Tag Archives: asbestosis

Mesothelioma and Asbestos: A Continuing Problem in Louisiana

Thousands of people involved in helping to bring Louisiana back from the brink of total destruction after Hurricane Katrina may be facing a risk they hadn’t anticipated.  The majority of homes and buildings destroyed or badly damaged by the 2005 storm contained asbestos, a mineral fiber classified by the EPA as a carcinogen.  People involved in tearing down or repairing those buildings are likely to inhale or even ingest asbestos, putting them at risk for lung cancer, asbestosis (lung scarring) and malignant mesothelioma. Although it is now known to be highly dangerous, asbestos was a common construction material for more than 50 years, showing up in the insulation, wallboards, floor and ceiling tiles, shingles and elsewhere in hundreds of thousands … Continue reading Mesothelioma and Asbestos: A Continuing Problem in Louisiana »

Quebec Continues To Export Mesothelioma Causing Asbestos

The Olympics will generate an estimated $4 billion CAD for Canada. So with that kind of income perhaps it is time Canada reexamines its practice of exporting mesothelioma causing asbestos to the rest of the world. After all, the income from asbestos is estimated to be only $100 million CAD – a drop in the bucket compared to the Olympics payday. Unfortunately, this reexamination will not happen in the near future. The parliament of Quebec has officially refused to reexamine the dangers of exporting asbestos to developing countries, including Mexico. According to the Canadian Press, the motion would have created a parliamentary committee aimed at examining the practice, which has come under fire lately and flies in the face of … Continue reading Quebec Continues To Export Mesothelioma Causing Asbestos »

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits Continue Worldwide

Victims of mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, and other asbestos-related illnesses, continue to file and win lawsuits around the country. A Bloomington, Illinois factory worker was recently awarded $17.87 million after she contracted mesothelioma following exposure during the 1960s.  According to Illinois newspaper, The Pantagraph, Jayne Menssen was a secretary at Union Asbestos and Rubber Company from 1967 to 1969.  The suit alleged that the owners of the company, Pneumo Abex LLC and Honeywell International Inc., knew about the risks of asbestos and did not warn their employees. The Chevron oil company is facing a similar lawsuit from the family of a Texas man who died of asbestos exposure.  Shelton Fontenot worked as a pipefitter … Continue reading Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits Continue Worldwide »

Quebec Sells Mesothelioma Causing Asbestos

Quebec’s Premier, Jean Charest, is coming under fire for continuing to sell asbestos to underdeveloped countries, particularly India, Indonesia and Bangladesh, despite the known health risks. Asbestos can cause mesothelioma, other cancers and asbestosis. In an editorial this week, Montreal-based newspaper The Gazette calls the Charest government’s asbestos policy ‘deeply immoral’. According to the news organization, Quebec exports some 175,000 tons of asbestos annually, despite the fact that the World Health Organization considers asbestos a serious health hazard and recognizes its link to most cases of the rare cancer, mesothelioma. The Gazette editorial argues that Canada’s asbestos industry is not an economic issue for the country, since it employs fewer than a thousand people, but rather a political issue. Nearly … Continue reading Quebec Sells Mesothelioma Causing Asbestos »

James Hardie’s Mesothelioma and Asbestos Legacy Continues

Most Americans have never heard of a company called James Hardie, but to many Australians this name conjures up an enormous death toll from asbestos. It has been alleged that this company is responsible for thousands of past and future Australian deaths from mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Founded in Melbourne Australia in 1888 by James Hardie the company produced asbestos related products such as building products, insulation, and brake linings. In March 1987 it stopped manufacturing the asbestos containing products but, it was already too late. Mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases have a long latency period from the time of asbestos exposure to disease diagnosis. Thousands of Australians who had worked for James Hardie or had come in … Continue reading James Hardie’s Mesothelioma and Asbestos Legacy Continues »

139 Ways to Avoid Cancer

Here are 139 ways to help avoid getting cancer from a well documented carcinogen – asbestos.  Asbestos causes mesothelioma, other cancers and asbestosis.  Most of these asbestos caused diseases are considered incurable by mainstream doctors. What is Asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral.  Because of its heat resistance and tensile strength it has been used in thousands of products.  As early as the 1930’s and 1940’s manufacturers of asbestos containing products discovered that this mineral could cause diseases including cancer.  Unfortunately, even armed with this knowledge, they did little to protect workers and consumers for the next several decades. No Asbestos Ban in the United States On July 12, 1989, after conducting a ten year study, spending millions of dollars, … Continue reading 139 Ways to Avoid Cancer »

Asbestos Workers Face Increased Risk of Cancer Death

Workers who have been exposed to asbestos on the job are more likely to die from lung cancers,mesothelioma, and asbestosis, as well as from stomach cancer and stroke, according to one of the longest-running studies of British asbestos workers, published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. On the positive side, more stringent asbestos regulations appear to be reducing the risk of asbestos-related diseases among younger workers. Since the early part of the 20th century, asbestos-related diseases have been the leading cause of job-related deaths in Great Britain, and the number of deaths has been on the rise. Although Britain has enacted stricter laws governing the use of industrial asbestos, exposed workers will likely continue to develop deadly cancers in the years … Continue reading Asbestos Workers Face Increased Risk of Cancer Death »

Asbestos a Deadly Carcinogen

Asbestos can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Yet, companies that manufatured and used asbestos hid the truth about this carcinogen from the public and their own employees. The result of this shameful behavior is that thousands of healthy people of all ages have become stricken with debilitating and deadly diseases that could have been avoided. For example in the early 1940’s, the president of a major asbestos manufacturing company said that the managers of another company were “a bunch of fools for notifying employees who had asbestosis.” When one of the people in attendance asked, “Do you mean to tell me you would let them work until they drop dead?” According to deposition testimony, the response was, “Yes. We save … Continue reading Asbestos a Deadly Carcinogen »