FELA and Railroad Exposures
Blood cancers, also known as Hematologic cancers, can be very serious and life altering. These types of cancers develop in the bone Marrow and have been linked to exposures to the railroad. A FELA attorney can help determine if railroad exposures are responsible for the diagnosis of leukemia, or other blood conditions.
Benzene
The toxic hydrocarbon benzene is a chemical that has been identified as carcinogenic by the Department of Health and Human Services. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the chemical can cause leukemia in lab animals, and Bnsf Railway Pancreatic Cancer the study of military personnel at Camp Lejeune found that the presence of benzene in their drinking water heightened their risk of developing blood cancers, such as Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Benzene is harmful in any quantity. However, long-term exposure to the high levels of benzene is particularly dangerous.
Skin exposure, inhalation or drinking contaminated beverages can all lead to exposure to benzene. Symptoms of short-term exposure include headache, nausea and dizziness. Death can occur if you are exposed to high levels of benzene.
The danger of benzene arises from its ability to hinder the production of red blood cells through the bone marrow. This leads to anemia, a condition that causes the body to lack healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body. Also, Benzene affects the white blood cell balance which may prevent the body from fighting off infections.
Many railroad workers develop cancers like kidney cancer, lung cancer bladder cancer, lung cancer or blood cancers because of their workplace exposure to benzene. Unfortunately, some railroad workers are unaware that their illnesses are related to benzene or asbestos that they were exposed to during the course of their jobs.
Butadiene
A lot of railroad workers are exposed to chemicals that increase their risk of developing blood cancer. These chemicals are in train brake shoe linings, electrical panels and pipe insulation. Hematologic cancers (blood cancers) are most common in the bone marrow. They begin by disrupting the normal production of blood cells and fighting infection. Railroad workers are at a high chance of developing leukemias, myeloma and lymphoma.
1,3-Butadiene is a colorless gasoline-like gas that is used to create synthetic rubber products, such as plastics and tires. It is also found in automotive exhaust and tobacco smoke. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set the exposure limits for this substance, but prolonged exposure could be hazardous.
Butadiene, as benzene is an autocinogen in group 1 that causes leukemia as as other blood disorders. Railroad workers are at a particularly high risk for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) due to their day-in and day-out exposure to diesel exhaust. This kind of exposure can increase the risk of developing other cancers, including lung cancer. Injuries and illnesses caused by exposure to chemicals can be very painful and expensive. Our firm is committed to helping railroad workers who have been injured or sick as a result workplace exposures. Contact us for a consultation today.
Pesticides
Many railroad workers employ pesticides to control weeds and other undesirable plants in the railroad yards or right-of-way. These chemicals also increase the risk of blood cancers, such as leukemia or Lymphoma. These types of hematologic cancers start in the bone marrow and they alter the normal function of a healthy blood cells that fight infection, produces new blood cells, or transports oxygen throughout the body.
The risks associated with exposure to pesticides depend on the frequency and magnitude of exposure, the kind of chemical, its absorption rate into the human body and its distribution within the body, and its metabolism and elimination from the body. Certain pesticides like organochlorines, persist in the environment for lengthy periods of time and then bioaccumulate. Other pesticides like carbamates and organophosphates, are less durable. These insecticides work by inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase enzyme’s activity at neural synapses. This allows acetylcholine as well as nerve impulses to be transferred indefinitely.
Leukemia and lymphoma comprise the most commonly diagnosed blood cancers. They can be caused by exposure to toxic chemicals on railroads. However, other forms of blood cancers can develop as well. Contact our office for consultation if you’ve been diagnosed with blood bnsf railway throat cancer as a result of a bnsf railway acute myeloid leukemia bnsf railway scleroderma pancreatic cancer (sources) job. Our firm will work to get you compensation, including medical bills, future costs and lost wages.
Electromagnetic Fields
Radiation is generated by electromagnetic fields generated by radio and electricity transmissions. This non-ionizing radiation can be found in nature, such as lightning during a thunderstorm or the Earth’s magnetic field that allows compasses to work and is used by birds and fish to navigate. It is also found in man-made sources, such as wireless smart meters and cell phones.
These EMFs are complex physical agents and their effects on human health have been the subject of extensive research. Some studies have found the connection between EMF exposure and the rate of cancer, but such associations don’t establish causality and effects any more than the springtime connection between robins and daffodils shows that one causes the other.
The EMFs produced by the electric current in power lines could increase a person’s chance of developing leukemia and other blood cancers, but this is a controversial issue and requires further research. Other EMFs have been linked with diabetes, heart disease and other health conditions.