Teacher Lea DiRusso knows she won’t survive mesothelioma, but hopes Philadelphia schools makes good on its promise to protect students and staff from asbestos. Lea DiRusso stared at the form in front of her, stuck on the words her doctor wrote to explain why she had to retire early from her career as a Philadelphia School District teacher: … [Read more...]
Asbestos inhalation poses cancer risks to workers and consumers
The processing and use of asbestos-containing diaphragms by the chlor-alkali industry poses an unreasonable risk to the health of workers, the US Environmental Protection Agency concludes in a draft risk evaluation. The assessment, released March 30, also finds unreasonable risks to workers and consumers who process or use asbestos-containing sheet … [Read more...]
EPA finds asbestos poses cancer risks for workers, reigniting calls for ban
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that [ asbestos dust ] poses an unreasonable risk of [ lung cancer and mesothelioma ] to both workers and consumers who inhale it, ramping up pressure on the agency to ban the substance. In a draft risk assessment published this week, the EPA said that workers who inhale [ asbestos dust ] … [Read more...]
Asbestos Warnings Grow With Penn State Lawsuit, National Push
Peter Labosky Jr. had been retired for 12 years from his job as a professor of wood sciences at Penn State University when he was diagnosed in 2014 with mesothelioma. He died five months later. [This case is an example of a "new" or non-traditional asbestos litigation area.] Mr. Labosky’s family alleges in a lawsuit filed in 2016 that the … [Read more...]
FDA to hold public meeting on testing for asbestos in talc
For the first time in nearly 50 years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will examine asbestos testing for talc powders and cosmetics at a hearing on [ February 4, 2020 ]. Regulators are taking a closer look [ at asbestos testing for talc powders and cosmetics ] after finding asbestos, a known carcinogen, in several talc cosmetics and … [Read more...]
US FDA stands by asbestos talc results following J&J error claims
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it stands by its test results showing that samples of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder contained traces of asbestos. The agency’s position, shared with Chemical Watch this week, follows a December statement from the personal care giant J&J refuting an FDA test that [ found Johnson & … [Read more...]