An outpouring of international aid and support has benefited Haiti. But recovering from the quake will be a long, complex process that will likely include cleaning up environmental hazards like asbestos. While no chemical or petroleum spills have yet been reported, it is thought that many buildings that toppled or were damaged during the recent quake contained asbestos.

Exposure to airborne asbestos fibers that may have been released during the quake could be lethal. Asbestos exposure is linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer for which there is no known cure. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms.

Tragically, the majority of patients lose their battle with mesothelioma in less than two years following diagnosis. Other asbestos-related health problems can include lung cancer, asbestosis, and pleural plaques.

The Haiti earthquake was a magnitude 7.0 quake, which was followed by strong aftershocks. Due to the quake’s severity, the shock generated a great deal of rubble and debris.

"Waste management resulting from the earthquake and the devastation of buildings is the biggest environmental concern right now because dealing with this is a precondition for getting everything else done," said Muralee Thummarukudy of the Post Conflict and Disaster Management Branch of the United Nations Environment Program. "We have to clear debris from where houses, buildings and warehouses once stood so reconstruction activities can begin."

She went on to say that much of the rubble may be reused during the rebuilding efforts. "Thousands of buildings suddenly become debris and this overwhelms the capacity of waste management. The amount of debris will be huge, because whole cities are in ruins. But the need for building material will be equally huge," Thummarukudy said. "You need temporary roads rapidly. You need to build almost the same amount of houses and buildings."

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