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Mesothelioma Deaths To Peak in 2010 Posted: 30 Apr 2009 09:20 AM PDT According a report from the CDC, deaths from malignant mesothelioma are expected to peak in 2010. The number of malignant mesothelioma deaths increased from 2,482 in 1999 to 2,704 in 2005, Ki Moon Bang, Ph.D., of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and colleagues reported in the April 24 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. “Because mesothelioma manifests 20 to 40 years after first exposure, the number of mesothelioma deaths will likely peak by 2010,” the authors wrote. Although the health threat posed by asbestos has decreased, it has not disappeared. In 1975 the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of asbestos in most types of residential and commercial insulation materials. In 1989 the EPA attempted to implement a total ban on the use of asbestos. The ban was overturned on appeal in federal court in 1991. Mesothelioma mortality is not expected to return to background levels for another 50 years. Watch Tom Lamb Report on the Asbestos News Minute.

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New Health Canada Report: Wall of Shame Posted: 28 Apr 2009 09:03 AM PDT Canada, in case you didn’t know, mines and exports chrysotile asbestos around the world, all the while insisting it is safe. A new Health Canada report documents the “strong relationship” between lung cancer and exposure to chrysotile asbestos. So now what? Canada has thus far protected its asbestos industry, which supports about 550 jobs in Quebec. A number of experts behind the Health Canada report criticized the “safe-use” idea. Also suggesting that Canada’s practice of exporting asbestos to a poor country like India, hoping they will find a way to use it more safely than it has been used in the wealthy West, is irresponsible. In 2006, Canada took a posse to the Rotterdam Convention and successfully blocked the naming of chrysotile asbestos as a hazardous chemical. Had it been named a hazardous chemical, Canada would have been required to provide information to importing countries about the dangers. And then there is the Canadian Government’s own report on the safety of chrysotile asbestos which took forever (okay a year) to be released. And no wonder. It’s a wee bit unfavorable. The British chair of the panel that wrote the report had previously accused the Canadian government of “misusing science” and, in failing to make the report public, of practicing “needless government secrecy.” Since the report was only just recently released, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the asbestos mine in Quebec.

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UK Teacher Gets Cancer From Asbestos In School Posted: 26 Apr 2009 09:03 AM PDT Ok so it’s a UK headline, but horrifying nonetheless. A teacher, not an asbestos worker or family member, or anyone else you’d expect to get mesothelioma. After being exposed for 30 years to asbestos in schools, Carole Hagedorn was diagnosed in June of last year. At age 58, the secondary school languages teacher has had to retire due to ill-health. The cancer is virtually untreatable. She wants teachers to campaign for the removal of asbestos from schools. It should be everyone, not just teachers. What about the kids? “Why should a teacher expect to get an industrial disease?” she said. “The pain can be worse than lung cancer. It’s too late for me, but it’s not too late to get rid of asbestos.” A UK government school refurbishment and rebuilding programme – Building Schools for the Future (BSF) – was leaving asbestos in schools that did not require a complete rebuild. She told teachers that schools were being fitted with the latest technology, but asbestos was being left in ceilings. “There’s lots of talk about the technological innovations that can be brought into schools, but surely the government’s basic function is to protect the lives of its citizens.” In the last 25 years, at least 178 teachers have died from mesothelioma. Hank Roberts, a former teacher from Brent, London, said some schools had been built to have a lifespan of 20 years. “Thirty or 40 years on, these buildings are in decay. They are leaking and crumbling, but we, the teachers and our children, carry on working in them – day in, day out.” The Health and Safety Executive says it is safer to leave undisturbed or undamaged asbestos in place and carefully manage it, rather than risk damaging it by removal. Not in Ms. Hagedorn’s case apparently.

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Asbestos in the United Nations Posted: 23 Apr 2009 02:59 PM PDT So now apparently the U.N. Headquarters is about to undergo renovations and the people are worried about security risks and……you guessed it. Asbestos exposure. The renovation is expected to take years and in the meantime, U.N. employees, contractors and media will be moved to temporary office spaces inside or near the U.N. complex. Stephen Kisambira, president of the United Nations staff union, held a rare news conference at U.N. headquarters to voice staff concerns about the so-called Capital Master Plan. “Asbestos abatement is a serious issue,” he told reporters. “The risk is there … They are saying that nothing can go wrong. How can they be sure?” Indeed. How can they be sure? And now that asbestos is being identified as a danger and removed from more prominent public buildings, perhaps it will get the attention and caution it deserves. One of the problems, says Kisambira, is that contractors removing the asbestos cannot be sued because the United Nations is technically not U.S. territory. Because of the lack of liability, he said, many staff are worried that the contractors will be less careful than usual. Kisambira said that New York City authorities took air samples in the building several years ago. And guess what? Their were never released. Interestingly, there have been no threat or risk assessments conducted for most of the U.N. structures, including the temporary ones where workers will be housed for several years, though requests have been made and ignored.

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W.R. Grace Criminal Trial Update April 2009 Posted: 21 Apr 2009 03:52 PM PDT Kathleen Kennedy, a former epidemiologist for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), testified during the W.R. Grace trial on April 14, 2009, that W.R. Grace stymied government efforts to study the health effects of Libby vermiculite. When workers at a plant in South Carolina were diagnosed with "bloody pleural effusions" in their lungs, and it was determined that those workers had been exposed to Libby vermiculite, an investigation was launched. "The primary purpose was to find out if there was a health hazard caused by the exposure to vermiculite so that workers could be protected if that was the case," Kennedy said. When Kennedy and her research team contacted Grace, however, they were met with resistance from top officials, she said. "They told us that they did not want us to do it," she said. "They did not give us any documents." To make things even more interesting, defense lawyers representing W.R. Grace & Co. claim perjury by a government witness and prosecutors' failure to turn over favorable evidence "irreparably tainted" the biggest environmental criminal trial in U.S. history, saying said government misconduct made it impossible for Grace and five former executives charged in the asbestos contamination of Libby, Montana, to get a fair trial. That evidence appears to be in the form of one Robert Locke, a former Grace executive who leaped the fence and is now a key prosecution witness. Defense lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula, Montana, to throw out the testimony of Robert Locke. The defendants, all former executives at W.R. Grace, are charged with conspiring to expose Libby residents to asbestos-contaminated vermiculite, a mineral mined in Libby, and used in insulation and gardening, and to obstruct government investigators. All have pleaded not guilty. The defense claims prosecutors had an improperly close relationship with Locke and other witnesses and that Locke's three days of trial testimony last month should be stricken from the record. Read the full story on how Grace officials stymied efforts to study vermiculite’s effects. Read more complaining by W.R. Grace defense counsel.  Hey, they’ve got to try, right? Watch Tom Lamb report on Asbestos News Minute.

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Erionite Linked to Mesothelioma Posted: 19 Apr 2009 03:47 PM PDT Scientists want to study the health effects of a mineral used widely in western North Dakota which has been linked to cancer; however volunteers are scarce. The culprit is erionite. It can collect in the lungs of people who breathe it, much like asbestos fibers, which are also slivers of rock. Erionite is mined in Killdeer Mountains, and erionite gravel covers many of the roads. State health officials and the EPA are looking for about 50 test subjects to get chest X-rays and CT scans that will be sent to researchers at the University of Cincinnati. Volunteers will be paid $100 each. Fewer than 10 people have signed up. Eric Kehr, owner of the Buckskin Bar & Grill in Killdeer, predicts the government will have a tough time finding enough volunteers. “Maybe we’d rather not know we have cancer, and if we stick our head in the sand maybe it will go away,” he said. “What can anybody do about it anyway? There is no way to blacktop all these gravel roads, so practically speaking, it’s an unsolvable problem.” State geologist Ed Murphy notified the EPA of the erionite in the region about three years ago, after he found that in Turkey, the mineral was linked to mesothelioma, though the erionite found in North Dakota is more calcium-based than that found in Turkey, which is sodium-based. The EPA says erionite is found in at least a dozen states in the West, but not at the levels in western North Dakota, where it’s used on many roads. The EPA says U.S. studies also have shown that erionite causes cancer in lab rats, though the mineral is not regulated by the agency. State Rep. Shirley Meyer of Dickinson believes the fears over erionite are overblown. “I grew up playing in that gravel pit, and if there is anyone that has been exposed to it, it would certainly be me,” said Meyer, who nevertheless said she would sign up for the study and encourage residents to do the same. Read the AP article, and if you live in the area, volunteer.

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Washing Asbestos-Covered Clothes Kills Australian Woman Posted: 15 Apr 2009 07:07 PM PDT After shaking off the asbestos and washing her husband’s and father’s clothes for 20 years, Margaret Dawson of Sydney, Australia, died from asbestos disease at age 64. Mrs. Dawson’s father Gilbert Batchelor and her husband Maurice Dawson were both employees of building material producer James Hardie. When Mrs. Dawson was diagnosed with mesothelioma in May 2007, she launched legal action against James Hardie through the Dust Diseases Tribunal. In a landmark case that paves the way for other Hardie victims to seek compensation, the tribunal not only paid her almost $350,000 in personal compensation but another $193,000 in unpaid earning for looking after her two grandchildren. Sadly, Mrs Dawson lost her fight for life against mesothelioma eight months before the case was settled. Her family described the 18-month battle against James Hardie as “disgusting” - the company appealed to the Supreme Court before finally losing the case late March 2009. James Hardie vice-president of investor and media relations Sean O’Sullivan refused to comment on the case. He said it was a matter for the Asbestos Injuries Compensation Fund. The fund was set up by the company 2001 in an attempt to avoid their obligations to asbestos victims. The family’s solicitor Ann-Maree Pascoli from Turner Freeman said Mrs. showed amazing courage despite a “relentless” fight from James Hardie. “Margaret was extraordinary. She was determined to fight the matter,” she said. Unfortunately, Mrs. Dawson’s plight is not unusual and we may unfortunately see more second-hand asbestos exposure claims arising from the wives of asbestos workers.

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Have Some Asbestos With Your Aspirin Posted: 12 Apr 2009 05:28 PM PDT So asbestos is everywhere.  And now JoongAng Daily, a Korean news website reports that in addition to baby powders and cosmetics that have been found to contain talc contaminated with asbestos, drugs too may carry asbestos.   Pharmaceutical companies whose names have not been released have voluntarily halted sales of seven drugs, including antibiotics, antacids and hemostatic powder — all containing talc that is suspected to be contaminated with asbestos. The list of companies includes the pharmaceutical arm of a Korean conglomerate and a leading pharmaceutical firm. The Korea Food and Drug Administration under the Health Ministry announced that it will hold a meeting with several groups to discuss the issue. The total of estimated contaminated drugs is around 320. Read the article.

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CDC Report in JAMA: Years of Potential Life Lost Before Age 65 Years Posted: 08 Apr 2009 07:17 PM PDT Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause asbestosis and other diseases after a latency of 10-40 years from initial exposure to onset of illness. Asbestos still is used in the United States in certain products manufactured domestically. In addition, an undocumented amount of asbestos continues to be imported in products manufactured elsewhere and a substantial amount of asbestos remains in existing buildings and manufactured products. An estimated 1.3 million construction and general industry workers in the United States potentially are exposed to asbestos each year, mainly from manipulation of asbestos during renovation or demolition activities. The CDC report describes the results of an analysis that indicated annual years of potential life lost before age 65 years attributed to asbestosis increased 64%, from an average of 146.0 per year during 1968-1972 to 239.6 per year during 2001-2005. Read the Report at the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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What To Expect in US Asbestos Litigation in 2009 Posted: 06 Apr 2009 07:07 PM PDT Watch Tom Lamb’s Asbestos News Minute. Watch for commentary of current asbestos litigation statistics including the number of asbestos cases filed in 2008, how many went to trial with a jury verdict, and average payments.

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Asbestos In The American History Museum Posted: 05 Apr 2009 07:07 PM PDT Contractors working on renovation of the National Museum of American History in 2007 failed to take precautions while removing insulation, according to members of a steamfitters union local. A Smithsonian spokeswoman said they immediately corrected procedures and turned off fans. The museum was closed to the public at the time during a two-year renovation, but the full-time staff of curators and employees continued to work in the building. Last month, The Washington Post reported that officials at another Smithsonian museum, National Air and Space, knew for 17 years about asbestos in the compound covering wall joints but did not tell the workers. The American History Museum was constructed from 1958 to 1964, before government restrictions on asbestos. A survey conducted by a Smithsonian consultant in 1989 found asbestos in the building, and removal began during renovations. During the renovation from 2006 to 2008, additional asbestos was discovered by workers. Read the story at The Washington Post. Watch Tom Lamb’s commentary on Asbestos News Minute.

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New X-Ray Technology to Aid in Asbestos Disease Diagnosis Posted: 31 Mar 2009 06:07 PM PDT Some interesting stuff coming out of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Conference held in California over the weekend (end of March 2009). Fox News reports that Michael Harbut, M.D., MPH, co-director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers announced the use of a new technology to aid in the diagnosis of asbestos-related lung disease. “Radiographic approaches developed by Carmen Endress, M.D., FACR, Associate Professor of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and radiologist at the NCVAC, allow us to visualize lesions caused by asbestos exposure in three dimensional detail and often at a much earlier stage than that of the current standard radiographic techniques,” said Harbut. The new technology will enable earlier detection, and a better way to identify differentiation between patients with scarring on the lungs and other diseases. According to Harbut, the early detection can have a significant public-health impact. “If we can identify the ’sentinel’ or first cases of asbestosis or lung cancer at an early stage, then we can help identify asbestos exposures in places where it might not have previously been suspected. Such identification of early detection could help to reduce the death rate from asbestos-related diseases.” The use of this technology in the diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related cancers and high-malignancy potential asbestos-related diseases represents another first for Karmanos Cancer Institute scientists and physicians. Read more about the Karmanos Cancer Institute and the new technology on Fox News.com.