The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has recently called upon the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to examine the safety levels of the top 10 priority chemicals believed to be a threat to public safety.

The environmentalist group has asked for the agency to investigate and regulate 20 of the thousands of chemicals under the EPA’s jurisdiction.

Among the priority chemicals is asbestos, which the EWG stated was one of the most dangerous chemicals on the list.

The Environmental Working Group had requested this after the United States government had recently implemented the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act.

The act was signed by President Obama and implemented into law on June 22, 2016, and is the first update to the Toxic Substances Control Act since it was passed in 1976.

Critics of the 1976 law state this policy was insufficient, as it gives the EPA no actual power to regulate potentially harmful chemicals or enhance asbestos safety. However the 2016 amendment gives the EPA much more authority to regulate new chemicals, as well as evaluate the safety of existing chemicals.

With the new policy in place, the EWG has produced a list of chemicals the group believes the Environmental Protection Agency should examine first. Asbestos safety is near the top of the list for the EPA to review, along with BPA and phthalates as some of the most dangerous chemicals to human exposure.

Under the new law, the EPA now has the authority to propose a ban on any dangerous chemicals the agency determines as unsafe. The Environmental Working Group is optimistic in this recent development, as the group hopes that the EPA will take swift action against some of America’s most dangerous chemicals.

Asbestos Safety Examination

With the new authority of the EPA, the EWG and other environmental groups are hopeful for increased asbestos safety. Asbestos is a microscopic fibrous material which was popularly used for various construction and manufacturing purposes.

Due to its fire retardant and insulative characteristics, asbestos was commonly used for insulation purposes in Navy ships before and during World War II. However, recent studies and lawsuits have indicated that asbestos safety precautions was highly insufficient in the past, with the severity of the problem now gaining widespread attention.

There are a number of health problems associated with asbestos exposure, with asbestos lung cancer and mesothelioma being some of the most commonly reported complications. Mesothelioma is an extremely rare form of lung cancer, specifically caused by asbestos exposure which attacks the mesothelial lining of the lungs.

Asbestos lung cancer is similar to mesothelioma, with the lungs themselves falling under attacks of the malignant cells. Both of the diseases are caused when people unintentionally inhale or swallow the asbestos fibers, which then eventually cause normal cells to develop into cancer cells.

Due to the fact that these asbestos diseases can take up to 50 years to show any symptoms, patients are often diagnosed at a later stage. With the severity of these diseases, the call for increased asbestos safety has come at a good time.