Broomfield high asbestos followup costs thousands

BROOMFIELD, Colorado â€" In December, air quality tests at Broomfield High following a boiler malfunction showed elevated levels of asbestos fibers in the air. Since then, the Boulder Valley School District has paid over $10,000 for asbestos abatement and 19 staff members have received worker’s compensation referrals. The asbestos is believed to have originated back in November, when a boiler malfunctioned. Air quality tests in December showed elevated levels of airborne asbestos in the corridor outside the boiler room, and students were sent home early. The school was closed for a day and a half, until follow-up air quality tests showed very low levels of asbestos in the air. A spokesman for the school district said that health officials are uncertain why there was such a difference between that test and the subsequent tests that showed no asbestos or very low levels of asbestos. Nevertheless, said Briggs Gamblin for the school district, 19 custodial and administrative staff members who were in the boiler room between the malfunction and the sealing of the room six weeks later have been provided with workers compensation referrals. The purpose, said Gamblin, is to include the possible asbestos exposure in each employee’s health file. Airborne asbestos is a known carcinogen that causes mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the lining around the lungs, the heart and the abdominal cavity. It also increases the risk of developing lung cancer, as well as several other cancers. Because mesothelioma is seen almost exclusively in those who have been exposed to asbestos, few doctors will consider a diagnosis of mesothelioma unless there is a history of asbestos exposure. Because the early symptoms of asbestos are so similar to many more innocuous illnesses, the diagnosis is often missed until the cancer has advanced too far for any effective treatment. In the past, mesothelioma was considered a quick, painful death sentence but recent advances have shown that early diagnosis and aggressive treatment can sometimes extend life and improve quality of life for years after the diagnosis. Knowing that a patient was exposed to asbestos is a key factor in screening for mesothelioma and diagnosing it properly in time for aggressive treatments to be of any use. With a latency period of decades, it’s often difficult to diagnose mesothelioma. By making the referral, there is a notation in the health record of the employee so that in the future, doctors and health practitioners who work with them are aware of the possible asbestos exposure and will be more likely to consider asbestos-related conditions as possible diagnoses. This could be potentially life-saving if it means that a doctor catches the condition early enough to recommend aggressive treatments. It is unknown whether students were exposed, and random asbestos testing will continue at the high schoool over the next few months, he said. (Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News)