Mesothelioma Lawyers

Guilty: Asbestos Exposure at Fault

2010-10-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

In a rare instance, a business that was responsible for asbestos removal pled guilty to exposing workers and neighbors to asbestos fibers. The company failed to inspect the area, failed to plan for contingencies, and failed to protect the area.

The company hired four temporary workers hired to remove asbestos insulation from steam pipes and then to cut the pipes for scrap metal. All four workers were exposed to asbestos.

Breathing asbestos is linked to development of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen and other serious respiratory diseases. The cancer shows up 20 to 40 years later and is difficult to diagnose.

According to state and federal laws removal of asbestos requires contractors to conduct asbestos surveys to identity the material and contain it to prevent the potential release of toxic asbestos dust.

Mesothelioma Awareness

2010-09-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Mesothelioma Awareness

Every year, mesothelioma claims the lives of some 2,500 in America or 90,000 worldwide. Mesothelioma is 100 percent preventable. The cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, a toxic substance used in insulation, sealant, and certain building materials.

Meso awareness will get a boost from the Today Show as the Meso Foundation will display massive ads in the windows of 10 Rockerfeller Building during the week of September 26.

Activists for the Meso Foundation have been hard at work trying to champion a National Mesothelioma Awareness Day.

The foundation continues to sponsor conferences, marathons, races and publicity events that benefit victims and their families, raise money for research, and increase public awareness of the disease.

If you or a family member has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, considered contacting Anapol Schwartz, attorneys-at-law in Pa., NJ, and WVa.

9/11 Victims Still Suffer from Toxic Dust Injuries

2010-08-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a deeply moving essay from across the pond (UK) about 9/11. Devasting side effects of toxic dust are still negatively impacting thousands of victims who are fighting for compensation and their lives.

These victims include office workers, shopkeepers, students and local residents – but the worst-affected are the emergency service, recovery and volunteer aid workers who were exposed to the site at close quarters. These people went to help – and are paying with their lives.

The New York City Department of Health has already recorded 817 deaths of World Trade Center responders from illnesses generated by working on the site. But as well as the official figures, there are currently another 20,000 recorded sick by the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Treatment and Environmental programs.

On 9/11 the dust from the pulverized towers was thick and far-reaching. The cancer causing dust contained chemicals including asbestos, lead, dioxin and deadly PVCs, mercury, plus emissions from more than 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel smoldering underneath the site.

In the urgency of rescuing survivors from the rubble, crucial safety procedures seem to have been overlooked and conflicting instructions given by the authorities. People were operating without the correct protective clothing. Rescue teams were provided with paper masks that became clogged.

People worked zealously to clean up. About 70 percent of emergency service workers have been diagnosed with serious respiratory problems as a result of their involvement with Ground Zero. And the real scandal is that post-disaster health care has been so badly neglected that there is barely any provision for them.

Asbestos Exposure and Historic New Jersey Library

2010-07-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

Asbestos used to be a common building material. Unfortunately, now many crumbling New Jersey public buildings and older residences are full of the material, literally from floor to ceiling. Asbestos has been directly linked not only to mesothelioma cancer, but also to lung cancer, asbestosis, pulmonary problems, and autoimmune disorders.

A 1914 vintage East Orange Public Library remains closed after a state health department inspection found exposed asbestos throughout the building, which could put employees and patrons at risk for mesothelioma cancer. The library was required to hire a professional abatement contractor to safety remove the dangerous material, but months after the job was started, there is no indication when the building will reopen.

Because of its heavy industrial background, New Jersey has also been the site of many companies which traditionally made heavy use of asbestos, including ship yards, power plants, chemical plants and oil refiners. These industries all used asbestos for its superior heat and fire-resistant properties which translates into more past and present NJ workers may have a higher incidence of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.

Asbestos dust caused woman's cancer

2010-05-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Asbestos dust caused woman's cancer

You've heard of second hand smoke but now here's second hand asbestos dust.

A former Los Angeles woman, the wife of a Los Angeles Department of Water & Power employee, was awarded by a jury $8.8 million because she developed mesothelioma or asbestos cancer from inhaling asbestos dust when washing her husband's contaminated clothes when he worked at DWP.

The jury also levied $200 million in punitive damages against CertainTeed, the asbestos cement water pipes company.

A jury awarded a woman more than $200 million after it found that her rare form of mesothelioma cancer was caused by exposure to asbestos from washing her husband's contaminated work-clothes.

During the trial, the jury learned CertainTeed had knowledge that asbestos caused cancer in the early 1960s but the company continued to manufacture the asbestos pipes and did not place a cancer warning on them until 1985.

Sex, Asbestos, and Mesothelioma Cancer

2010-04-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Sex, Asbestos, and Mesothelioma Cancer

No, you cannot get mesothelioma cancer from sexual contact.

But in the case of the late Sex Pistols manager who died recently from a rare form of cancer known as mesothelioma, Malcolm McLaren allegedly died from asbestos exposure in his fashion shop known as SEX.

McLaren spent a lot of time in the shop and the ceiling was exposed to resemble a bomb shelter.

Friends of McLaren said they were very upset with doctors who failed to diagnose the mesothelioma cancer sooner. Doctors at first said the spots were benign and not to worry. Does this constitute medical malpractice or a failure to diagnose mesothelioma cancer?

A few months later McLaren's lungs filled with fluids and he was properly diagnosed with mesothelioma. He deteriorated quickly and died within weeks of the diagnosis.

Can mesothelioma vaccine save lives?

2010-03-08T19:52:00.000-08:00

According to the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the first vaccine for mesothelioma has been developed by Dutch scientists.

The vaccine uses tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic cells whichs uses the body’s immune system to manufacture mesothelioma specific antibodies.

Treatment is a series of three vaccinations administered intradermally and intravenously over a two week period after chemotherapy.

The results were 80 percent effective in the test group. The earlier a person received the treatment the greater their chances were to be free of mesothelioma. The only side effects were a skin rash and flu like symptoms that lasted a day or two.

Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease of the lungs that results from exposure to asbestos. The disease can remain dormant for as long as 50 years before becoming active. Survival times are a year to fifteen months with radiation treatment.

Alabama has one of the highest rates of mesothelioma and one of the greatest potentials for new cases of mesothelioma because of the number of plants that used asbestos or buildings that contained asbestos.

Crime: Fail to properly remove asbestos

2010-02-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

Four men were arrested when they failed to remove asbestos from a condo conversion.

Instead of removing it according to proper health and safety and environmental standards, they covered it up without telling new condo owners.

The project manager pled guilty and named them as accessories.

After asbestos was found in the popcorn texture in the ceilings the men decided that complete and proper removal of the ceilings was too expensive. They covered the ceilings with drywall attached with furring strips, requiring the asbestos to be drilled into.

Workers were instructed to cover the asbestos with little or no protective equipment and without adhering to recommended procedures. The technique used to cover the ceilings actually disturbed the asbestos.

The men who were in charge of oversight are charged with conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act by failing to remove asbestos before the material would be broken up, dislodged or disturbed and without at least one on-site expert in the removal of the material. They are also accused of making false statements to authorities to cover up the scheme.

Mesothelioma and early detection

2010-02-17T06:42:00.000-08:00

If a Nebraska Senator has his way, his state will spend around $650,000 to do a simple test to diagnose mesothelioma and lung cancer in its early stages.

He has a personal stake in the matter because his father died of cancer linked to asbestos exposure.

The test will take mucus from the respiratory tract for early detection which could save lives before it's too late.

Older veterans have an increased risk of developing cancer because they were exposed to more carcinogens and asbestos while in the military service.

A study of veterans who smoke is under way.

Asbestos and Power Plants

2010-02-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

Power plant workers make electricity happen. You might think it's as easy as flipping a switch but not so for the power plant worker.

Some power plant workers sit at computers and control the production and flow of electricity. Some power plant workers may need to control each generator and turbine by monitoring separate switches on the units for energy demands.

Many of the power plant machines generate a horrendous amount of heat. Power plant workers could be exposed to asbestos used to insulate pipes going to and from turbines and other heat-producing machines. Used to generate heat, boilers were present and asbestos can be found in the insulation surrounding boilers and networks of pipe.

Asbestos may be found inside many power plant machines such as asbestos gaskets used to seal pumps and valves. Power plant workers typically installed these asbestos. In the process of installing asbestos gaskets, workers may have been exposed to asbestos fibers.

Even the walls, floor tiles, and ceiling tiles in a power plant may be sites of exposure for the power plant worker.

Many U.S. power plants have been renovated and asbestos has been removed although some plants still contain asbestos. Workers should be particularly diligent when working in older plants to ensure that they are not exposed. Respirators or filtering masks should always be worn.

All these exposure to asbestos has been the cause of mesothelioma, a rare asbestos-related cancer.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits and Women Victims

2010-02-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Mesothelioma Lawsuit and Women Victims

Mesothelioma cancer is not a disease solely inflicting men who worked in power plants, factories, and shipyards. Most mesothelioma cancer victims are men...but not all.

Women are subject to mesothelioma cancer from secondhand exposure from handling and washing asbestos particle clothing that their husbands or fathers wore and then sweeping the asbestos dust around the house.

Women have been diagnosed with mesothelioma also from plastering materials used for interior and exterior stucco as well as home insulation dust emanating from walls and sweeping the room with a broom which caused dangerous fibers to circulate and be inhaled.

Women in cleaning industries such as industrial laundries and dry cleaners have been exposed to toxic insulation and other chemicals. Women who cleaned industrial complexes were also exposed while sweeping asbestos dust particles from the floor and other surfaces.

For awhile, asbestos was used in cosmetics (YES!) and women who worked in factories that manufactured asbestos-containing make-up and powders may have inhaled the toxic mineral on a daily basis. Protective gear was not provided so exposure occurred regularly.

Pa. Vocational School Officials Deny Asbesto Dangers

2010-02-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

About 100 students and teachers at a Bethlehem Twp. vocational school were exposed to asbestos during a remodeling project of a private home that went on for two months.

According to an asbestos consultant, the asbestos fibers in the home were extremely low and should not result in any longterm health problems.

Apparently the school knew of the asbestos but failed to alert the parents, students, or involved faculty.

With help from students, two teachers dismantled and removed the home's old boiler in the basement and carried it outside.

School officials later told them that asbestos was in the basement and not to go back to the house.

The consultant was aware of the asbestos and recommended that the school district have it abated by professionals and did not know students were working around the material until after it was already disturbed.

Why weren't the teachers and students properly notified?

Who was responsible for telling them?

Do the parents and teachers need to talk to consult with a Pa. asbestos lawyer?

2010 Asbestos Awareness Conference

2010-02-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) will host its 6th Annual International Asbestos Awareness Conference in Chicago, IL, on Saturday, April 10, 2010, with activities throughout the weekend.

The international conference will provide education and outreach to families, employers/employees, and scientists throughout the world as part of ADAO's continuing effort to educate the public about the dangers of asbestos, ban its use, and encourage research efforts to improve treatment options.

Prominent physicians, scientists, and safety and health care professionals who are experts in the area of asbestos representing the United States, Canada, England, Brazil, and Germany will present current information regarding the status and impact of asbestos in the United States and globally.

The weekend will provide information and inspiration for those impacted by asbestos-related disease as well as others who advocate for safe environments. The special guest will be entertainer Jordan Zevon whose father, rock musician Warren Zevon, died of mesothelioma cancer caused from asbestos exposure.

Cost of Black Lung Disease

2010-01-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Nobody denies that black lung disease is an occupational disease which coal miners are exposed to.

But what they deny is who should be liable to pay for it.

Both Senator Robert Byrd and the United Mine Workers of America want to make changes in the federal black lung benefits program as part of the still to be decided healthcare bill.

Currently, miners must prove that black lung disease is a significant contributor to their disability in order to receive black lung benefits. Widows of coal miners have to reapply for benefits and prove the miner had black lung that significantly contributed to or hastened death.

Under Byrd's amendments, workers with 15 or more years in the mines would be presumed to have black lung disease which is irreversible and happens from exposure to coal dust. Also, the amendment would make it easier for widows of workers who were employed 15+ years in the mines to receive benefits.

The changes would be effective retroactive to 2005.

Big business and the chambers of commerces are against the amendment because of the costs they will be burdened with.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer or asbestos cancer or black lung disease, please contact a meosthelioma lawyer in Pennsylvania or West Virginia.

Exposure to Toxic Substances: Glow in the Dark

2010-01-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

Is a school that is near a hazardous waste transfer station in danger of toxic substances?

Depends whom you talk to.

The town officials say no but the parents are not convinced.

How dangerous is the groundwater contamination?

What's taking so long since cleanup at the site begin in the mid 1990s.

Remedial efforts have failed and the decontamination method shifted the water table closer to homes and the school.

Parents are skeptical because bins containing mercury and asbestos are pushed up against a fence that borders on the school's property.

The chemical company says this method of storage falls within state regulations.

Who do you trust?

Mesothelioma Cancer and Power Plants

2010-01-29T07:53:00.000-08:00

Some occupations are more prone to mesothelioma than other occupations.

Employees who worked at power plants prior to 1970s were exposed to asbestos related diseases.

Prior to much regulation or knowledge of this horrible disease, insulation was needed in power plants because of the high degree of heat generation. Pipes, pumps, generators, heaters, turbines, and boilers were all lined with asbestos or asbesto containing products.

Employees who were exposed decades ago may not be reeling from a mesothelioma cancer diagnosis today.

If you or a loved one worked in a power plant company, you may have been exposed to materials containing asbestos. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer or asbestos cancer, find out what your rights are and how contacting a mesothelioma cancer lawyer can help you and your family.

Company Receives Fine for Asbestos Exposure

2010-01-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

A British company was fined for putting workers at risk for asbestos exposure. Even though it happened in England, it could happen anywhere -- New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, anywhere.

What happened is while there was site refurbishing going on including the removal of large amounts of asbestos insulation, there were no safety precautions offered to the workers.

So the workers became exposed as well as the area became contaminated.

The landlord pled guilty and was order to pay a fine and clean up the contamination but how can you ever make it right to the workers who were exposed? Frequently, asbestos cancer and asbestos illnesses happen long after the exposure when it's simply too late.

Asbestos On The Job - Have You Been Exposed?

2008-12-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

Working with asbestos is a pretty complicated affair. Employees are not allowed to handle more than a certain amount for a certain period of time. They need to wear the proper safety equipment and be trained to handle asbestos. Apart from that, the employer can be held liable if the proper safety precautions aren't in place. But this isn't how it used to be earlier. Today, many people have contracted Mesothelioma because of exposure to asbestos in the work place in the past.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that can take many years to show itself. Most cases that have emerged today are the result of exposure to asbestos sometime during the 1940s. It was during this time that many workers in the labor sector were directly exposed to large amounts of asbestos. People who worked in industries such as ship-building, construction and in direct asbestos mining are the most likely to contract Mesothelioma today. Many of the rescue workers and fire fighters who were involved in 9/11 relief work are also at risk, since they too were exposed to high levels of asbestos.

Further studies have also shown that family members of people who have worked with asbestos are also at risk. This is because they are often exposed to asbestos fibers that cling to the clothing, shoes and hair. One of the most frustrating aspects of the disease is that it can sometimes take up to 40 years to show itself. By then, it's often too late for the patient or their family to go back and find out that who is really responsible for the asbestos exposure.

$25.2 Million Asbestos Verdict in Pennsylvania

2008-12-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, a Philadelphia jury awarded $25.2 million in compensatory and punitive damages in an asbestos related lawsuit.

The case was brought by the estate of James Baccus against the Crane Company and Yarway. James Baccus had served in the United States Navy in Philadelphia, which is how his case came to be heard in the Pennsylvania courts. However, some of his exposure to asbestos occurred in Philadelphia and some occurred in Kentucky.

The court found that the defendant was “grossly negligent for failure to warn of the dangers of asbestos in reckless disregard of the safety of others." The plaintiff was awarded $7 million in compensatory damages and $18.2 million in punitive damages. The compensatory damages were for things such as loss of future income, loss of consortium, and wrongful death. The punitive damages were to punish the defendants for their mistakes.

This case is said to be the first asbestos case in more than 20 years in which punitive damages were awarded in Pennsylvania. This is likely because Kentucky law was applied to the case.

Clearly, the result was a large economic benefit to the family of James Baccus. Was it the right decision? Does Kentucky law which allows for punitive damages to be found earlier in the case than Pennsylvania law result in decisions that are fair for the family or overly punitive?

The award of damages is very likely to be appealed and we won’t know the final outcome for some time. However, the family of James Baccus already knows the outcome. They know that they lost a beloved family member to a preventable disease. That is something that is hard to tie to a dollar amount. It is the court’s obligation to try since it is the only method of compensating the families, imperfect as it may be.

Asbestos Litigation: At what price?

2008-12-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

Asbestos litigation is important business. Many people have become seriously ill and died as a result of asbestos exposure. Many of these people have sought compensation for themselves and their families in court. However, is the way in which the courts hear asbestos cases fair?

In the past few years Congress has been considering funding a trust fund that would allow people who become sick with mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases to get money quickly without going to court. The proposed law was called the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act. It never became law.

Many parties agree that something has to be done. Patients and their families are struggling with the high costs of medical bills and services that become necessary when there is a mesothelioma diagnosis. Most of the time, the courts do not work fast enough to provide money to patients that urgently need it.

However, some lawyers are critical of the trust fund idea and say that it protects companies who are at fault. They are also fearful that the trust fund would not help all of the people who have become ill or died as a result of asbestos exposure.

On the local level some state and county courts have initiated their own reforms. The Madison County Circuit Court in Missouri has created a deferred docket. That means in asbestos related cases, plaintiffs who are already ill will get their cases heard before other plaintiffs who might become ill.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive and most often fatal cancer. Many patients who chose to sue their former employers do not have a long time to live and very much want their day in court. They want to make sure their families are provided for before they die.

However, is it fair to move their cases ahead of others? Is a trust fund a better idea? Are the courts working efficiently? Is reform needed? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this matter. Please leave a comment and let us know what you think.

Asbestos Exposure: Protect Your Home & Family

2008-12-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

You may have heard the headlines about the dangers of asbestos in the construction industry and other industries. You may know that exposure to asbestos can cause significant and often fatal health problems such as mesothelioma. But, did you know that there is likely asbestos present in your home if you live in a home that was built in the mid 20th century?

What can you do to protect your health?

Is Asbestos Used in Your Home?
There are many areas of your home that may contain asbestos. Asbestos may be present in your roofing or siding. Houses that were built between 1930 and 1950 often had asbestos insulation. Prior to 1977, asbestos was used in some kinds of wall compounds and paints. Older homes may also have water pipes that are covered in asbestos. Asbestos can be found in vinyl floors, gas fireplaces or in the surfaces surrounding wood burning stoves. Some oil furnaces are also known to have asbestos insulation. If your house was built or worked on prior to 1980, it is possible that the asbestos is still present in your home.

What Should You Do?
The most important thing that you can do is not to disturb the asbestos. If the asbestos is in good condition it is unlikely to be dangerous or to cause any illnesses. However, if the fibers are coming loose or if, for example, the insulation needs to be replaced or the paint needs to be chipped away, then you need to have it removed by a professional who has been well educated about the different precautions that are necessary to prevent serious illnesses such as mesothelioma from asbestos exposure.

If you require information the American Lung Association can help you learn more about how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Asbestos Release Site: Valley Forge National Park

2008-12-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Studies that link asbestos to dangerous diseases such as mesothelioma have concentrated on workers who are exposed to large concentrations of asbestos over long periods of time. Many people know that asbestos is present in their home insulation, car brakes, or air conditioning units.

However, did you know that Pennsylvania’s Valley Forge National Historical Park is an asbestos release site?

Between the 1890s and the 1970s an asbestos plant dumped its waste in Valley Forge. Then, in 1997, when a fiber optic cable was being installed, asbestos contamination was discovered in the park’s soil. In April 1997, the Environmental Protection Agency determined that the asbestos contamination could be a public health threat and ordered that the site be cleaned up. The goal was to prevent visitors at the pristine national park to not suffer the ill effects of asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma, in years to come. Mesothelioma typically presents itself decades after exposure to asbestos. It is almost always fatal and it is almost always caused by asbestos exposure.

Accordingly, Valley Forge began a long term plan to minimize the risk to public health and to the environment that could be caused by the asbestos exposure. The plan included a feasibility study, plan implementation, and remedial actions.

Valley Forge used the guidelines set forth by various federal regulations that regulate asbestos exposure in order to minimize the risk of mesothelioma and other illnesses. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates asbestos exposure through the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Superfund law and the Toxic Substances Control Act. Other agencies such as the FDA and OSHA also regulate asbestos exposure to minimize the risk of mesothelioma and other asbestos related illnesses.

Construction Workers Families & Asbestos Exposure

2008-12-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

In 1992, a law was passed that required the government to look at contamination of workers’ homes from substances workers unknowingly brought home on their clothing and equipment from the workplace. Specifically, the law called the Worker’s Family Protection Act of 1992 directed the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to study this problem.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health worked with several other federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in carrying out its study. Information was gathered from state and federal agencies, professional associations, and published reports. The report included information from 28 different countries and 36 states within the United States.

In 1995, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health issued its report. The report found that many different contaminants have caused serious health problems for workers’ families. Asbestos was among the contaminants cited in the study. The study found that the problem of asbestos entering workers’ homes was a worldwide issue that resulted in all kinds of asbestos-related diseases including the deadly cancer, mesothelioma. The report also stated that there were at least 100 known cases of workers’ family members dying from mesothelioma in the United States. It concluded that while asbestos is used less frequently then it once was -- asbestos exposure and the potential for mesothelioma remain a risk for family members of construction workers.

The report also listed recommendations on precautions that should be taken by workers who are exposed to asbestos so that they minimize the danger to their families. It is recommended that workers shower and change out of their work clothes prior to coming home. It is further recommended that work clothes be kept separate from other clothes and remain on the job site. Family members should be discouraged from visiting job sites and, as always, workers should take every precaution to minimize their own exposure.

Center of Excellence in Environmental Technology (CEET)

2008-12-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

What is being done to further the prevention, diagnoses and treatment of mesothelioma and other diseases that are caused by environmental toxins such as asbestos? Different organizations around the country are doing their part to aid in the research necessary to minimize the effects of mesothelioma and other dangerous diseases.

Some of these groups such as the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School are funded, in part, with grants from the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences. CEET is one of 22 environmental health centers in the United States. The environmental health centers were created to build infrastructure and provide resources so that important gains could be made in diseases that are caused by environmental toxins.

The specific purpose of CEET is to understand the link between environmental exposures and the diseases they cause. It is thought that understanding that link will help with the prevention, diagnoses, and treatment of environmentally caused diseases.

CEET has several different research cores including one in lung and airway disease. The lung and airway disease core includes the study of asthma, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other diseases. Mesothelioma, for example, is a serious and aggressive form of cancer that is most often caused by exposure to asbestos in the workplace. CEET investigators take their work wherever they might find the answers to their questions, including to patients suffering from the disease and to superfund sites.

Another important aspect of CEET is its commitment to sharing the knowledge gained from its research both with those in the medical community and those in the broader community. This commitment to shared knowledge is important and is the only way that the research will have the intended result of preventing environmental diseases and easing the impact causes by illnesses that do occur.

9/11 World Trade Center Asbestos Exposure

2008-11-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

Most often, mesothelioma is related to asbestos exposure. Asbestos is present almost everywhere and almost everyone is exposed to asbestos during their lives. Yet, most of those people are not at risk for mesothelioma or other asbestos related diseases. It is people who have extended exposure to asbestos, usually through their work, that should be most concerned about this deadly kind of cancer.

Risk of illness to workers and their families
Beginning in the 1940s, American workers in a variety of construction trades were regularly exposed to asbestos. It has affected workers in the asbestos mining industry, the shipbuilding industry and, the construction industry. It has also affected workers who are involved with buildings as they come down including demolition workers and firefighters. People who have lived with workers in these trades also need to be aware of the disease and watch for symptoms. It has been shown that the asbestos fibers that workers carry home on their clothes and equipment can cause mesothelioma.

The Potential for Illness as a Result of the September 11 Attacks
While mesothelioma can take 20 – 40 years to present itself after a worker has worked with asbestos, there is growing concern that a whole new group of workers may have been exposed in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. As the towers crumbled and the nation mourned, a brave group of rescue and recovery workers set about the brave task of helping the victims and cleaning the site. Asbestos had been used in the construction of the North Tower of the World Trade Center and when the building collapsed it is estimated that hundreds of tons of asbestos were released into the atmosphere. The rescue and recovery workers are at the greatest risk for mesothelioma and other asbestos related illnesses. However, those in nearby residences, offices and schools must also keep a careful watch for symptoms of the disease.

If you believe that you are in one of the risk groups for mesothelioma then you should discuss your concerns with your doctor as soon as possible.