New Mesothelioma Cases Prompt Explanation
Thirty-five new cases of mesothelioma have caused a joint committee of the House of Representatives to call experts to help give them a deeper understanding of the issue. Attempts to understand the array of mining-related diseases have been pending on for the last 25 years and questions still linger today. The Minnesota Department of Health has presented its proposals for two new studies that will address whether exposure to mineral fragments and asbestos-like fibers in taconite dust can cause cancer or if occupational exposure to asbestos is the lone cause of disease.
The first proposed study would look at exposure to taconite dust and asbestos dust in 52 cases. The study would require $750,000 or more for each year that it goes on. The second study would use information that already has been collected to determine risks from taconite dust. It would be paid for by existing state sources. Alan Bender, from the Department of Health, says that the funding is necessary: “If we had had the continued funding I think it’s fair to say we would have the answer to the question now.”
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