A recent explosion at the Sunrise Propane facility in Toronto, Canada has left local residents alarmed. While the immediate dangers of the explosion have passed, many residents are still uneasy as they believe asbestos fibers were released into the atmosphere during the explosion.

Despite their concern, experts believe that residents should not be too concerned. Experts believe that a one-time exposure to asbestos, such as that experienced in the area around the Sunrise Propane blast, is unlikely to raise an individual's cancer risk. "People need to know if they inhale a little, it's not game over," said Mark Smith, a senior consultant with GTA Environmental. “It's not like a poison gas. The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of the Environment both identify low levels of asbestos exposure, which they deem acceptable,” he said.

Paul Bozek, a professor from the University of Toronto's school of public health, believes that even if experts find that there were very high asbestos levels in the air for a few hours after the explosion, there is no data to say that a one-time intense exposure to asbestos will cause cancer or asbestosis in 20 to 40 years.

Experts note that the real danger comes from asbestos fibers that might remain on the ground several weeks and months after the exposure. If those fibers get ground up underfoot and released into the air, the exposure to asbestos would become a major problem. "If residents were exposed to that over the next couple of months, then there would be slight elevations in cancer rates around there," said Bozek.

For Full Article, Click Here