Keeping Children Safe from Asbestos Exposure in the Home

Asbestos stopped being used in building products in New Zealand in around 1990, but that doesn’t mean the threat of it isn’t still lingering. In fact, the risk of exposure of asbestos to children and adults remains a genuine reality throughout the country.

Whether you’re worried about asbestos exposure in children, or even asbestos-contaminated kids’ products, read on. Here’s what every parent and caregiver needs to know about being exposed to asbestos as a child. 

Are Children at Greater Risk of Getting Mesothelioma?  

Mesothelioma is a malignant tumour linked to the inhalation of asbestos fibres. It forms in the lining of your heart, lungs, and abdomen, and can cause shortness of breath and chest pain. From diagnosis, the expected lifespan is around one year. 

While anyone exposed to asbestos can receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, children are particularly susceptible. Their respiratory systems and lungs are still developing, which means their surface area to volume ratio is higher than adults.

What’s more, they can inhale more asbestos with every breath due to breathing at a naturally higher rate. Kids playing in asbestos-contaminated areas may even be more at risk if they stick their fingers in their mouths and accidentally ingest fibres. This illness may not show itself in the form of mesothelioma for upwards of three decades.

Children’s Exposure to Asbestos at Home

A child’s exposure to chrysotile asbestos, which is one of the most commonly encountered types, can be accidental in your own home. Most homes built between 1940 and 1990 contain at least some asbestos building materials.

While asbestos is not harmful when it’s in good condition and left unobstructed, it can become a genuine risk once disturbed. A curious child showing an interest in imperfect building materials like vinyl flooring, Fibrolite or Hardiplank cladding, and wall linings can be put in a serious situation.

Once asbestos building materials are identified, it’s in the best interests of caregivers and parents to contact a licensed asbestos removalist. They can test for asbestos and arrange for its safe removal.

How to Protect Children from Asbestos

Protecting children from asbestos exposure is not just a family problem; it’s a community issue, too. Alongside making sure your home is safe, it’s worth finding out more about your child’s school. If it was built before 1990 without renovations, there’s every reason to believe it contains asbestos.

Has the school taken all possible steps to make it a safe environment for children? Do they have an asbestos management plan in place? Educate your child on what asbestos is, where it’s found, and why it’s so important not to touch anything that could contain it.

You can also go one step further by finding out what products made for children contain asbestos, such as makeup, cheap kids’ playgrounds, and vintage toys.

Education is essential, but being proactive with your children’s playtime can also be important. Never let children play in old sheds or abandoned homes that may contain asbestos. Even playing on cleared building sites where an old house once was can be a significant risk. The more you and your children know about asbestos, the safer your family can be. 

Cases of Being Exposed to Asbestos as a Child

One of the most famous cases of being exposed to asbestos as a child is of the Wittenoom kids. Over 1,100km north of Perth in Western Australia is the small town of Wittenoom, where mining of blue asbestos took place. 

The mine was shut down in the mid-1960s. The town was then closed after it was found that airborne fibres from the mining operations caused mesothelioma, asbestosis, and various cancers. But the risks didn’t end with the closing of the mine and town.

Many kids who spent their childhood there died of cancers as adults at a rate above the average population. Studies published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that girls up to age 15 who lived in the town were more likely to develop brain cancer, ovarian cancer, and mesothelioma.

Boys who lived in the township as children and teens have higher rates of colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, brain cancer, mesothelioma, and leukaemia than others. Out of 2,460 former Wittenoom children, 228 former residents had died from a range of causes. By the end of 2009, there were 215 cases of cancer in 207 individuals.

Compared to the general population of Western Australia, girls had between 20 and 47 per cent greater chance of dying from any cause, while that increased to between 50 and 83 per cent for boys. These studies show that asbestos exposure in children, while unlikely to be intentional, can have significant impacts in later life. 

What to Do About Asbestos

Asbestos exposure in children is not the only reason why you may like to remove it from your home. You may be worried about your entire family’s health, your own, and even that of your neighbours.

If you are about to undertake renovations, or you believe damaged building products may contain asbestos, then act now. Contact a licensed asbestos removal team who can test, remove, and discard it safely.