Mesothelioma 110 articles

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking new steps to protect consumers from dangerous cosmetics. “We’ll soon be working with cosmetics manufacturers and requesting information about what procedures they use to ensure their cosmetics are safe and, in particular, about how they ensure that talc used in any cosmetic product is free from asbestos,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a prepared statement. The agency will investigate how manufacturers source talc and whether they test the raw talc they use and/or their finished products. The agency also aims to know how many cosmetic products contain talc and whether ... Read More

The United States Senate has approved the 15th resolution establishing April 1-7 as National Asbestos Awareness Week. The resolution seeks to “raise public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos exposure.” Asbestos is a strong, fire-resistant mineral that was mined from the earth and used in a variety of construction, shipbuilding and friction materials. Its use was greatly reduced in the 1980s. By then, it had been known for decades that asbestos exposure could lead to serious diseases including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Asbestos-related diseases can take up to 50 years to develop. Once symptoms ... Read More

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to use three types of talc-containing makeup marketed to tweens and sold at Claire’s retailers because they tested positive for cancer-causing asbestos. The agency requested the company recall the products but Claire’s refused. Thus, the FDA is urging consumers to be aware of the risks posed by the products and to report any adverse reactions caused by exposure to the products. The Claire’s products that tested positive for asbestos include: Claire’s Eye Shadows – Batch No/Lot No: 08/17 Claire’s Compact Powder – Batch No/Lot No: 07/15 Claire’s Contour Palette – ... Read More

Canadian automobile technicians say Canada’s ban on asbestos, which went into effect Dec. 31, 2018, is a welcome change. “It’s long overdue and it’s quite remarkable how long, politically, it took to make it happen,” said Rick Jamieson, Guelph, Ontario-based president of brake pad manufacturer ABS Friction. “It’s a lot like smoking. People deny the real effects of it until the evidence is overwhelming.” Asbestos is a durable, fire-resistant mineral that was used in a variety of products from insulation to flooring tiles. In the automotive industry, asbestos was most often used in brake pads. ABS Friction products have never ... Read More

The University of Montana posted new information on its website regarding asbestos found in the now-shuttered McGill Hall that housed a day care, but the 84-page document raises even more concerning questions. The document offers details of an asbestos inspection at McGill Hall in 2011, apparently the last time the facility was inspected to see if it contained any materials that contained asbestos and whether those materials were damaged. This may cause the microscopic fibers of asbestos to go airborne, creating a risk for asbestos-related diseases including a rare form of cancer called mesothelioma. The assessment involved testing of surfaces ... Read More

Six NGOs (non-governmental organizations) asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California this week to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) denial of its petition for the agency to close a reporting loophole so that imports of and domestic uses of the carcinogen asbestos are reported, including reporting on consumer products containing asbestos-containing talc. “This will maximize EPA’s ability to use the information reported to conduct the ongoing asbestos risk evaluation and the subsequent risk management,” the organizations said in their Right to Know Petition, which was originally flied Sept. 25, 2018 under section 21 of the ... Read More

Buildings regularly burned to train San Diego firefighters for more than a decade contained asbestos and lead in the floors, walls, and ceilings, and put thousands of firefighters at risk for serious injuries. Now the city is being blamed for not protecting its first responders who trained at the San Diego Fire Academy at the former Naval Training Center (NTC) near the San Diego International Airport. The facility was converted to a training facility for firefighters more than 20 years ago. The department was aware for at least two decades that the buildings firefighters crawled through and dragged heavy equipment ... Read More

The $14 million award given to the family of a man who died from a disease caused by asbestos exposure was upheld this week by a South Carolina appeals court. Dennis Seay had sued Celanese Corp., in September 2013, a month after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He died December 2014. Seay was employed by Daniel Construction Company, which was hired by Celanese. Seay did maintenance and repair work on machinery at a Celanese facility from 1971 to 1980 during which he was exposed to materials containing asbestos. Asbestos was widely used in construction materials until the 1980s, when its ... Read More

The International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma, scheduled for March 25-27 in Bethesda, Maryland, gives families touched by mesothelioma a community where they can interact with clinicians, scientists and advocates as well as patients, caregivers, and other families. It also gives attendees a rare opportunity to learn more about the science of mesothelioma and advances in treatment directly from researchers and clinicians conducting these studies. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or chest. It can take years for the disease to develop. Once diagnosed, mesothelioma generally proves ... Read More

Most people could have expected that it would be only a matter of time before those exposed to cancer-causing asbestos at the University of Montana took legal action. Just weeks after the discovery of asbestos in an air duct led to testing that revealed levels of asbestos in the air at McGill Hall far exceeded levels considered safe by federal standards, 32 asbestos-related claims were filed against the university by faculty, staff and/or student workers. The scare prompted the University of Montana to test areas within the building, after which which the school relocated 47 preschoolers to the College of ... Read More