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...]
Past and current asbestos exposure and future mesothelioma risks in Britain: The Inhaled Particles Study (TIPS)
Background: Occupational and environmental airborne asbestos concentrations are too low and variable for lifetime exposures to be estimated reliably, and building workers and occupants may suffer higher exposure when asbestos in older buildings is disturbed or removed. Mesothelioma risks from current asbestos exposures are therefore not … [Read more...]