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June 20, 2023 When planning a demolition project, certain steps are necessary to ensure compliance with local and federal regulations and safety guidelines. This will keep you safe from toxic exposure and potentially inhaling deadly asbestos. Plan For After Demolition To Avoid Asbestos  First, have a plan for what you’ll do after your demolition. For example, you might want to demolish the structure and rebuild something new altogether. Or you might do a…

June 8, 2023 Despite widespread acknowledgment decades ago that asbestos in all its forms is carcinogenic, its use has greatly increased, leading to a pervasive presence in houses, commercial buildings, ships, vehicles, and thousands of products, according to a new paper. To date, 10 countries continue to block a 15-year-old motion by the United Nations to label chrysotile asbestos as especially hazardous, according to the paper published in The Lancet Oncology by Dr.…

May 9, 2023 Thousands of people die each year in the United States from mesothelioma caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Learn about three dangers of asbestos. Asbestos exposure, unfortunately, is all too common in Louisiana. Workers regularly get exposed in shipyards, oil refineries, manufacturing plants, military bases, and other job sites throughout the state. The attributes of asbestos, such as resistance to fire and chemicals, make it a good material for manufacturing and…

March 15, 2023 When a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they typically receive a bleak prognosis. The 5-year survival rate is only 10 percent. Many factors affect the specific survival rate of each patient, but a new research study shows that a multimodal treatment plan can help mesothelioma patients live longer. What is Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. It often affects the pleura,…

February 23, 2023 A new type of immunotherapy for treating mesothelioma is providing hope following a study in which the treatment eradicated advanced-stage mesothelioma tumors in mice in just a few days. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly type of cancer caused by asbestos exposure that is difficult to treat completely by surgical resection. The new potential treatment combined Rice University’s cytokine “drug factory” implants and a checkpoint inhibitor drug. About the Research…

February 7, 2023 When it comes to lung disease, it can be easy to get confused about the types of cancers and treatments available. However, mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are different diseases with different treatment plans, although some symptoms may be similar, and both have been linked to asbestos exposure. What is Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that typically forms in the lining around the lungs, although it…

January 25, 2023 Among the hazards firefighters regularly face in their dangerous occupation is asbestos exposure. The fires they battle produce a mixture of compounds firefighters inhale and touch that can result in cancers such as mesothelioma and bladder cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, created a Working Group to study the dangers firefighters face on the job. The Working Group met…

December 15, 2022 The dangers of asbestos exposure have long been known, yet many countries, including the United States, still import and use a common form of the toxic mineral. Known as “white asbestos,” chrysotile asbestos is a form of the mineral used most widely in commercial applications, despite being linked to about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. annually. Chrysotile asbestos is still used by chlorine manufacturers and companies that make vehicle braking…

November 29, 2022 Following decades of pressure from advocates, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is cracking down on the use of asbestos, a toxic substance linked to cancers, serious diseases, and the loss of thousands of lives each year. A naturally occurring mineral, asbestos was used in thousands of commercial products before its health hazards became widely known in the 1970s. Decades of research has shown that exposure to asbestos can cause mesothelioma,…

November 16, 2022 During a court hearing in July 2022, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Kaplan said that he might appoint an independent expert to evaluate the lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson that allege the company’s baby powder is responsible for cancer and serious lung problems. Following a tidal wave of lawsuits in 2020 concerning Johnson & Johnson’s talc-containing baby powder, many claiming that use of the powder was implicated in the development of…