Mesothelioma Info

The asbestos-Mesothelioma link is one that has been discussed over and over. The clear scientific consensus is asbestos exposure can lead to Mesothelioma in certain circumstances. Zonolite is one example of how indirect exposure can occur.

Asbestos has developed a certain "go to" factor in the media. When things are slow, you can always do a piece on asbestos and how it is leading to horrific health problems for someone. The vast majority of these productions involve workers who were exposed in the workplace be it an oil refinery, shipyard, factory or wherever. While these cases definitely exist and are very serious, you can be exposed in much less dramatic circumstances. Zonolite is a perfect example.

What is Zonolite? It is the brand name under which most Vermiculite was sold. Vermiculite was used for a host of purposes, but mostly as insulation in homes and buildings. The product was sold as a "do it yourself" form of insulation by W.R. Grace. The idea was that homeowners could buy the product and then add it to their pre-existing insulation for the purpose of creating a better house envelope that would reduce energy bills.

This may seem somewhat superfluous, but it is not. From 1919 to the 1990s, the vast majority of Vermiculite was mined outside of Libby, Montana. Yes, the same area of mines where asbestos was found naturally. You can probably guess where this is headed. Studies of the Vermiculite mined outside of Libby found the material was infused with asbestos from the mines. W.R. Grace argued it was barely in the product, but quickly discontinued it.

Unfortunately, Zonolite was a huge commercial success. The federal government has estimated it was used in over 30 million homes. It remains in most of these homes undiscovered because the "do it yourself" nature of the product means there are few records showing where it was used.

If you are considering doing some home improvement work, you need to keep an eye out for Zonolite. It tends to be brown and looks like a loose gravel. The most common use was between the joists that separated the attic from the ceiling in rooms. It could, however, be in the walls as well. If found, do not try to remove it yourself. The dust can be deadly and lead to problems such as asbestosis, lung cancer and Mesothelioma.

Asbestos is often touted as a workplace problem. It is, but it is also found in plenty of products in the home, buildings and even schools. If you have any suspicion whatsoever that Zonolite or another asbestos bearing product was used in your home, contact an asbestos removal specialist.

When American doctors began reporting on asbestos-related diseases beginning in the early 1900s, many other countries started recognizing the associated health issues as well. Asbestos causes things like asbestosis, pleural plaques, pleural thickening, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, among others. Thankfully, asbestos is now banned in the United States, but it came too late for many people.

Mentions of asbestos-related diseases came almost simultaneously with the usage of the material. Researchers have found evidence of asbestos usage in cultures from 3,000 years ago. Huts in what is now Finland have been preserved, providing evidence of asbestos-laced chinking used for building. One thousand years later, Greeks and Romans also harnesses the power of asbestos for themselves.

However, the Greek geographer Strabo wrote about the prevalence of lung disease in people who had lots of contact with asbestos. Additionally, the Roman Renaissance man Pliny the Elder noted lung illnesses that arose in people who had prolonged or intensive exposure to asbestos. He even went so far as to recommend that people looking for slaves should not buy those who had worked in asbestos mines or other asbestos-related careers.

Asbestos did not rise again in popularity until the Industrial Revolution. With the increase in usage of machines, people needed something like asbestos as an insulator. As a silicate material, asbestos is incredibly useful in resisting heat, flame, chemicals, electricity, and biodegradation. Its own qualities make asbestos flexible and with high tensile strength. Thus, it is no surprise that it was added to everything from shingles to vinyl flooring to fire doors.

At the beginning of the 20th century, both American and British doctors noticed the increase in illnesses that corresponded with the higher utilization of asbestos. In 1906, a British doctor reported the first case of asbestosis. By the 1920s, many people acknowledged that jobs such as asbestos mining led to disease. This prompted the government to conduct a study on the safety of asbestos in the 1930s.

It was not until 1948 that South Africa, a country with asbestos mining, opened up a chest and infectious disease hospital near an asbestos mining town. It was here that the first superintendent, Chris Sleggs, noticed that there existed a lung problem that did not respond to medication like tuberculosis. Later, Chris Wagner instituted a study looking for another lung disease. Finally, in 1959, Wagner and his colleagues presented research that specifically linked mesothelioma to asbestos exposure.

Now we know that asbestos causes many different diseases, besides just mesothelioma and asbestosis. However, it can take years for mesothelioma to manifest, which means that the estimated peak of diagnoses is not until 2016.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should speak to a lawyer about the legal options open to you. For more information, check out the mesothelioma attorneys at the firm of Williams Kherkher today.