Turkish Mesothelioma Epidemic

In the Turkish region of Cappadocia there is an epidemic. Forty-eight percent of their deaths are cause by mesothelioma-a rare form of lung cancer. The rate of mesothelioma cases in this region is 600 times of what they are  world wide.

The cause?

Erionite, a fibrous material that is similar to asbestos – the main culprit for mesothelioma. The material is abundant in this region of Turkey and has been used for decades in the same way that asbestos is used – for building homes and roadways.  The frequent use of the material has exposed most of the residents to hazardous levels of the toxic material. Erionite can be found globally but usually deeper underground than it is found in Turkey where it resides closer to the surface.

The government of Turkey is currently working to find a solution. They have begun a relocation plan to move the remaining 2,350 residents by 2012. There are also set plans to demolish the current city and bury it in a thick layer of earth. Even with the relocation a decline of cancer rates may not be noted for decades due to the long latency period of mesothelioma.

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Tags: Asbestos, Mesothelioma

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 at 9:59 am and is filed under Asbestos & Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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Nearly Half of Deaths in Turkish Town Caused by Mesothelioma

In most of the world, mesothelioma is an extremely rare type of lung cancer that accounts for less than one of every 100,000 deaths. However, in the Turkish region of Cappadocia, instances of death related to malignant mesothelioma hover at an astonishing rate of 48 percent.

Mesothelioma has been linked to the inhalation of asbestos fibers – a naturally occurring mineral that is used in a variety of heat-resistant products. A similarly fibrous material – erionite – is abundant in the Cappadocia region and has been used for decades as a resource for building homes and roadways.

Unfortunately, the frequent use of erionite in the Cappadocia region has exposed most of the residents to hazardous levels of this toxic material. The towns most dramatically affected by the fiber include Tuzkoy, Sarihidir and Karain.

While erionite is found in a number of regions globally (for example, Nevada), “the cancerous material is generally found far deep underground,” according to Izzetin Baris (a retired professor with a long history of mesothelioma research). “In Turkey, however, it is very close to the surface.”

Look at the numbers, and it becomes evident that, “The number of cases of mesothelioma in Tuzkoy has been about 600 to 800 times higher than world standards,” says Murat Tuncer of the Turkish Health Ministry department.

Due to these alarming numbers, government authorities have initiated a relocation plan to move all 2,350 remaining residents of Tuzkoy to a nearby location. As with the 250 families that have already been relocated, the costs associated with the move will be subsidized by the state. The new housing facility is located approximately one mile away from the current city’s location.

While this relocation is believed to move Tuzkoy villagers properly out of harm’s way, officials are still unsure about plans to demolish the current city. Present plans suggest the entire village will be demolished, buried in a thick layer of uncontaminated earth and then re-planted. However, other ideas include paving over the city with asphalt or doing nothing and simply prohibiting entry into the area.

Sadly, the knowledge of environmental hazards in Tuzkoy has been known for quite some time. In fact, relocation efforts first began back in 1999. However, little progress has been made thanks to various government difficulties and financial constraints.

Currently, government authorities hope the relocation will be completed by 2012. Even when such relocation occurs, however, a decline of cancer rates may not be noted for decades – mesothelioma often does not manifest until 20 to 50 years following initial exposure.

Source: ABCNews

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 17th, 2010 at 3:17 pm and is filed under Asbestos hazards, living with mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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