Navy Veterans and Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos and its Many Uses

Asbestos is a natural mineral that people have used in the construction of buildings and boats for more than 1,000 years. It is abundant and inexpensive and has unique properties that make it useful in a lot of applications. Asbestos is strong and can be added to materials like cement to make them stronger. It resists fire and heat, electricity, and chemical reactions. These properties make it useful for insulation and fireproofing.

It is these two uses that led the U.S. Navy to use asbestos so extensively in its ships. Fires can be deadly for an entire crew when they happen at sea, so protecting ships from catching fire or to keep fires under control is crucial. Also important is insulating pipes, boilers, engines, and other parts of the ship that are heated. Asbestos has been used extensively in ships for these two purposes, as well as others.

A History of Asbestos Use in the Navy

Asbestos has been around for a long time, but the Navy really started using it intensively in ship building starting in 1939. At that time it looked like joining World War II might become inevitable and so the U.S. Navy began stockpiling asbestos before it became expensive and hard to find. Having enough asbestos would be necessary at the time for outfitting enough ships with the necessary fireproofing and insulation.

It wasn’t until the 1970s when the U.S. government began regulating the use of asbestos that Navy ships slowed the use of the mineral. Many veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War were exposed to asbestos because of working on Navy ships.

Navy Jobs That Led to the Most Asbestos Exposure

Certain Navy veterans are more likely to suffer from asbestos illnesses than others, depending on the jobs they held on ships, including those working in boiler rooms and those that repaired and maintained systems like the pumps. Also at great risk for asbestos exposure were electricians and gunner’s mates. The former were exposed through the insulation around wires while the latter actually wore asbestos gloves that wore down over time and released fibers.

Damage controlmen were also at an increased risk for asbestos exposure. These were the sailors that made repairs, sometimes in an emergency situation, to the infrastructure of a ship after an attack. They were exposed to asbestos through damaged materials, but also through the fireproof clothing they wore. Pipefitters and metalsmiths were also at risk for exposure, working with the asbestos insulation and wearing asbestos-containing protective gear, respectively.

Consequences for Navy Veterans

The consequences of all this exposure to asbestos for Navy veterans has been serious illness. When a person breathes in asbestos fibers they get lodged in tissues, especially in and around the lungs, and cause damage. Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease that causes coughing and difficulty breathing. It is not curable and is progressive. Lung cancer can also be caused by asbestos and is often deadly and difficult to treat. Mesothelioma is also a consequence of exposure to asbestos. It is an aggressive type of cancer that most commonly affects the lining of the lungs or abdomen.

Navy veterans who were exposed to asbestos during wartime or non-active duty service did not realize the danger they were in. Many were diagnosed with these illnesses decades later. By the time most of these illnesses are diagnosed they are very difficult to treat and are most often deadly and cause uncomfortable and painful symptoms.

U.S. Navy Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program

Starting in the 1970s when knowledge of the dangers of asbestos came to light, the U.S. Navy started AMSP, the Asbestos Medical Surveillance Program. The program was put in place to monitor the health of Navy veterans and civilians who worked on or near Navy ships and who were likely to have been exposed to asbestos. The purpose is to detect any asbestos-related illnesses early. The earlier these illnesses are diagnosed the easier it is to treat them and the better the prognosis for patients.

Merchant Marine Ships

The U.S. Merchant Marines are civilians that support the U.S. Military, mostly by using ships to transport troops and supplies. These civilians were active in World War II and were a crucial part of the war effort. They were also exposed to asbestos in the same ways that sailors were aboard Navy ships. One study of Merchant Marines from that time period found that one-third had some type of anomaly in the lungs that could lead to mesothelioma. These crucial support workers for the U.S. Navy have suffered poor health because of asbestos exposure.