceiling and floor tiles begin to decompose over time,
Asbestos
fibers can be found in indoor air and may pose a threat to human health (EPA). There is no risk to human health if the asbestos is bonded into intact finished products, such as walls and tiles. As long as the material is not damaged or disturbed, for example by drilling or remodeling, there is no way for the fibers to be released into the air and inhaled. Maintenance workers who sweep up and dispose of the
Asbestos
dust or handle damaged asbestos-containing building materials are often exposed to higher levels than other occupants of these buildings.
Asbestos
may be detected in the water supply as well as in the air. It may be released into the water through several sources, such as erosion or natural deposits, corrosion from
Asbestos
cement pipes, and the break down of roofing materials containing asbestos that are then transported into sewers.
Although use of
Asbestos
s has declined in many developed countries, its use continues to present a hazard in other parts of the world. More than 70% of the world’s asbestos production is used in Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Does
Asbestos
Cause Cancer?
Lung Cancer
Inhalation of asbestos fibers has been proven to cause lung cancer. The connection between
Asbestos
exposure and lung cancer was noted as early as 1925, and confirmed by many epidemiologic studies of
Asbestos
exposed workers over the next 70 years. All four main types of commercially used
Asbestos
, chrysotile, amosite, anthophyllite, and mixtures containing crocidolite, are associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. An increase in lung cancer has also been observed after exposure to minerals containing tremolite and actinolite, and to tremolitic material mixed with anthophyllite and small amounts of chrysotile (IARC-Supp 17).
Approximately 1 in 7 people who suffer from asbestosis, a lung disease caused by prolonged high exposure, eventually develops lung cancer. The higher the exposure to
Asbestos
the higher the risk of lung cancer. Smoking acts together with
Asbestos
to greatly increase the risk of lung cancer.; asbestos workers who smoke face a much higher risk than
Asbestos
workers who do not smoke. Evidence suggests that
Asbestos
exposed workers who quit smoking can reduce their risk of developing lung cancer by as much as 50% within 5 years of quitting (NCI).
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the thin membranes lining the abdomen and chest. Mesothelioma is closely linked with
Asbestos
most cases of mesothelioma result from direct occupational a
Asbestos
exposure.
However, mesotheliomas have been observed not only among workers who are occupationally exposed to crocidolite, amosite, and chrysotile, but also among their family members and people living in the neighborhoods surrounding asbestos factories and mines (IARC). It is estimated that one third of the mesothelioma cases in the United States may be due to non-occupational exposure such as these (IARC). Although scientists know that the risk of developing mesothelioma increases with the amount of
Asbestos
exposure, there is no way to measure exactly the minimum amount of
Asbestos
exposure that can lead to mesothelioma. However, mesothelioma is very rare in the general population of the United States.
Unlike lung cancer, mesothelioma risk is not increased among smokers.
Other Types of Cancer
There is evidence that
Asbestos
also causes other types of cancer, although the evidence is not as strong as for lung cancer and mesothelioma. Cancer of the larynx is one such cancer, although it has been difficult to separate the contributory role of
Asbestos
from the strong effect of smoking. Many studies have also found an increase in stomach and colon cancer among workers in the
Asbestos
industry, although this association is still debated.
What Do Epidemiologic Studies Show?
As explained above, much of the evidence about
Asbestos
associated cancers comes from epidemiologic studies.
What Do Animal Studies Show?
Tests on several different species, using several different methods of exposure, have confirmed that
Asbestos
causes cancer in animals. Inhalation exposure of asbestos has been tested in rats, intrapleural administration (injection into the chest cavity) in rats and hamsters; intraperitoneal (injection into the abdominal cavity) injection in mice, rats, and hamsters; and ingestion in rats and hamsters (IARC). All commercial forms of asbestos have produced tumors in animals. The size and shape of the asbestos fibers influence the incidence of tumors; smaller fibers – less than 0.5 micrometers (um) in diameter (1 micrometer, or "micron", is 1 millionth of a meter) – seem more hazardous, perhaps because they are more likely to reach the deepest parts of the lungs (IARC).
A series of lifetime feeding studies have been done to determine if oral exposure to
Asbestos
increases the risk of cancer. These studies reported that short-range (98% of fibers are shorter than 10 um)
Asbestos
fibers did not significantly increase the tumor incidence in rats; however, the incidence of benign tumors of the large intestines in male rats increased when the animals were exposed to intermediate-range (65% of fibers are longer than 10 um)
Asbestos
fibers (EPA).
What Do the Expert Agencies Say?
Based on animal and human evidence like the examples above, expert agencies have evaluated the cancer causing nature of asbestos.
The National Toxicology Program evaluates exposures that may be carcinogenic (cause cancer). Exposures that are thought to be carcinogenic are included in the Reports on Carcinogens, published every 2 years. Each exposure is assigned to 1 of 2 categories: "known to be human carcinogens," and "reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens." The first category includes substances for which human studies (epidemiology studies and/or experimental studies) provide "sufficient evidence" of carcinogenicity in humans. The second category includes substances for which there is limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and/or sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals.
Using this scheme, the National Toxicology Program classifies
Asbestos
as a known human carcinogen.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC also evaluates exposures that may be carcinogenic. IARC classifies exposures into one of four categories:
Group 1 exposures are those "known to be carcinogenic to humans," usually based on "sufficient" human evidence, but sometimes based on "sufficient" evidence in experimental animals and "strong" human evidence.
Group 2 exposures are divided into two categories. Group 2A ("probably carcinogenic to humans") has stronger evidence, and Group 2B ("possibly carcinogenic to humans") has weaker evidence.
Group 3 exposures are not considered classifiable, because available evidence is limited or inadequate.
Group 4 exposures are "probably not carcinogenic to humans," based on evidence suggesting lack of carcinogenicity in humans and in experimental animals.
IARC rated
Asbestos
a known human carcinogen (Group 1).
The Environmental Protection Agency, through its Integrated Risk Information System, uses a classification scheme very similar to that of IARC. It classifies exposures into 1 of 5 categories:
(A) Human carcinogen
(B) Probable human carcinogen
(C) Possible human carcinogen
(D) Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity
(E) Evidence of noncarcinogenicity for humans
EPA classified
Asbestos
as a human carcinogen.
Does
Asbestos
Cause Any Other Health Problems?
The major health problem caused by
Asbestos
exposure, aside from cancer, is asbestosis. This is a scarring (or "fibrotic") disease of the lungs that develops when a person breathes high levels of
Asbestos
over time. The principal symptoms of asbestosis are shortness of breath and cough. Asbestosis is a serious disease that can result in disability or death. It is most commonly found among asbestos workers. Asbestos can also result in scar-like tissue in the membranes around the lung, called pleural thickening, skin lesions like warts, and immunological effects.
What Should I Do if I’ve Been Exposed to
Asbestos
If you have been exposed to asbestos, it is important to assess the amount of your exposure. If you were exposed only very briefly, or only at very low levels, your risk of a resulting disease is minimal. However, it you were exposed at high levels, you may be at increased risk of the diseases discussed above. You can protect your health in several ways:
If you are a smoker, it is essential that you stop smoking.
Get regular health checkups from a doctor experienced with
Asbestos
related diseases. People with heavy asbestos exposure often have periodic chest x-rays and lung function tests.
It may be advisable for you to receive vaccines against flu and pneumonia. Discuss this with your physician.
Get prompt medical attention for any respiratory illness.
How Can I Avoid Exposure to
Asbestos
You should also avoid any future exposure to
Asbestos
If there is a possibility of on-the-job exposure, like renovating old buildings for example, then you should use all protective equipment, work practices, and safety procedures designed for working around asbestos (NCI). If you live in an older home, there may be
Asbestos
containing insulation or other materials. A knowledgeable expert can check your home to determine if there is any asbestos and if it poses any risk of exposure. This may involve testing the air for asbestos levels. You may then decide to have the
Asbestos
removed from your home. You should hire a qualified contractor to perform this job to avoid contaminating your home further or causing any exposure to the workers. You should not attempt do remove asbestos-containing material yourself.
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