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Dangers of Asbestos Exposure
Well over a century ago, asbestos was seen as an ideal building material, it was an excellent insulator, fireproof, and relatively inexpensive. During the twentieth century, some 30 million tons of asbestos was used in the construction of industrial sites, office buildings, schools, shipyards homes, and everyday items such as ironing boards, dryers, toasters, and low-density insulation products. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, researchers began to see a correlation between the unusually large numbers of deaths and lung problems in mining towns with high asbestos exposure.
In the 1930's, numerous and well-known medical journals published scientific studies that linked asbestos exposure to cancer. In 1935, the American Journal of Cancer published "Pulmonary Asbestosis: Carcinoma of the Lung in Asbesto-Silicosis." In 1955, scientists confirmed what they had long suspected; there was an unmistakable connection between asbestos exposure and ingestine of asbestos fibers and the development of certain forms of lung cancer (what later came to be known as mesothelioma).
Despite the growing evidence of asbestos exposure and health risks, manufacturers and companies continued its use for many of their projects. In all likelihood, these manufacturers were aware of the potential health risks of asbestos exposure but choose to ignore them. These same companies also ignored using safer alternative materials like fiberglass that were then being developed. Unfortunately, the victims were, for the most part, men of working families who had no knowledge of the potential health risks of asbestos exposure.
The first lawsuits against the manufacturers and companies responsible for asbestos related cancer were brought to suit in 1929. Since then, numerous lawsuits have been filed against those responsible for asbestos use and proliferation. Many if these cases have resulted in large settlements for victims and the families of victims of mesothelioma from asbestos exposure.
Which Products
Contain(ed) Asbestos?
Asbestos-containing products are used to contain heat-otherwise known as thermal insulation. Most insulation materials before the mid-1970s did contain some degree of asbestos. Countless products have, at one time or another, contained asbestos, including (but not limited to): thermal seals, insulating cement, asbestos cloth, asbestos cement pipe, pipe-covering, refractory and boiler insulation materials, packing materials, fireproofing spray, transite board, gaskets, insulating block, joint compound, duct insulation for heating, vinyl floor tile, ceiling tile, adhesives, mastics, coatings, roofing products, acoustical textures, insulated electrical wire and panels, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and brake and clutch assemblies.
What Dangers of Asbestos Still Pose a Health Risk?
Asbestos exposure continues to be a health risk because it may still be part of buildings and products that were built decades ago. Asbestos-containing products may still be in industrial facilities, buildings, ships, and other structures and products where the fibers can become airborne. The ingestion of these fibers is the cause of malignant mesothelioma.
More importantly, malignant mesothelioma can develop up to 40 years after the initial asbestos exposure. The incidence of mesothelioma rises with the intensity and duration of asbestos exposure. Cases have been documented of mesothelioma among people with very little asbestos exposure to the dangerous fibers. Many of those who are being diagnosed with mesothelioma today experiences asbestos exposure unknowingly during their time in the Navy many years ago.
Tradesmen who have a risk of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma include:
If you or someone you know has a health risk associated with asbestos exposure, you're entitled to know your legal rights, contact an Asbestos Lawyer.