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On September 26th We Remember Asbestos Victims and Push Forward for a Ban

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The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) takes asbestos exposure seriously as they have heard the stories of thousands who have died, and so each year on September 26th they remember asbestos victims and push forward for a ban on this deadly mineral.

While many countries around the world have banned the use and import of asbestos, it is still legal in the United States. It is proven to be a cancer-causing substance for those exposed as there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma Awareness Day

This year the ADAO has moved from a Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 26th to proclaiming September a Mesothelioma Awareness Month to increase the reach to people that can be educated to the threat of asbestos use and the need for caution when working with any material that may contain asbestos.

How can we remember asbestos victims and push forward for a ban?

• Right now you can sign a petition to ban asbestos. By clicking this link, you’ll be directed to a page where you can sign. The more legislators who see the interest of citizens for a ban, the more they can push the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase the current rules, recognize the dangers, and get to the point of an outright ban.

• Join the chat on Twitter September 26th, from 12-1 PM ET. Go to #ENDMeso – for that hour, you’ll find questions about asbestos awareness as well as comments from people personally affected by asbestos exposure and mesothelioma, a deadly disease directly connected to exposure. The purpose is to create a global conversation between experts, victims, advocates, and anyone concerned about the dangers and the long delay in stopping the use of asbestos in the US.

• Light a candle on September 26th for the Mesothelioma Warriors lost to the disease and those who continue to fight for their lives.

• Participate in the 9th Annual Miles for Meso 5K Race and 3K Walk/Fun-Run. Last year $30,000 was raised to help fund awareness and education efforts. The race in in Alton, Illinois, but is available to anyone through the ADAO’s Virtual Team where you can join in from the front of your computer.

The urgency of a ban

Mesothelioma is a disease that often takes decades to appear after exposure. It currently has no cure. Because of the long lag between exposure and diagnosis, people exposed today may not develop the disease until 2050! This cycle needs to stop now and asbestos must be banned to stop it.

In addition to the steps you can take outlined above, you can donate to the ADAO as a partner in the fight for a ban. You can directly contact the EPA and your legislators. You can be an advocate for the health of many by adding your voice to stop the import and use of asbestos now.

EPA Under Trump May Allow for New Asbestos Use

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After bipartisan passage to improve the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 2016, asbestos was one of several initial chemicals that would come under review again. In the face of overwhelming scientific consensus established by more than a half century of research, it was widely anticipated that the TSCA review would finally result in a ban on the use of asbestos in the United States. Two years later, and a very different result is unfolding.

EPA proposed a “significant new use rule” for asbestos

On June 1, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency under Scott Pruitt announced a proposed “Significant New Use Rule” (SNUR) for asbestos. SNURs are a tool under the TSCA that mandate EPA approval when a chemical is used in a significantly new way. To hear former Administrator Pruitt state it, he took an unprecedented stand by requiring importers to receive EPA approval before importing or using asbestos in the manufacture of products.

A look inside the SNUR

A closer look, however, establishes a twofold problem posed by the SNUR which may undercut the EPA’s conclusions at the end of its three year TSCA review of asbestos.

First, the EPA could have used the 2016 TSCA overhaul – which began under Obama and has continued under Trump – to ban any new uses of asbestos. Instead, with the SNUR, the EPA has laid the groundwork to expressly allow new uses of asbestos after evaluation based on “risk evaluation, select studies and use of the best available science.”

Secondly, the way in which the EPA will evaluate that risk is problematic. In May 2018 , the EPA published a “Problem Formulation of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos” which the EPA will use in evaluating these new uses of asbestos. Importantly, the problem formulation will not include information from existing, or “legacy” uses of asbestos – all of the ways in which millions of Americans have been, and will continue to be, exposed to asbestos from existing asbestos products and asbestos in place. This approach will ignore decades of scientific research establishing an overwhelming scientific consensus about the health risks from the legacy uses of asbestos such as exposure to drywall joint compound, plaster, floor tiles, pipe covering and many other existing, in place asbestos products.

This may serve to severely limit the types of exposures the EPA will include in formulating the potential risk of new asbestos uses.

As reported by the New York Times, such limits on the EPA’s review will necessarily create a flawed analysis of the threat posed by asbestos under the EPA TSCA re-evaluation. “It is ridiculous”, said Wendy Cleland-Hamnett, former EPA scientist, speaking to the New York Times. “You can’t determine if there is an unreasonable risk without doing a comprehensive risk evaluation.”

EPA may allow new asbestos use

While the EPA’s re-review of asbestos is still in the second year of the three year process, the limitations the current administration have already placed on the review will likely result in an outcome that does not protect human health – the core mission of the agency. Instead, by not considering the existing, wide-body of scientific evidence concerning asbestos, the ultimate EPA conclusion will likely find lower levels of risk and as a result impose fewer restrictions or prohibitions. Hopes for a U.S. ban on asbestos – one of the most widely recognized human carcinogens – are sadly diminishing.

You’re Not Alone: Information on Malignant Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

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Malignant mesothelioma clinical trials are an option if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with this serious disease. A common misconception says only those people with no other options remaining can participate in a trial. On the contrary, there are trials for people in all stages of the disease.

What are clinical trials?

Before any humans are used in a trial, many years of research have gone into the effects of the treatment – in the lab and on animals. Researchers want to know the effect on the cancer cells and if there may be side effects. Once they think they have a possible treatment, it’s time to involve people in the trial to truly know if this is a treatment worthy of further development.

Each trial is planned in detail by a highly trained expert before anything happens. Why conduct this trial? Who can participate in the trial? How many people? Explicit directions on the drug used, the dose, the timing, and other treatments that may be involved are created. There will also be a plan for all tests that will be performed and the interval between tests. Another important component is to know details about the people taking part and what information will be gathered from them.

Why conduct clinical trials?

It is a fact that many lives have been saved, or lifespans increased, due to the knowledge gained in clinical trials. Not only do trials test the effectiveness of the new drug or treatment, but also the safety. Past trials have found new ways to detect and prevent cancer.

When you, or a loved one, participate in a clinical trial, you are adding to the knowledge that may help you, but may also add to the arsenal of weapons to fight cancer for other patients. Clinical trials are vital for the advancement and future elimination of cancer.

Where are current malignant mesothelioma trials?

There are currently 38 trials specifically geared toward treatment of malignant mesothelioma supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI.) Click here for the list.

Talk to your doctor to determine if any are right for you.

Asbestos Exposure In Your Garden

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It’s that time of year when the desire to put out new plants and see the resulting color and blooms is strong. So it seems strange that there could be asbestos exposure in your garden, but there are asbestos-laden products that can lead to fatal diseases if inhaled.

Vermiculite in potting soil

Because vermiculite absorbs water, thus retaining moisture and also protecting plants from fungus, it has long been a staple ingredient in potting soil. However, prior to 1990, a significant vermiculite mine was operated near Libby, Montana, an area infamous for asbestos contaminated vermiculite.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tested 38 samples of vermiculite from across the US. Asbestos was found in 17 of the 38 samples. It was also found that the presence – or quantity – of asbestos varies significantly depending on 1) what portion of the bag was tested as the bags were not homogeneous, 2) the processing facility used since there are several dust removal techniques, and 3) the amount of asbestos in the vermiculite as it differs from one mine to another.

While the EPA considers the risks to consumers as minimal, they do acknowledge a concern about occupational exposures. It is known that there is no safe level of exposure to the mineral. Asbestos is still not banned in the United States and therefore, though the percentage of asbestos may be small, it can still kill.

The EPA recommends using other materials, such as peat, sawdust, perlite, or bark. Other recommendations include:

• Use it outdoors or in a well-ventilated area
• Keep the vermiculite damp during use to avoid creating dust
• Do not bring dust into the home on clothing

Be sure to shower thoroughly after use.

A greenhouse examined

Vermiculite, while the most ubiquitous source of gardening exposure to asbestos, is not the only source. Greenhouses can also lead to exposure.

The large Lord & Burnham Greenhouse North on the campus of Fargo’s North Dakota State University (NDSU) was surveyed for asbestos content in 2007. The original greenhouse was constructed in 1950 with additions through the years.

Many materials were found to contain asbestos, including transite panels (workbenches), window glazing, window caulk, transite ceiling panels, floor tiles and mastic, autoclave insulation, hard fittings on millboard, Aircell Pipe and fiberglass insulation, concrete pillar coating, and 11 other asbestos-containing materials (ACM).

This greenhouse is not the only one with asbestos, as most would contain the same materials. Many of the materials listed for the greenhouse can also be found in homes built prior to the early 1980s. Any remodeling can disturb asbestos fibers allowing them to be inhaled. Because asbestos-containing materials such as caulking, putty, and glaze are exposed to the outdoor elements, they do break down and can make them a danger for exposure. Getting a sample tested is the safe precaution.

The consequences of asbestos exposure

Because of the microscopic fibers that can enter lungs through inhalation, they offer the possibility for acquiring an asbestos-related disease such as lung cancer, asbestosis, or the fatal mesothelioma. Always take precautions when exposed to potential asbestos materials. It can take up to 50 years for the disease to appear, creating a shocking surprise to its victim. Be safe and take care; asbestos diseases are preventable with a few cautionary steps.

Busy Courtroom Ceiling Collapsed Closing Court

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At the New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court, housed in the Orleans Parish Municipal Court building, a busy courtroom ceiling collapsed closing court for several days. While it was only a portion of the ceiling, the room was closed “as an abundance of caution” because of possible asbestos exposure. The building is located on South Broad Street not far from the French Quarter.

Why did it need to close?

Asbestos is a known carcinogen. It was used to some extent throughout the 20th century – especially leading up to the 1950s through 1970s. It has many qualities that made it seem the perfect choice for insulation, heat protection, and for water-proofing.

Because of its versatility, it was used in almost all commercial, government, and residential construction in those years – shingles, insulation, tiles, and mastic. It was also a component of ship-building, including ships of the U.S. Navy.

Many people and companies were aware of scientific evidence that exposure to asbestos fibers could lead to diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and especially to mesothelioma – a deadly cancer. Yet there were few, if any, protections for workers exposed to asbestos, or warnings to others that disturbing installed asbestos released the fibers and made anyone in the area susceptible to these diseases.

The years that asbestos use was at its height, were also the years of a great deal of building in the US following the end of WWII and through the 1970s. Since the Municipal Courthouse was built during these years, it was necessary that protections were put in place to prevent any spread of asbestos through the collapse of the ceiling.

What should be done if asbestos is found?

Anyone considering demolition of older buildings, or noticing damage to areas that could contain asbestos, should have the building inspected, and if necessary removed, by a company certified in asbestos abatement.