Marine Veterans Exposure

Marine Veterans Exposure

The United States Marine Corps veterans were unknowingly exposed to asbestos during their military service. Ships, airplanes and armored cars used by the Marines exposed them to asbestos fibers.

Marine Veterans Exposure: On Ships

A Marine serving on a ship could not run away from the dangers posed by asbestos. Marines were transported to Navy ships where the use of asbestos was everywhere, including in the vessels themselves. There was poor ventilation on the ships and asbestos was abundant. Thus sailors and Marines were exposed to asbestos daily.

Marine Veterans Exposure: Products

Asbestos products were used in almost all areas on the ship; dining areas, sleeping quarters, pump rooms, navigation rooms, engine and boiler rooms and damage control rooms. Asbestos was also present in the insulation of pipes, grinders, capacitors, adhesives, and deck covering materials. It was even present in bedding components.

Marine Veterans Exposure: In Shipyards

Shipyards had a large number of asbestos materials used to build the ships. One of the primary roles was to make sure the ships were as fire resistant as possible, thus asbestos was a constant feature in the building and repairing of vessels.

Marine Veterans Exposure: On Land

On land Marines were also exposed to asbestos daily. This was as a result of the military bases they were stationed at, which used asbestos extensively; as shown in the article Army Veterans Exposure. Asbestos was used for construction purposes, flooring, roofing, tiling and other products that needed fire resistance.

The Yuma Marine Corps Air Station in Arizona was found to be contaminated by asbestos. The prevalence of the use of asbestos led to the soil on the station to be contaminated. In 2001, all asbestos contaminated soil was removed from the station. To date, there is an ongoing program to clean up the station, the focus is on ground water contamination.