LungBlog

An outpouring of international aid and support has benefited Haiti. But recovering from the quake will be a long, complex process that will likely include cleaning up environmental hazards like asbestos. While no chemical or petroleum spills have yet been reported, it is thought that many buildings that toppled or were damaged during the recent quake contained asbestos.

Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers that may have been released during the quake could be lethal. Asbestos exposure is linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer for which there is no known cure. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms.