Thousands of mesothelioma navy veterans were knowingly put at risk for exposure to a naturally-occurring mineral called asbestos for much of the 20th century. Although all branches of the military were exposed to asbestos at one time or another, including the Army, Marines and Air Force, the Navy was the hardest hit of all. Many of the military-related mesothelioma cases have come from Navy veterans.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure
There were a number of different ways for Navy veterans to have been exposed to asbestos. The use of asbestos-containing materials was not banned until the 1970s by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, ships and other vessels that were built prior to the ban remain in use even today. This means that thousands of Navy veterans were at risk for exposure.Asbestos was used in hundreds of applications by ship builders because of the mineral’s versatile properties allowing it to withstand extremely high temperatures, including fire, as well as toxic chemicals. The naturally-occurring mineral is also very flexible and strong, allowing ship builders to form asbestos into virtually any shape. Any place that needed to be able to withstand fire or high heat, such as weapons and ammunition storage rooms, engine rooms, boiler rooms and much more all contained asbestos. But it did not end there; asbestos could be found generally everywhere. It was in the navigation rooms, sleeping quarters, mess halls, decks and more. Asbestos-containing materials were also used on a variety of machinery and equipment that included condensers, motors, pumps, pipes, valves, gaskets and cables. It could even be found in the flooring and ceiling tiles.

mesothelioma navy veterans

All facets of the ship industry put Navy personnel and sailors at risk for exposure. Naval buildings on land, renovation or repairs on ships, demolitions and construction all put people at risk. When asbestos becomes friable (easily breakable), it releases tiny, sharp fibers into the air that can then be ingested or inhaled by anyone in its vicinity. Asbestos can become friable in a few different ways. If there is a disturbance in closed quarters, the asbestos can become friable and then personnel can inhale the fibers. If there is a fire onboard the ship or if the ship is hit with any weapon, the disturbance can cause the asbestos to come loose and become friable.