"Asbestos" is the name given to a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. These fibers are not affected by heat or chemicals and do not conduct electricity. For these reasons, asbestos has been widely used in many industries.[1]

Asbestos fiber masses tend to break easily into a dust composed of tiny particles that can float in the air and stick to clothes. The fibers may be easily inhaled or swallowed and can cause serious health problems. [1]

Because it is so hard to destroy asbestos fibers, the body cannot break them down or remove them once they are lodged in lung or body tissues. They remain in place where they can cause disease. [2]

There are three primary diseases associated with asbestos exposure: [2]

* Asbestosis – Inhaled asbestos fibers aggravate lung tissues, which causes them to scar.

* Lung Cancer – Lung cancer causes the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure.

* Mesothelioma – A rare form of cancer [of] the thin membrane lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen and (rarely) heart.

Three things seem to determine your likelihood of developing one of these asbestos related diseases: [2]

1. The amount and duration of exposure - the more you are exposed to asbestos and the more fibers that enter your body, the more likely you are to develop asbestos related problems. While there is no "safe level" of asbestos exposure, people who are exposed more frequently over a long period of time are more at risk.
2. Whether or not you smoke - if you smoke and you have been exposed to asbestos, you are far more likely to develop lung cancer than someone who does not smoke and who has been exposed to asbestos. If you work with asbestos or have been exposed to it, the first thing you should do to reduce your chances of developing cancer is to stop smoking.
3. Age - cases of mesothelioma have occurred in the children of asbestos workers whose only exposures were from the dust brought home on the clothing of family members who worked with asbestos. The younger people are when they inhale asbestos, the more likely they are to develop mesothelioma. This is why enormous efforts are being made to prevent school children from being exposed.

Experimental models suggest that asbestos may act both as a primary carcinogen and as a cocarcinogen. [3] This means that not only can asbestos cause cancer by its direct effect on the cells, it can also make the cells more likely to become cancerous when exposed to other cancer-causing agents. It is thought that asbestos may exert its direct effect by making the irritated cells more active, which may increase the risk for errors in DNA replication. [3]

Asbestos is not thought to be a direct "mutagen," that is, it does not alter the DNA directly. Instead, it makes the cells more vulnerable to other factors. The health risks of asbestos are therefore hard to study; it is hard to determine the interactions with other cancer-causing agents, and it takes many years for the problems to develop. For example, the time between first exposure to asbestos and the appearance of lung cancer is generally 15 years or more; a lag of 30 to 35 years is not unusual. The lag period for development of mesothelioma and asbestosis is even greater, often as long as 40 to 45 years. [1]

While a thirty year delay may not worry a corporate executive in his or her 50's, an exposed young child has a longer expected lifespan in a vulnerable condition. Also, children are more active than adults (particularly on a ball field like Russell Field) and will tend to breathe more, making them more likely to inhale asbestos present in the area. Asbestos carried out of the construction area and onto the ball field will not evaporate. It will tend to stay in place until the children disturb the field while playing. Because they are not as tall, and tend to fall while playing, the children will be closer to concentrated amounts of asbestos than adults would be.

The precautions proposed for the construction rely on air monitoring. Air monitoring will identify that an asbestos hazard exists after the asbestos has been released into the air. The precautions should prevent asbestos from becoming airborne in the first place, with air testing to verify that the precautions are working. The air testing should not be used as the primary defense.

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