The shock of a parent must be overwhelming when told that their children are sent home from school because a roof collapse, but even more shocking is to learn that the children may have been exposed to the birth of asbestos in the air that can cause varying forms of asbestos cancer.
According Independent.ie Dublin, many parents in Dublin was recently awarded as the new roof of asbestos in a primary school collapsed with children and teachers present. After heavy rains and a lot of leakage, roofing materials and insulation became saturated, and the weight of these materials have caused their break through, almost to the classroom floor. At this point, the school was closed because of asbestos poisoning fears, and parents wonder if their children will be able to return to school.
Prolonged exposure to asbestos in the air can cause asbestos cancer called mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lung, stomach and other internal organs. The treatment of asbestos cancer depends on the severity, location and type of disease. Although there were effective treatments, this disease is still considered terminal.
For children in Dublin, the real question is, do they have how long exposed to this asbestos material? If the school was in pretty bad shape for the roof to collapse, it is to wonder how long this toxic substance was slipped into the classroom. According to the school principal, the school was seeking funding to make repairs for the past 13 years. That's a lot of students and teachers potentially exposed over the years.
The funding repairs to school are currently under investigation and until there is a safe place to keep teaching, the school's students will stay home and parents remain warned for symptoms of any problems.
