Asbestos fibers have been used in a wide range of household, commercial, and industrial products throughout the years. When these fibers are inhaled or ingested, they can cause serious asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
Why was Asbestos used?
Asbestos was widely used in many products and building materials during much of the 20th century.
Asbestos is still not completely banned in the U.S. Thirty-three million houses and businesses in the U.S. contain asbestos, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates.
Most people who develop malignant mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos on the job or during military service.
Some were exposed in their own homes.
Families of workers who were exposed to asbestos in the workplace are also at risk. Asbestos fibers often cling to the clothing and hair of workers, then fell off at home, exposing family members to the risk of acquiring this terrible cancer.
Asbestos was widely used in equipment on Navy ships, Army tanks, and Air Force aircraft. Now, thousands of veterans and civilian workers are suffering from asbestos-related diseases, including the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.
Military veterans, in particular Navy veterans, account for more than one-third of the 3,000 cases of malignant mesothelioma reported each year in the United States. Because the disease has a long incubation period (as long as 60 years), many older veterans are just now showing symptoms of asbestos illnesses.
Veterans who have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases should speak to an experienced attorney about their options for compensation. You would not be suing the military or former commanding officers. Rather, veterans can pursue compensation from the companies that sold asbestos products to the military.
Types of Asbestos
Chrysotile asbestos is the only type that falls into the serpentine mineral category. Found around the world, chrysotile asbestos comes from serpentinite rocks. Although it’s commonly known as white asbestos, chrysotile may also be gray, green, or yellow. The fibers are more flexible than the other types of asbestos, and they can be more than 10 centimeters long. These fibers curl around themselves, forming a spiral and leading to the name curly asbestos.
Chrysotile is the most common type, found in 95 percent of the products made with asbestos in the United States. It’s most often found in outbuildings, warehouses, and garages.
Amosite asbestos is made up of fibers that are long and straight. It is considered somewhat acid-resistant and can be brown, ash gray, or greenish.
Crocidolite asbestos, also known as blue asbestos, is not as heat resistant as other types of the mineral but is more acid resistant. It has fairly flexible fibers that are usually shorter and thinner than other types of asbestos in the amphibole category.
Anthophyllite asbestos is extremely acid resistant and may be grayish white, brownish gray, or green. With short and brittle fibers, this type of asbestos is fairly rare. It is sometimes found in talc deposits.
Tremolite asbestos may be white or gray, and its brittle fibers are resistant to acids. Tremolite is an amphibole that can also occur in non-asbestos form.
Actinolite asbestos, a derivative of tremolite, has brittle fibers but is not resistant to acids. This type of amphibole also occurs in non-asbestos form. It may appear as pale to dark green.
Because of its ability to be woven into fabric, the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme states it has been found in:
Asbestos Exposure
Asbestos was widely used in many products and building materials during much of the 20th century. In fact, 33 million houses and businesses in the United States contain asbestos, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
You may be able to identify asbestos materials by looking at them with the naked eye, but a qualified professional with federal government training or certification courses can take a sample of the material and examine it with a special microscope to confirm it’s asbestos.
Unfortunately, these types of asbestos safety regulations have not always been in place. For decades, people worked with cancer-causing asbestos materials with no protection.
Disturbingly, asbestos companies knew of the danger workers were facing but failed to warn them.
Workers’ family members also risked secondhand exposure to take-home asbestos, which was transferred on workers’ clothing, skin, or hair to the home and then inhaled by others in the household.
Types of Asbestos Products
How to Prevent Exposure to Asbestos
Have you or a family member been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or another asbestos illness? If so, you may be entitled to compensation.
Let us connect you with a respected asbestos attorney who can review your case and discuss all your options. This may include pursuing a claim through an asbestos bankruptcy trust fund, filing an asbestos lawsuit, and/or filing for government benefits, such as VA benefits.
Do not worry about how much it costs to hire an asbestos attorney. Our lawyers will provide a free consultation and will not charge anything unless and until they secure compensation for you.
Sources
Free Mesothelioma Patient
& Treatment Guide
We’d like to offer you our in-depth guide, “A Patient’s Guide to Mesothelioma,” absolutely free of charge.
It contains a wealth of information and resources to help you better understand the condition, choose (and afford) appropriate treatment, and exercise your legal right to compensation.
Copyright MesotheliomaHelp.org
The information provided by Mesothelioma Help is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Our website does not host any form of advertisement.
Mesothelioma Help Cancer Organization is sponsored by Belluck & Fox, LLP
Site by Consultwebs