A study developed by a United States collaborative team, tried to prove that inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers could harm the pleura, to be more specific, the outer lining of the lungs, and this is the main cause of developing asbestos mesothelioma cancer.
Asbestos materials and products are often used in constructions and plumbing, for their proprieties of resisting fire and also for other important proprieties, contains asbestos fibers that are very dangerous for the asbestos workers health.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, other health institutes and universities, used a mouse model to test and to determine the inhalation side effect of the asbestos fibers. The model was directly exposed to materials containing asbestos fibers to test the effects of the asbestos inhaling on the pleura.
Asbestos is know to be a natural mineral, a conglomerate of asbestos fibers that are very dangerous to the organism, especially to the pleura and it’s the main cause for developing mesothelioma cancer, a rare type of cancer that it very present in United States, and affects people of all ages.
Incredible test results after one day of experiment
After just one day of exposing the model, result was incredible. They have checked the status of the pleura and they were able to see that the immune cells to gather on the surface of the protective lining, indicating the organism alert to start protecting himself form the attack of the alien particles.
The author of the study, which is an associate professor of the environmental and molecular toxicology at NC State, said that “is clearly that the inhaled fiber of asbestos had reached the target tissue for mesohelioma and create a unique pathologic reaction, on the surface of the pleura and caused fibrosis”.
Effects- Long term
The scientists said that the long term effects are yet to be seen, and they will continue with this experiment to determine exactly the effects of long term exposure. A lot of work will be done to be able to prove that the inhalations of these particles will result with the carcinogenesis of the pleura.