Survey Finds 90 Percent of British Schools Contain Asbestos

As reported by the British Daily Mirror approximately nine out of 10 schools contain asbestos across the United Kingdom. The results were determined after compiling freedom of information requests to dozens of local authorities.

In a survey of 3,286 schools, 2,917 were constructed with asbestos-containing materials. This could mean that possibly 22,000 of the 25,000 schools in Britain could be contaminated with asbestos.

The concern arouse after it was discovered that between 1980 and 2005, 178 teachers died from malignant mesothelioma, a fatal cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. There is a fear that over the next few years the number of deaths will continue to rise.

The general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, Dr. Mary Bousted, worries that for every teacher that has been exposed to asbestos; another 30 students have as well.

Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, is the cause of a number of illnesses including asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma. Due to a long latency period, symptoms can take 20 to 50 years to appear, making it difficult to diagnose in a timely manner. Asbestos was popularly used in shipyards and construction sites because of its insulation qualities. However, in the 1970 many governments started to restrict the use of asbestos after its hazards were made public.

Recently, asbestos has been found in at the new 2012 Olympic site in East London, in the Houses of Parliament as well as the window displays of the Selfridges department store in Central London.

Currently, there is a campaign for a national register of public buildings that have been surveyed for asbestos. Dr. Bousted agrees with the national register saying, “The health of thousand of young people and those working in education are far too precious to be swept under the carpet any longer.”