A recent article in Electronics Weekly showcased a potentially life-saving technology. Mohammed Zulfiquar, CEO of Birmingham, UK based Datatecnics, has designed a wall covering aptly called Asbestos Disturbance Automated Alert System, or ADAAS. Using a web-like system of tiny censors spread through a clear film, ADAAS works like an adhesive wall covering—or covering for any asbestos-containing material—with a built in alarm system that sounds when asbestos is detected.

Mesothelioma, a rare and fatal cancer, is caused by asbestos exposure. An estimated twenty thousand people each year around the world suffer with mesothelioma. World Health Organization estimates this number is moving closer to ninety thousand as asbestos continues to be used globally and asbestos containing materials once considered safe are now breaking down and releasing toxic asbestos fibers.

Mesothelioma development is started by asbestos fibers being inhaled. A mutative growth process can ensue, spreading malignant tumors through protective organ lining, most often the mesothelium, or lung lining. Mesothelioma develops quietly for decades, without showing signs or symptoms. Most patients have no idea they are harboring a deadly cancer until the disease’s final and most aggressive stage, often twenty to fifty years after original asbestos exposure. When symptoms do demonstrate during the last stage of mesothelioma, they mimic those of pneumonia or bronchitis, further postponing proper diagnosis.

Mesothelioma treatments are available, both standard and what many consider radical. Surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are typically used in combination to raise patient quality of life and extend life expectancy, which averages eighteen months following diagnosis. Alternative treatments may include removal of a lung and other affected organs in an effort to rid the patient completely of mesothelioma.

Approximately 70-90% of UK schools contain asbestos materials; many of these buildings are beginning to show signs of wear and tear, the pre-cursor to release of toxic asbestos fibers. Zulfiquar says in Electronics Weekly article, “Asbestos is in a lot of public buildings. The Government estimated that 70% of UK schools contain it and the guidance from the Health and Safety Executive is to manage most of it, not remove it.”

In light of these statistics, and others associated with mesothelioma, Zulfiquar began his research and development of ADAAS hoping to make a positive impact in the world of mesothelioma and asbestos related illnesses. He says of his product, “You paper the wall, and have just two wires connected to a control; something like an alarm. My first prototype was just aluminium foil on sheets of paper.”

ADAAS offers a cost-effective, practical way of managing asbestos exposure. No quarantined abatement is necessary and work and life can go relatively uninterrupted while the film is applied to selected areas.  As the mesothelioma case numbers rise, Zulfiquar’s invention, and innovations like his, are a celebrated addition to disease prevention.

September 2009 brought severe flooding to parts of Georgia and southeastern US. Cobb County city saw at least fifty houses damaged by high and heavy water, with many of these homes abandoned. The city purchased as many as nineteen of the damaged properties and is now accepting bids for demolition and asbestos abatement.

Proper removal and disposal of asbestos is paramount for public safety. Classified as a Type 1 carcinogen by World Health Organization, asbestos causes several respiratory diseases, including fatal cancer mesothelioma. Once asbestos fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can become lodged in internal tissues, beginning a cancerous growth process that leads to pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma—the two types of malignant mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period typically ranging from twenty to fifty years. Patients generally remain unaware of their condition through this latency period. It is the last and most aggressive stage of mesothelioma that demonstrates symptoms. Mesothelioma symptoms are easily mistaken for those of bronchitis or pneumonia, making mesothelioma difficult to diagnose.

Once diagnosed with mesothelioma, patient life expectancy averages eighteen months. Mesothelioma treatments are available, including surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Often, treatments are administered in combination to manage pain and raise patient quality of life. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.

In past decades mesothelioma has been closely associated with industrial employment, where much asbestos was used in raw form in manufacturing processes. However, in recent years as asbestos-containing materials—once considered safe—begin to break down, or are demolished for replacement, commercial, residential and municipal buildings and structures have become threats to public safety.

The threat of asbestos exposure is acute in circumstances where demolition or renovations are necessary. Without proper removal of toxic asbestos products prior to destruction of asbestos-containing components, toxic fibers can easily become airborne and uncontrolled. Natural disasters such as flooding, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes, often wreak enough damage on buildings to expose asbestos fibers without human involvement. It has become increasingly aware to emergency response officials and safety officers that a great responsibility lies with those managing demolition and clean up to contain toxic fibers and minimize health hazards.

Cobb County city is just one of many US communities that continues to experience severe weather related damage. Instances like this are adding to the rising number of worldwide mesothelioma cases. Experts estimate global asbestos-related disease cases to reach ninety thousand in the next few years if asbestos use and removal trends are not drastically changed.