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Malignant mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos, a mineral that was used extensively throughout much of the 20th century. Even with its use virtually eliminated, the carcinogenic material remains a threat, as it lurks in structures built before the 1980s, brake linings, and other previous applications. Detecting the presence of asbestos has long been a struggle, because its airborne fibers are microscopic, but researchers have just announced a new, highly accurate, and convenient method of detection.
NIST Researchers’ Discovery May Help Avoid Mesothelioma
It has long been a challenge to identify locations where asbestos poses the risk of mesothelioma. To test school buildings, factory settings, and other areas with high potential for contamination, inspectors have had to collect samples in buildings and submit them to a laboratory for examination using transmission electron microscopy or a less accurate test called phase contrast microscopy. But researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say that they have found a better way.
Writing in a study published in Analytical Methods, researchers Jason Holm and Elisabeth Mansfield say that scanning electron microscopy (SEM) can provide results that are as accurate as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) while being more convenient and less expensive. This will be a boon to those attempting to identify asbestos as fast as possible in order to minimize the risk of mesothelioma.
Discovery Could Speed Asbestos Remediation, Minimize Mesothelioma Risk
In addition to the SEM test being less expensive, it is also a far easier test to conduct, and much more responsive to the concerns of those who fear mesothelioma. Unlike the TEM analysis, which requires sample collection and laboratory studies, SEM technology is available in tabletop form, and so it can be carried to a site suspected of contamination for faster results.
In summarizing the benefits of the SEM technology, the researchers said that it has “lower equipment cost, less stringent operator training requirements, increased sample throughput, and greater field of view compared to TEM.”
`Researchers are working from all angles to put an end to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed and you need information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
Terri Oppenheimer
Writer