#19: The Dark Side of Aircraft Carriers - Mesothelioma and Asbestos

Those who have served aboard aircraft carriers often recall fond memories of their time there, which is partly why I have created this blog.  Although service in the Navy implies the risks associated with potential battle, there is unfortunately another risk that many did not know about...

Corpsmen treat crewmen for smoke inhalation after an engine room aboard the aircraft carrier USS CONSTELLATION (CV 64) caught fire, 08/02/1988.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that develops from cells of the mesothelium, the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body.  Mesothelioma is most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos particles.  The duration of exposure to asbestos causing mesothelioma can be short: some were documented with only 1–3 months of exposure.  Latency, the time from first exposure to manifestation of disease, is prolonged in the case of mesothelioma. It is virtually never less than fifteen years and peaks at 30–40 years.  The prognosis for malignant mesothelioma remains disappointing, although there have been some modest improvements in prognosis from newer chemotherapies and multimodality treatments.  Treatment of malignant mesothelioma at earlier stages has a better prognosis, but cures are exceedingly rare.  Approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year, with 30 percent of those being U.S. Military Veterans.

Lieutenant Andrew B. Seal, the Industrial Hygienist Officer on board the aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65), performs an asbestos fiber count test to maintain shipboard safety. ENTERPRISE is currently preparing for a scheduled six-month deployment, 09/22/1998.

From the 1930s through the 1970s, asbestos was used in military ships - including aircraft carriers - and other equipment that reached high temperatures because it is an excellent insulator.    Many aircraft carrier equipment, from valves, gaskets, and instruments to coatings, boilers and insulation.  At the time, the dangerous effects of asbestos were not widely known.

Rear Admiral Lawrence Chambers (right), commander, Carrier Group Three, tours damage control central aboard the aircraft carrier USS CORAL SEA (CV 43), 01/01/1979.

Although every room of an aircraft carrier were had moderate exposure to asbestos,  there were certain rooms that had the highest concentrated risk.  These include the boiler room, the engine room, pump rooms, and damage control.

After lighting the boiler, gauges are monitored by a boilerman technician in the No. 4 main machinery room aboard the aircraft carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63), 06/01/1983.

Consequently, occupations associated with these rooms have high risk of exposure to asbestos from inhalation.  These include gunmen, boilermen, firemen, pipe fitters and mechanics.

Boiler Technician Fireman Clark Roderick assists in lighting off one of the boilers in a main engine room aboard the aircraft carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV-67). The KENNEDY is deployed to the Red Sea in support of Operation Desert Shield, 12/17/1990.

A crew member adjusts the water level in one of the boilers aboard the aircraft carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63), 06/01/1983.

Today there is an entire industry built around mesothelioma, with lawyers, researchers, health professionals, and industrial engineers, and regulators working to address the tragedy.