By Jonathan Sharp
Asbestos minerals have been heavily applied by the US Armed Forces, especially the US Navy, since the 1920s until approximately the early 1970s. While their durability, heat resistance, and cost-effectiveness made asbestos-containing materials highly efficient for insulation, shipbuilding, gaskets, and other applications, asbestos has its dangerous downside. Exposure to these mineral fibers leads to severe health conditions, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer.
Mesothelioma, which is an aggressive cancer, and asbestosis, the scarring of lung tissues, are solely caused by inhaled asbestos particles. When the microscopic asbestos fibers settle on the lungs, they raise the risk of lung cancer, the second most common cancer in the U.S. The most challenging disease among them is mesothelioma because it is very often misdiagnosed or only detected at an advanced stage. According to a medical study, between 14 percent and 50 percent of mesothelioma diagnoses are incorrect. In 2021, 2,803 mesothelioma cases were reported in the US, and 30 percent of the diagnosed are veterans. Unfortunately, there is no cure for mesothelioma, and it claims many lives. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimated that between 1999 and 2013, about 2,848 people died of mesothelioma every year.
Veterans who served in environments highly contaminated by asbestos now suffer from its life-threatening consequences. However, a national database, set up jointly by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense, could vastly improve this situation by enlisting military members with known or suspected asbestos exposure during their service years. Based on such a database, doctors could then refer all those at risk of having asbestos lingering in their bodies to regular medical check-ups.
California is among the top three US states with the largest veteran population in 2023, counting over 1.48 million veterans. There were 19,715 veterans living in Sonoma County in 2023, a decline of nearly 9,000 over the previous decade. California has the most military installations in the country, with a very strong Navy presence. And the military used asbestos routinely for decades, particularly at facilities like the nearby Mare Island Naval Shipyard, where asbestos was used in boilers, incinerators, for insulating material and in general ship construction.
It is therefore not surprising that California had 27,080 asbestos-related deaths between 1999 and 2017, the highest number of such deaths in the country during that time. Of that number, 5,100 were mesothelioma deaths, the highest number compared to other U.S. states. In Sonoma County, the estimate for asbestos-related deaths was 588, with an average of 30 deaths per year for the same period.
The Military allowed its service members to spend years in asbestos-contaminated environments while knowing of the dangers. Because asbestos lingers in the body between 20 to 50 years after exposure before asbestos-related illnesses show symptoms, asbestos is still claiming the lives of many California veterans.
Mesothelioma is caused by inhaled asbestos mineral particles attacking the tissues around the lungs, abdomen, heart or reproductive organs. The disease poses a significant challenge to the medical community because it is hard to diagnose. Initial symptoms resemble more common lung diseases, and when the first symptoms appear, which happens at a later stage of the cancer, it progresses rapidly, leaving almost no options for treatment. Diagnosis is further complicated because there are relatively few mesothelioma specialists in the U.S.
If mesothelioma is detected in time by specific tests, like X-rays, CT scans, PET scans, and biopsies, patients have the chance to receive impactful treatment, and their life expectancy and quality can be raised with the slowing down of the cancer’s progression. It is essential that veterans, even those who do not have any symptoms, attend specific health checks regularly.
Being alert to the possibility of asbestos-linked conditions is critical, and a digitalized veterans’ asbestos exposure database could be an important asset in extending life. Based on examples from other countries, in 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the creation of a similar National Mesothelioma Registry focusing on at-risk populations. But no such registry exists in the US yet, and as long as veterans are one of the most affected populations by asbestos and mesothelioma, a database that focuses on their situation is should be a national priority.
Editor’s note: This article was submitted by the Environmental Litigation Group, an Alabama law firm representing veterans exposed to asbestosis and other toxic chemicals. The law firm could stand to benefit from publication of this article, but the Sun believes the benefit to veterans, who frequently struggle to win attention and access to their needs, warrants the story.
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