Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Cancer - California - Asbestos Facts
Nearly all cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer in California workers and residents are caused by asbestos exposure. The attorneys of Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick LLP believe all Californians should understand the health risks of asbestos. Although the use of asbestos in American industry has been curtailed in recent years, many Californians suffered exposure before the risks were known and many continue to be exposed because of the continued use of asbestos in imported products.
[ top of page ]
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. There are several types of asbestos fibers, of which three have been used for commercial applications: (1) Chrysolite, or white asbestos, comes mainly from Canada, and has been very widely used in the U.S. It is white-gray in color and found in serpentine rock. (2) Amosite, or brown asbestos, comes from southern Africa. (3) Crocidolite, or blue asbestos, comes from southern Africa and Australia. All three types pose risks to human health. In fact, there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos in the work environment.
After it is mined and processed, asbestos consists of very fine, microscopic, needle-shaped fibers. The fibers are so small that you cannot see them unless the concentration in the air is very heavy. Asbestos is strong and resists heat, acids, and friction. Asbestos fiber masses tend to break easily into a dust composed of tiny particles that can float in the air and stick to clothes. The fibers may be easily inhaled or swallowed and can cause serious health problems. Because of these qualities, asbestos has been used in thousands of consumer, industrial, maritime, automotive, scientific, and building products. During the 20th century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards, and commercial buildings in the United States.
[ top of page ]
How was asbestos used?
Asbestos was mined and used commercially in North America beginning in the late 1800s. Its use increased during World War II. The shipbuilding industry used asbestos to insulate boilers, steam pipes, and hot water pipes. The automotive industry used asbestos in vehicle brake shoes and clutch pads. More than 5,000 products contain or have contained asbestos. Some of them are listed below:
- Asbestos cement sheet and pipe products used for water supply and sewage piping, roofing and siding, casings for electrical wires, fire protection material, electrical switchboards and components, and residential and industrial building materials;
- Friction products, such as clutch facings, brake linings for automobiles, gaskets, and industrial friction materials;
- Products containing asbestos paper, such as table pads and heat-protective mats, heat and electrical wire insulation, industrial filters for beverages, and underlying material for sheet flooring;
- Asbestos textile products, such as packing components, roofing materials, and heat- and fire-resistant fabrics (including blankets and curtains); and
- Other products, including ceiling and floor tile; gaskets and packing; paints, coatings, and adhesives; caulking and patching tape; artificial ashes and embers for use in gas-fired fireplaces; plastics; vermiculite-containing consumer garden products; and some talc-containing crayons.
For more information about asbestos products known to cause malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer, contact the California mesothelioma lawyers at Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick LLP.
[ top of page ]
Is asbestos still used?
The use of asbestos in the United States increased each decade until the early 1970s. At that time, the government established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which immediately began to regulate the use of asbestos. As a result, certain types of asbestos products, including fireproofing and high temperature insulation, were eliminated from use in this country. As OSHA and other government organizations such as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) increased the regulations, more asbestos products were phased out. For example, in the late 1970s the CPSC banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching compounds and gas fireplaces. In addition, asbestos was voluntarily withdrawn by manufacturers of electric hair dryers.
In 1989, the EPA tried to ban virtually all uses of asbestos, but that effort was blocked in the courts by the asbestos industry. However, because of governmental and consumer pressure, and increasing personal injury lawsuits, use of asbestos in brakes, cement pipe, and sealing materials were mostly eliminated in the United States. In August 2000, the EPA recommended that consumers reduce possible asbestos exposure from vermiculite-containing garden products by limiting the amount of dust produced during use. The EPA suggested that consumers use vermiculite outdoors or in a well-ventilated area; keep vermiculite damp while using it; avoid bringing dust from vermiculite use into the home on clothing; and use premixed potting soil, which is less likely to generate dust.
Today, a small number of asbestos products continued to be manufactured in the United States, but many products are still imported. Asbestos products continue to be widely used in other countries, particularly third world countries. Although bills have been introduced in the U.S. Congress to ban all use of asbestos in this country, those efforts have not yet succeeded.
[ top of page ]
How does asbestos harm people?
Because asbestos fibers are so small, they can easily be inhaled when dust is produced. This occurs not only when asbestos products are installed, but also when they are disturbed or removed. Although there are strict laws regulating the removal of asbestos-containing products, many workers, school children, and homeowners are still exposed to asbestos from products installed decades ago that are now decaying. Although the human respiratory system can process many inhaled asbestos fibers, a large quantity lodge in the lungs and in the lining of the lungs called the pleura. These deposits may lead to serious illnesses including asbestosis (fibrous scarring of the lungs), lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
If you have been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer, contact the California mesothelioma attorneys at Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick LLP.
[ top of page ]
Who is at risk?
Since the early 1940s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos. Health hazards from asbestos fibers have been recognized in workers exposed in shipbuilding trades, asbestos mining and milling, manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products, insulation work in the construction and building trades, brake repair, and a variety of other trades. Demolition workers, drywall removers, and firefighters also may be exposed to asbestos fibers. As a result of government regulations and improved work practices, today’s workers (those without previous exposure) are likely to face smaller risks than did those exposed in the past.
Exposure can also occur in the home from asbestos products installed in the home and from asbestos brought home on the clothes of workers. Tragically, there have been many cases of mesothelioma in the wives and children of workers who are exposed when work clothes are laundered and when they come in contact with asbestos-contaminated furniture, drapes, and carpets.
Although it is known that the risk to workers increases with heavier exposure and longer exposure time, investigators have found asbestos-related diseases in individuals with only brief exposures. Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after their first exposure. It can take from 20 to 60 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear.
[ top of page ]
Is there a danger of asbestos exposure from the environment?
Because asbestos was so widely used, there is an "ambient" level of asbestos in most cities. Whether this increases the risk of getting an asbestos-related disease remains an unanswered question. Because asbestos is a natural mineral, there is also the potential for exposure when the rock containing the asbestos is disturbed. This most often occurs during the mining process, but can also occur during the development of new housing projects. The EPA continues to investigate the impact on human health of these exposures.
For more information about the link between malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer and asbestos, contact the California mesothelioma attorneys at Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick LLP.
[ top of page ]
For more information about asbestos and malignant pleural mesothelioma cancer in California, fill out the contact form below.
Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick LLP
44 Montgomery Street
36th Floor
San Francisco CA 94104
Phone: 800-901-4001
Fax: 415-981-1270
Click here for directions
