Asbestos’ U.S. legacy may be half-million deaths
By asbestoshub | July 21, 2010
Quoted from http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/21/97624/asbestos-us-legacy-may-be-half.html
Asbestos’ U.S. legacy may be half-million deaths
Anthophyllite asbestos fibers viewed through an electron microscope. | U.S. Geological Survey
By Jim Morris | International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
WASHINGTON — The first sign of trouble came as Bill Rogers was mowing his lawn one January morning in 2007. “As I would go back and forth with the mower, I would run out of air,” said Rogers, 67, of Palm Bay, Fla.
Rogers went to the doctor and learned that his right lung was full of fluid. Three days later he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a lethal tumor that occurs in the lining of the chest or the abdomen and almost always is associated with asbestos exposure. “I’d heard of it, but I didn’t really know what it was,” he said. “They told me it’s not a good cancer to get.”
That Rogers is alive more than three years after his diagnosis is something of a miracle. To him, the source of his illness is clear: He worked on or around asbestos-containing automobile brakes, mostly at General Motors dealerships, for 44 years. He and his co-workers had used compressed-air hoses to clean out brake drums, where debris from worn asbestos brake shoes would collect, and had filed and sanded the shoes when installing new brakes.
Although he routinely wore a respirator while sanding plastic filler during bodywork, he said, no one ever told him he needed one for brake work. He sued GM, Ford, Chrysler and seven manufacturers and suppliers of brakes and clutches in 2008 and settled with the last of them in 2009.
Rogers is among hundreds of former mechanics and body shop employees known to have developed mesothelioma after working on brakes, clutches and gaskets, which contained the most common form of the mineral — chrysotile, or white, asbestos — well into the 1990s. Many have sued auto manufacturers and parts makers, litigation that reflects the unceasing burden of asbestos disease in the United States.
Asbestos has decimated the ranks of miners, millers, factory workers, insulators and shipyard workers, some of whom began filing workers’ compensation claims as far back as the 1930s. The modern era of asbestos lawsuits began in the 1970s with claims from these same groups of workers. Many had taken in massive doses of fiber and died of diseases such as asbestosis, which can develop within a decade of initial exposure. Some of the cases involved mixtures of amosite, or brown, asbestos, which is no longer used, and chrysotile.
In court now, aside from a few heavily exposed claimants, are mechanics, teachers from asbestos-filled schools and the wives and children of workers who brought home asbestos on their clothing. Most of these people had relatively light exposures and developed mesothelioma, a disease that can take 30, 40 or even 50 years to appear.
Topics: Claims, Exposure, Facts, Lawsuits | No Comments »
Asbestos still killing families, decades later
By asbestoshub | July 21, 2010
Quoted from http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/07/21/97843/asbestos-still-killing-families.html
Asbestos still killing families, decades later
Julie Gundlach plays with her daughter, Madeline Young, 7, at their home in St. Louis. Gundlach has mesothelioma. | Derik Holtmann/Belleville News-Democrat/MCT
By Brian Brueggemann | Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat
EDWARDSVILLE — Growing up, the laundry room in Julie Gundlach’s home doubled as a playroom.
And that’s where the 39-year-old figures she got the disease that will almost surely kill her.
Gundlach has mesothelioma, a fast-acting cancer that is always fatal, generally taking a life within six to 18 months of diagnosis.
The disease is caused by exposure to asbestos. Gundlach, though, never worked with asbestos, like many mesothelioma patients, who typically were auto mechanics, welders, electricians, plumbers, pipefitters, plasterers, refinery workers, shipbuilders and other industrial employees.
Gundlach worked at restaurants and as an employee recruiter. But her dad was an electrician who worked at job sites across the region.
“He’d come home and put his dirty clothes in the laundry room, which was our playroom,” Gundlach said.
Her case represents what local lawyers and judges say is becoming a common accusation in asbestos lawsuits: take-home exposure.
They’re cases where, say, someone often shook the dust off a spouse’s dirty work clothes before laundering them. Or where a child often hugged dad and spent time sitting on his lap after he returned home from work.
It’s sometimes called secondary, second-hand or off-site exposure.
Topics: Claims, Exposure, Facts, Lawsuits | No Comments »
Calif may dump ’state rock’ that contains asbestos
By asbestoshub | July 15, 2010
Quoted from http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hbdeSCuOvpxz0Tsk9jVInGY3UX1AD9GVD5480
Calif may dump ’state rock’ that contains asbestosBy TREVOR HUNNICUTT (AP) – July 15, 2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In 1965, California lawmakers named serpentine the state rock because it symbolized the Gold Rush years and contained a mineral being put to myriad industrial uses.
Nearly half a century later, attitudes toward that mineral — asbestos — have changed, and one state lawmaker wants serpentine stripped of its status.
Health authorities say asbestos, which is no longer mined in the U.S., can cause an incurable cancer called mesothelioma as well as other diseases when its fibers are inhaled.
“This is a question of health and public awareness,” said Democratic state Sen. Gloria Romero of Los Angeles, who proposed the bill. “We know that California has the highest rates of mesothelioma deaths in the nation and we don’t think it’s appropriate to be celebrating as the state rock something which contains asbestos.”
Romero’s proposal to remove serpentinite, as the jade-green rock is formally known, as the state rock has hit a wall of opposition from geologists and industry advocates. Contending the rock is being unfairly maligned, they have started a social-media crusade on Twitter and blogs to stop the proposal.
“The rock is an ideal symbol for our state,” said Garry Hayes, a Modesto Community College geology teacher who was among the first to protest the bill online. “The asbestos issue is there, but it’s a small part of what serpentine is.”
Topics: Facts | No Comments »
WR Grace Co. responsible for over 400 deaths in Montana town due to asbestos
By asbestoshub | July 8, 2010
Quoted from http://www.examiner.com/x-29099-Grand-Rapids-Public-Health-Examiner~y2010m7d6-WR-Grace-Co-responsible-for-over-400-deaths-in-Montana-town-due-to-asbestos
WR Grace Co. responsible for over 400 deaths in Montana town due to asbestos
July 6, 10:33 AM
Grand Rapids Public Health Examiner
Nancy Zielinski
Health workers are saying that the W.R. Grace vermiculite mines are responsible for at least 400 deaths in Libby, Montana, due to asbestos contamination. Montana’s congressional delegation is looking to the US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, for assurances the government will continue its cleanup of all the toxic areas W.R. Grace is responsible for throughout the state of Montana.
Vermiculite is a natural mineral that expands with the application of heat, and was used as insulation in hundreds of homes and businesses in Libby, Montana. The oldest and largest vermiculite mine was started in Libby, Montana, in the 1920s. W.R. Grace bought the mine in the 1960s and continued to operate the mine until the 1990s in response to asbestos contamination.
The vermiculite mines of Libby, Montana, have a direct link to the state of Michigan. More than 162,000 tons of the Libby ore were sent to a plant in Dearborn, Michigan, between 1948 and 1993. These plants exfoliated the ore to produce vermiculite attic insulation and other products. This process produced massive amounts of asbestos-contaminated dust, very high workplace exposures, and significant airborne asbestos in the surrounding neighborhoods. Although the Dearborn plant received the majority of vermiculite from Libby, other cities in Michigan such as Grand Rapids, Reed City, River Rouge, Warren, Elsie, and Milan received shipments as well. Additional information on the impact vermiculite had on Michigan’s population will be provided in subsequent articles by this author.
According to health experts, breathing in the tiny asbestos fibers that can be released from vermiculite contaminated with asbestos may increase the likelihood of developing lung cancer, mesothelioma, lung abnormalities, and breathing disorders.
Topics: Exposure, Facts | No Comments »
Malignant Mesothelioma: Overview Guide
By asbestoshub | July 1, 2010
Quoted from https://www.cancer.org/Cancer/MalignantMesothelioma/OverviewGuide/index
Malignant Mesothelioma Overview
What Is Malignant Mesothelioma?
Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention
Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging
Treating Malignant Mesothelioma
- Disclaimer
- About treatment
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Clinical trials
- Complementary and alternative therapies
Talking With Your Doctor
After Treatment
- Moving on after treatment
- Lifestyle changes to consider during and after treatment
- How about your emotional health?
- What happens if treatment is no longer working?
What`s New in Malignant Mesothelioma Research?
Other Resources and References
Topics: Medicine, Resources | No Comments »
Health organisations call on government to halt chrysotile asbestos exports to developing nations
By asbestoshub | July 1, 2010
Quoted from http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Health+organisations+call+govt+halt+asbestos+exports/3220879/story.html
Health organisations call on government to halt chrysotile asbestos exports to developing nations
By Robert Gibbens, The Gazette June 30, 2010
MONTREAL - Three national health organizations Wednesday added their weight to protests against continuing Quebec exports of chrysotile asbestos to developing countries.
They also backed the Canadian Cancer Society’s appeal to Quebec Premier Jean Charest to dismiss a $58 million loan guarantee request from one Quebec producer.
The Canadian Public Health Association, the Canadian Medical Association and the National Specialty Society for Community Medicine called on the federal and provincial governments to halt the mining of asbestos in Quebec and ban exports.
They said Canada still supports the asbestos industry financially and actively promotes exports to developing countries where health regulations are lax and the public is unaware of the dangers of asbestos use.
“More than 40 countries, including all European Union members, have banned the use of all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile mined in Quebec,” they said. “There is clear scientific evidence that exposure to asbestos through mining, processing and use is harmful and can lead to lung cancer, scarring of the lungs and mesothelioma (cancer of the chest cavity).”
The $58 million loan guarantee sought by the owners of the Jeffrey mine at Asbestos, Que., for expansion “would result in the export of large quantities of asbestos to developing countries over the next 25 years,” they added.
Governments should foster new investments to support the transition to environmentally friendly and sustainable industries in the mining areas, they said.
The two remaining Quebec producers, at Asbestos and Black Lake, say chrysotile asbestos, under controlled use in mining, processing and manufacturing of pipe and other basic building materials is safe.
Topics: Facts | No Comments »
Malignant Mesothelioma: Detailed Guide
By asbestoshub | July 1, 2010
Quoted from https://www.cancer.org/Cancer/MalignantMesothelioma/DetailedGuide/index
Malignant Mesothelioma
What Is Malignant Mesothelioma?
- What is cancer?
- What is malignant mesothelioma?
- What are the key statistics about malignant mesothelioma?
Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention
- What are the risk factors for malignant mesothelioma?
- Do we know what causes malignant mesothelioma?
- Can malignant mesothelioma be prevented?
Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Staging
- Can malignant mesothelioma be found early?
- How is malignant mesothelioma diagnosed?
- How is malignant mesothelioma staged?
Treating Malignant Mesothelioma
- Disclaimer
- Making treatment decisions
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Clinical trials
- Complementary and alternative therapies
- Treatment of mesothelioma based on the extent of the cancer
- More treatment information
Talking With Your Doctor
After Treatment
- What happens after treatment for malignant mesothelioma?
- Lifestyle changes to consider during and after treatment
- How about your emotional health?
- What happens if treatment is no longer working?
What`s New in Malignant Mesothelioma Research?
Other Resources and References
Topics: Medicine, Resources | No Comments »
Aircraft maintenance and mesothelioma
By asbestoshub | June 29, 2010
Quoted from http://www.ijoem.com/article.asp?issn=0019-5278;year=2010;volume=14;issue=1;spage=24;epage=24;aulast=Bianchi
Aircraft maintenance and mesothelioma
LETTER TO EDITOR Year : 2010 | Volume : 14 | Issue : 1 | Page : 24 Claudio Bianchi, Tommaso Bianchi
Center for the Study of Environmental Cancer-Italian League against Cancer, Monfalcone Hospital, Monfalcone - 34074, Italy
Date of Web Publication 24-Jun-2010 Correspondence Address:
Claudio Bianchi
Center for the Study of Environmental Cancer-Italian League against Cancer, Monfalcone Hospital, Monfalcone - 34074
Italy
How to cite this URL:
Bianchi C, Bianchi T. Aircraft maintenance and mesothelioma. Indian J Occup Environ Med [serial online] 2010 [cited 2010 Jun 29];14:24. Available from: http://www.ijoem.com/text.asp?2010/14/1/24/64613Dear Sir,
A variety of toxic substances have been used in aircraft construction. [1] Asbestos-containing materials were present in various aircraft components. [2] Asbestos content was relatively high in the brakes, ranging from 16 to 23% by weight in some types. [2] This suggests that people employed in aircraft maintenance-repair work, including brake replacement, might be at risk for asbestos disease. We reviewed a case of malignant pleural mesothelioma developed in a 63-year-old man. As an aeronautical engineer, he was involved in aircraft maintenance-overhaul at the airports of Naples and Rome in the period 1963-2003. He was treated by right pleuropneumonectomy for mesothelioma in October 2003, and died for mesothelioma recurrence 11 months later. Some studies indicate an increased mortality for pleural cancer among people employed in aircraft industry. [1],[3] Regarding aircraft maintenance-repair, further mesothelioma cases have been observed in Italy in this branch, besides the present one. In 1996, a pleural mesothelioma was histologically diagnosed at the Rome University in a 62-year-old man who had worked as an aircraft mechanic at the Rome airport for 35 years. At the Mesothelioma Registry of Campania, two cases of pleural mesothelioma have recently been reported with histories of maintenance-repair work at the Naples airport. [4] In all the above cases, mesothelioma was defined as an occupational cancer, asbestos related.
Topics: Exposure | No Comments »
Worker wins asbestos-linked compensation claim
By asbestoshub | June 24, 2010
Quoted from http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2935568.htm
Worker wins asbestos-linked compensation claim
By Megan Lewis
Posted Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:24am AEST
A central Queensland man has made a successful claim against his former employer’s insurer after being diagnosed with terminal asbestos-linked cancer.
Rockhampton resident Ian Hutcheon, 74, says he was exposed to asbestos fibre during the four years he worked at the former Rockhampton power station in the 1960s.
He was diagnosed with mesothelioma last month and has been awarded a six-figure sum as a result of his WorkCover claim.
Mr Hutcheon says he is worried about the health of others who worked at the facility.
“Occasionally a steam line would blow and even the workers that worked on the asbestos would hammer the asbestos and It would flake off,” he said.
“So you had all these fibres floating around in the area so they themselves would have been subjected to it.”
Mr Hutcheon’s solicitor, Roger Singh, says it was not the first time he has acted on behalf of a worker at the now defunct facility.
“The purpose of making public comment today is to highlight the dangers asbestos poses,” he said.
“Although the Rockhampton power station is no longer in existence this is a deadly legacy it’s left behind.
“We still see asbestos in buildings, business, home environments and schools.”
Topics: Claims, Exposure, Law | No Comments »
Australian breakthrough may help lung disease patients
By asbestoshub | June 17, 2010
Quoted from http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s2929158.htm
Australian breakthrough may help lung disease patients
Sarah Gerathy reported this story on Thursday, June 17, 2010 08:09:00
TONY EASTLEY: Australian scientists say they’ve made a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for lung diseases like emphysema, asbestosis and severe asthma.
They’ve discovered that a type of cell found in human placentas can reduce inflammation and scarring to the lungs.
The team from the Lung Institute of Western Australia and the Monash Institute of Medical Research has successfully tested the treatment on mice and are now planning to conduct trials on human tissue.
They’ve published their findings in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Sarah Gerathy spoke to the study’s lead researcher, Associate Professor Yuben Moodley.
YUBEN MOODLEY: What we found is that in the human placenta there are cells that develop from the embryo, that are not part of the embryo, that are then passed into the placenta and form part of the placenta. These cells seem to have properties whereby they can differentiate into lung cells, not completely but show that type of property or phenotype.
SARAH GERATHY: And I understand you’ve now successfully tested the cell on mice, so can you tell us a little bit about that?
Topics: Medicine | No Comments »
