Asbestos &amp; Mesothelioma News

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The Role of the EPA in Regulating Asbestos

Latest News The Role of the EPA in Regulating Asbestos September 2, 2016 The Role of the EPA in Regulating Asbestos The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to protect the environment and the health of humans by regulating substances that could potentially be harmful to both. Asbestos is a carcinogen that was used in many places: our schools, our homes, the buildings we work in, and the products we buy. While asbestos is illegal to manufacture in the United States, it is not illegal to import and asbestos is still used in products and manufacturing today. However, asbestos...

29 May

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Measuring the Toxicity of Asbestos

It is a well-known fact that the naturally-occurring mineral asbestos is a carcinogen; linked to lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. Once industrial workers began to suffer the effects of asbestos years after being exposed, studies began to focus on the toxicity of the substance. Scientists know that exposure alone is the cause for many asbestos related diseases, but current studies now show that the way asbestos is prepared can also impact and increase chances of getting an asbestos-related disease. At the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, researchers focused on grinding asbestos using two techniques: with water, and without. Chrysotile...

29 May

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OSHA Asbestos Regulations

While asbestos may not be illegal in the United States, it is heavily regulated by the U.S. government. Different government agencies have their own laws and regulations for asbestos control to maintain exposure levels in the workplace and the environment. Those who work directly with asbestos consistently have a higher chance of contracting a fatal disease than those who do not. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an organization that protects and assures employees they are working in a safe and healthy working environment. Since the carcinogenic asbestos fibers are small and nearly impossible to see, they are a...

29 May

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Family Rights in An Asbestos Lawsuit

Asbestos lawsuits affect more than just those who have been exposed. The families of those who are suffering from asbestos-related illnesses, or those who have died from asbestos exposure, often have their lives turned upside down. However, they often have legal rights of their own. A good asbestos law firm can help you determine what legal rights you have if your loved one has been exposed to asbestos. Here are some of the most common scenarios that asbestos exposure lawyers see when it comes to families and their rights: Filing on Behalf of the Deceased In many situations, families can file on...

29 May

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Mesothelioma and Crohn’s Disease – A Possible Link

Peritoneal mesothelioma is an incredibly rare cancer that makes up about 30% of all mesothelioma cases. This type of mesothelioma affects the peritoneum, which is a protective membrane that surrounds the abdomen and allows the surrounding organs to expand and contract easily. When asbestos fibers become ingested or inhaled, the lining of the abdomen could be embedded with millions of tiny, sharp, needle-like fibers that can turn healthy cells into cancerous ones as the cells become inflamed. The inflammation of the abdominal area is what led scientists and researchers to study the link between mesothelioma and Crohn’s disease: a chronic...

29 May

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Factors in Mesothelioma Compensation

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that is almost exclusively tied to asbestos exposure. Due to the fact that mesothelioma is caused by outside factors, some mesothelioma patients may be entitled to compensation for their physical and emotional pain. No two mesothelioma cases are the same and there are several factors that must be considered during a mesothelioma case. Here are a few factors to consider: When and Where the Asbestos Exposure Took Place Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos, a naturally-occurring fibrous material that remains in a person’s body for years after the initial exposure....

29 May

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What Are Some Alternatives to Asbestos?

Asbestos was an extremely common and popular material that was used throughout most of the twentieth century. It was, and still is, an abundant, naturally occurring substance that can be mined in mass quantities. Because of its abundancy, it is in-expensive, which allows for it to be used in a litany of products. Asbestos is also unique because even though its natural state when freshly mined resembles a rock, the rock can be easily separated, revealing tiny and very strong fibers. These fibers allowed asbestos to be used in thousands of products – from plastics, to adhesives, to insulation. Insulation was...

29 May

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Mesothelioma Incidence Rates Around the World

Thousands of people each year are diagnosed with and die from asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma in the United States each year. But how does that compare to the rest of the world? Even though asbestos is still legal in the United States, the United States’ incidence rate for mesothelioma is not the highest in the world. This is because of a small town in Australia, which not only was built upon the mining of asbestos, but mined one of the most deadly forms of asbestos in existence: Crocidolite, or blue asbestos. Wittenoom, Australia Wittenoom, Australia, a town north-north-east of Perth...

29 May

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Where You Might Have Been Exposed to Asbestos