Asbestos Alert: Federal report reveals more about the dangers of asbestos in California community

In El Dorado Hills, California, a federal report has revealed that long-term exposure to naturally occurring asbestos in the area can have deleterious health effects. The report reveals that asbestos is present in soil and rock formations, and could be kicked up into the air by normal outdoor recreational activities.

The 123-page report, compiled by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), does not recommend further study of the possible health effects, but does advise that residents and officials should increase their awareness of the health problems that may arise after long-term exposure to this naturally-occurring mineral asbestos, and avoid areas where asbestos may be found.

“As we monitor the situation and learn from current asbestos research projects, we may update our recommendations,” explained Jill Dyken, Ph.D, an ATSDR environmental health scientist.

“It’s difficult to predict the risk of disease from asbestos exposure,” Dyken added. “We compared several different risk methods and examined additional asbestos findings from El Dorado Hills. Although we found an increased risk of disease, the asbestos levels here don’t appear to be so high that we would be able to measure increased disease rates in the community.”

Exposure to asbestos can cause the development of ailments like mesothelioma, a rare cancer. Mesothelioma often takes 15-50 years to develop in a person who has been exposed to asbestos; however, not all people exposed to asbestos develop health problems. Sadly, mesothelioma is incurable at the present time.

The full report can be read at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/publiccomments.asp.