More than 200 teachers have died in the past 10 years from the effects of being exposed to asbestos. And for each teacher fatality, nine ex-pupils can also be expected to fall victim to the silent killer, a study claims – an average of almost 200 per year. Breathing in asbestos fibres can lead to mesothelioma, a cancer that develops in the … [Read more...]
Association between mesothelioma and non-occupational asbestos exposure: systematic review and meta-analysis
Background: The risk of mesothelioma has been shown to be associated with exposure to asbestos fibers. Most of the existing literature focuses on occupational exposure; however, non-occupational asbestos exposure has also been identified as an important risk factor. Objective: To estimate the association between mesothelioma and … [Read more...]
Johnson & Johnson knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder
[ Darlene Coker ] knew that her [ mesothelioma cancer ] arose in the delicate membrane surrounding her lungs and other organs. She knew it was as rare as it was deadly, a signature of exposure to asbestos. And she knew it afflicted mostly men who inhaled asbestos dust in mines and industries such as shipbuilding that used the carcinogen before its … [Read more...]
EPA sits back while North Carolinians are “forced to breath” asbestos for seven months
What a month. In September, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued two reports. On Monday, the EPA OIB issued the report revealing that“Asbestos in Schools Not a Top Priority for EPA.” The next day, the EPA OIG published the second report revealing that it took seven months for North Carolina officials … [Read more...]
It’s time for the EPA to ban asbestos once and for all
Nearly 40,000 Americans die from preventable asbestos-caused diseases every year, yet the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) still hasn't banned this toxic substance. Asbestos was once marketed as a "miracle mineral" for its flame-resistance, strength and flexibility to use in construction, but has since been revealed for what it truly is: a … [Read more...]
Killed by a cuddle: Woman died after exposure to second-hand asbestos on husband’s overalls
Babcock International Ltd has been ordered to pay compensation to the children, grandchildren and siblings of Adrienne Sweeney, who lost her battle with mesothelioma - an extremely aggressive form of lung cancer - in August 2015 [after her exposures to second-hand asbestos years earlier]. The mother-of-three, from Paisley in Renfrewshire, had … [Read more...]