Asbestos, Japan tsunami's other hidden danger

[uppityperson]

Edited as missed a letter in copy/paste job
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014884656_apasjapanearthquakeasbestos.html

Inside the chunks of slate and wallboard smashed and scattered by Japan's tsunami hides a health risk that has been overshadowed by contamination from a leaking nuclear plant: the odorless and nearly invisible threat of asbestos.

Activists have found the cancer-causing, fibrous material in the air and debris collected from the devastated northeastern coast.

Levels in the air remain within Japan's safety range but are expected to rise significantly once cranes and cleanup crews begin their work in earnest, scraping and shaking loose the minuscule, white fibers from insulation and fireproofing layers.
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Asbestos was not a major worry immediately after the March 11 tsunami, when the debris was wet and settled. But that rubble is now being hauled away, shaking loose the carcinogenic fibers in old wallboards and floor tiles.
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[RC]

1. Unless it is radioactive, it won't be a concern for most people here.

:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm: