Asbestos Exposure

May 31, 2015

Amherst State School Redeveloped After Asbestos Abatement

Asbestos is no longer used in the vast majority of construction projects in the United States due to environmental regulations. While efforts to entirely ban the substance proved unsuccessful decades ago, when a congressional ban was repealed, the use of asbestos was largely discontinued.

However, many old buildings across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts still contain large amounts of the toxic material as they were constructed and renovated prior to the ban in the 1970s. Asbestos was heavily used due to its cheap cost to mine and manufacture and its natural ability to resist fire, heat, electricity and caustic chemicals.

As these old and sometimes historic buildings crumble into a state of disrepair, the asbestos once contained in siding materials, roofing materials, insulation products, and flooring material is allowed to literally turn to dust. That dust is highly toxic, as, when the fibers are inhaled, they can become lodged in a layer of tissue known as the mesothelium. When asbestos is in a crumbling state where it can be crushed by the pressure of a human hand, it is known as friable asbestos. This is the most deadly form of asbestos other than pure asbestos powder. Asbestos powder did not have many industrial or commercial applications, but it was used in the past for rather unfortunate purposes, such as fake snow on Christmas ornaments.
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May 28, 2015

Study: Firefighters at Heightened Risk of Mesothelioma

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Firefighting is a dangerous job. Each year, many firefighters are seriously injured or killed. Major causes of injuries include smoke inhalation, structural collapse and burns. However, according to a recent news article in the Orlando Sentinel, firefighters are at much higher risk for many different types of cancer (pancreatic cancer is extremely prevalent) and studies have determined they are two times more likely to die of malignant mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure than those who have never worked as firefighters.

There are a variety of reasons firefighters are more likely to develop malignant mesothelioma than non-firefighters. First, it should be noted, the results in the study were compared to a control group of non-firefighters, and the data stood up to this comparison.
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May 25, 2015

Skin Cancer Drug Shows Promise for Mesothelioma Victims

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

As it stands, there is no effective treatment or cure for mesothelioma. Yes, there are drugs and radical surgical procedures, which may slightly extend a patient’s life or ease the pain and suffering to some extent. However, there is little doctors can do to really treat or cure the deadly disease.

But researchers are not giving up. They are constantly working on new mesothelioma treatments and trying existing drugs developed for other cancers on mesothelioma victims as part of various studies. According to a recent article from the National Law Review, a skin cancer treatment drug may help those suffering from mesothelioma.

The drug researchers are hoping works for mesothelioma patients is known as Pembrolizumab and is marketed under the brand name Keytruda. While most cancer treatments involve use of chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of both, a new type of treatment has emerged known as immunotherapy. Immunothearpy has been shown to have fewer side effects than traditional treatments, which often involve destruction of healthy tissue and cells in addition to the cancer cells.
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May 22, 2015

$13 Million in Talcum Powder Asbestos Lawsuit

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

For many years, talcum powder (talc) was used on a daily basis in barbershops and homes. While people still use the term talcum powder today, they are really referring to a product now called baby powder, which is primarily made from corn starch instead of actual talc. The product is used as an astringent to prevent or treat skin rashes and as a deodorant. Barbers brush it on customers after using a razor or electric clippers without a guard to prevent minor skin irritation.

Natural talc has the potential to be dangerous to humans for various reasons. Talc itself is properly called magnesium silicate and has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. However, the larger danger is that talc is a silica compound, which forms in a deep ore environment similar to other silica compounds, such as the six silica compounds that form what we know as asbestos.
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May 19, 2015

Asbestos Found in Nature Can be Deadly

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Many people think of asbestos as a man-made poison. While it is toxic, and nearly every case of mesothelioma was due to asbestos exposure caused by the negligence of reckless people and companies, asbestos itself a substance found in nature.

For thousands of years, humans have mined asbestos in one or more of its various forms and used it as an insulator from heat and fire. Researchers have found asbestos fibers in pottery made in Finland dating to back to 2,500 B.C. In the 1600s, Russians used chrysotile asbestos fibers to make paper. The asbestos they used was traced to the Ural Mountains.

As it turns out, it is also an effective insulator from many corrosive chemicals and electricity. It was during the Industrial Revolution in North America and Western Europe when companies began to mine large quantities of the silica-based mineral and refine it into all types of industrial, commercial, and consumer products – to the point where asbestos products filled many aspects of people’s lives.
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May 16, 2015

Asbestos in Space Flight Programs

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

When we think about all the amazing inventions and discoveries associated with NASA over the last half century, it’s impossible not to wonder what the future holds. Even though the shuttle program is over, and the only place to see a NASA-manned vehicle is a museum, engineers are hard at work designing a new rocket system designed to send astronauts to Mars.

One thing that may come as a surprise is, despite all of the cutting-edge technology, asbestos has played a major a role in spaceflight, and, to some extent, still does. As discussed in a feature from NASA Spaceflight.com, asbestos-containing material has been heavily used in various aspects of rocket design and heat shielding technology.

One the one hand, it is easy to see why asbestos was, and still is, a somewhat favored material. It is a naturally occurring element, which is easy to mine, and cheap to refine into manufactured products. It an excellent insulator from heat, caustic chemicals, electricity, and fire, and it can also be spun into extremely lightweight textiles. Weight reduction is a major goal in spaceflight, as these machines have to reach speeds of around 20,000 MPH to clear Earth’s atmosphere and get into space.
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May 13, 2015

Beloved Chef Seeks Mesothelioma Treatment in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Mesothelioma is not only devastating to those diagnosed with the deadly illness, but also for family and friends of victims. Everyone involved suffers, and that suffering could have been prevented, had it not been for the industry’s complete disregard for the safety of workers, consumers and families.

According to a recent news story from Bangor Daily News, one local community is standing behind a well-loved chef who has recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Victim’s daughter says her mother, only 45-years-old, was having serious trouble breathing and went to the doctor to see what was wrong. Doctors found polyps in her chest and performed a biopsy. When the results came back, she was told she has malignant mesothelioma.

Since her diagnosis, victim has been traveling to Boston for treatment at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, which has more to offer than her local hospital. Each treatment session takes a long time. She was recently scheduled for surgery, followed by a three-week recovery period. Her family is not only dealing with the illness, but she is not able to work as a chef at this time, so it is financially hurting as well, coupled with the cost of travel.
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May 6, 2015

Houston’s Astrodome Past and Future Tied to Asbestos

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

When it was first built, the Houston Astrodome was seen as marvel of modern engineering, which would be a gateway to the future of stadium construction. It all began, according to a recent news feature in The Guardian, with a young girl asking her father why people couldn’t play baseball indoors. She was unhappy when minor league games would get rained out, because that meant she had less time to spend with her dad.

Her father found the idea interesting and spent the next several years getting funding and support for what would be eventually be named the Eighth Wonder of the World by media agencies. Construction was complete, and the Astrodome opened to the general public at the beginning of the 1965 baseball season. President Lyndon B. Johnson attended the game, along with more than 20 astronauts from NASA mission control in Houston, and they all simultaneously threw out a first pitch before the exhibition game between the Astros and the New York Yankees. Mickey Mantle hit a home run during that game.
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May 3, 2015

Landmark Clock Tower in Ludlow Redevelopment Plans

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Many old and historic buildings in Boston and across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts were built during an era in which asbestos was heavily used during construction. According to a recent article from WAMA, a new large-scale redevelopment project is now in the works in Ludlow, Massachusetts.

The project site is situated along a mile and half river walk and is part of the historically designated Ludlow Mills. The mill has not been in operation for many years and has been fenced off from people for over 160 years. The site is on approximately 170 acres and contains more than 60 buildings.

While this project was in planning stages for many years, the main problem was finding funding and gaining approval to complete a large scale asbestos abatement (removal) project necessary before construction and renovations could begin. Asbestos abatement became possible with state and federal funding, which cost millions of dollars to complete. Asbestos abatement was completed over a five-year period.
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April 24, 2015

BNSF Ry. Co. v. Superior Court: Personal Jurisdiction in Mesothelioma Cases

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

BNSF Ry. Co. v. Superior Court, a case from the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District, involves a plaintiff who died as a result of malignant pleural mesothelioma caused by his occupational exposure to asbestos.

Specifically, plaintiff’s family members alleged he was exposed to asbestos while working at a roundhouse and dismantling facility for a railway operation owned by defendant’s predecessor in interest.

Essentially, many mesothelioma victims were exposed to deadly asbestos fibers between 20 and 50 years prior to being diagnosed with cancer. In most cases, the company responsible for mining asbestos, manufacturing asbestos-related products, or using asbestos products is not longer in existence. Often times these once large industrial firms were purchased by other companies and eventually dissolved as independent legal entities. For example, the once prominent Santa Fe Railroad and all of its rolling stock and track right of way are now a part of BNSF Railway Company, along with other railroads, making it the second-largest rail operation in the United States.
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