The South Carolina Supreme Court [in August 2021] upheld a $16 million jury award to the family of a maintenance worker at a polyester fiber plant who died following years of asbestos exposure. Hystron Fibers Inc., owned by defendant CNA Holdings, hired Daniel Construction Co. in 1965 to build a plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. When the … [Read more...]
Environmental exposure to asbestos and the risk of lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Asbestos is a carcinogen associated with lung cancer, but few studies have examined the increased risk of lung cancer due to environmental asbestos exposure. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between environmental asbestos exposure and lung cancer. We searched for articles on non-occupational or … [Read more...]
Health groups sue to make EPA evaluate ‘legacy’ asbestos risk
Health and environmental groups have sued the Environmental Protection Agency, seeking a court order compelling it to evaluate the risks posed by so-called "legacy" asbestos used in old products and buildings. In a complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in San Francisco, groups including the nonprofit Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization … [Read more...]
Why Asbestos Still Threatens Construction Workers’ Health
Asbestos continues to represent a considerable threat to the health of construction workers and the population at large. Though some applications for asbestos have been banned in the United States, the naturally occurring silicate mineral itself is not. The first use of asbestos is believed to date back to the Stone Age, approximately 750,000 … [Read more...]
Incidence of mesothelioma and asbestosis by occupation in a diverse workforce
Objective: We sought to characterize detailed patterns of mesothelioma and asbestosis incidence in the workforce as part of an occupational disease surveillance program in Ontario, Canada. Methods: The Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS) cohort was established using workers' compensation claims data and includes 2.18 million workers … [Read more...]
Effect of Asbestos Exposure on the Frequency of EGFR Mutations and ALK/ROS1 Rearrangements in Patients With Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Multicentric Study
Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of asbestos exposure on cancer-driver mutations. Methods: Between January 2014 and September 2018, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase (ALK), and c-ros oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase gene (ROS1) alterations, demographic … [Read more...]
What is the link between asbestos and lung cancer?
Asbestos is a material that people have used as insulation since the Industrial Revolution. There are strong associations between asbestos and certain types of cancer, including lung cancer and mesothelioma, which is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelial cells. According to the American Cancer Society, several expert agencies, including … [Read more...]
Talc-Based Beauty Products Found to be Contaminated with Asbestos
Talc-based beauty products have been found to be contaminated with asbestos according to some recent news headlines. How can this be? For years, cosmetics and personal care products have included a mineral ingredient called talc in their manufacturing process. Talc's original intention was to improve the texture and feel of products, absorb … [Read more...]
Mesothelioma risk among those exposed to chrysotile asbestos only and mixtures that include amphibole: a case–control study in the USA, 1975–1980
Objectives Occupational asbestos exposure is causally linked to mesothelioma. However, whether exposure to only chrysotile asbestos is associated with mesothelioma risk, and the heterogeneity in risk by different fibre types/lengths remains unclear. We investigated whether mesothelioma risk differs among workers exposed to only chrysotile … [Read more...]
Chemical Firm BASF and Its Law Firm to Pay $72.5M to Close Talcum-Asbestos Claims
BASF SE, the world’s biggest chemical maker, and a law firm agreed to pay a combined $72.5 million to resolve claims they hid evidence that certain talc products contained asbestos in an effort to scuttle thousands of lawsuits. Executives of BASF, along with lawyers from the New York-based Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, agreed to the joint … [Read more...]