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) Mesothelioma: Deadly Cancer Caused by Exposure to Asbestos
Mesothelioma is an aggressive, deadly form of cancer that targets the soft tissue surrounding most of the body's internal organs. Exposure to the toxic substance asbestos, which was widely used in thousands of construction materials, insulation, and other products for many decades, is the leading known cause of mesothelioma. People exposed to asbestos, most often directly on the job and for long periods of time, are at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma around the lungs, liver, and heart.About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States and about 80% of those cases are in people who have worked with asbestos in the construction, automotive repair, or other industries. Asbestos was used in the United States until the 1970s because of its flame-retardant qualities in home insulation, pipes, car brake pads, and other products. More>>
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) Asbestos Victim Refuses Autopsy
A victim that has been diagnosed with the asbestos related cancer mesothelioma is refusing to have an autopsy carried out after his death, stating that he wants to requirement to be waived on moral grounds even though it will make it more difficult for his estate to prove his case and get compensation for his illness.James Ross is expected to die from the asbestos related cancer, having worked around deadly asbestos for a number of decades whilst employed by Burlington Northern Railroad. He also claims that the exposure may have come from home remodelling in the 1960s and 1970s.
The defendants in the case, Kaiser Gypsum and T.H. Agriculture & Nutrition, have stated that they want the case to be dismissed if Ross continues to refuse to have the autopsy carried out after his death. More>>
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) Canada Continues to Export Asbestos
The material has long been known to be hazardous, causing diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.Diplomats met in Rome recently to discuss adding this type of asbestos to a worldwide list of hazardous products, however many developing countries that import the substance as well as major producer, Canada, blocked this addition.
Pat Martin, a politician opposing the use of asbestos and campaigning for its addition to the banned items list, said "I can safely say that the initiative is doomed this time".
The Rotterdam Convention, a 1998 document stating that all exporters of hazardous materials must obtain "prior informed consent" from their importer, is designed to ensure smaller nations are aware of the dangers of certain substances prior to accepting delivery. More>>
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) City works to remove toxic asbestos
The inhalation of toxic asbestos fibres can cause serious illnesses, including malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis - also called pneumoconiosis. Since the mid 1980s, many uses of asbestos have been banned in several countries.Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders in the late 19th century because of its resistance to heat, electricity and chemical damage, its sound absorption and tensile strength. When asbestos is used for its resistance to fire or heat, the fibres are often mixed with cement or woven into fabric or mats. Asbestos was used in some products for its heat resistance, and in the past was used on electric oven and hotplate wiring for its electrical insulation at elevated temperature and in buildings for its flame-retardant and insulating properties, tensile strength, flexibility and resistance to chemicals. More>>