There was a time when asbestos was seemingly in everything. Among other things, it was used in building materials such as pipe covering, cements, gaskets, pumps, clothing, gloves, and shipbuilding materials. This was due to its durability and high resistance to heat and corrosion as well as the fact it[…]
From the blog
New mesothelioma treatment shows promising results for patients
As it currently stands, mesothelioma is an incurable form of cancer that affects the lining of organs. Caused only by asbestos, mesothelioma takes decades to develop and once symptoms present themselves, has typically progressed to a Stage 4 cancer. Those diagnosed typically survive less than two years. Current treatments involve[…]
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Twenty years ago, Lung Cancer Awareness Month began as a day to increase public consciousness around the most deadly cancer in the United States. As the movement continued to grow, one day expanded to a month of people coming together in communities around the world to spread information about lung[…]
Secondhand asbestos exposure poses threat to workers’ families
In the early 1970s, a series of lawsuits forced companies to admit responsibility for exposing workers to the carcinogen known as asbestos. Used as insulation, tiling, roofing and more, this fiber was found all around steel mills, chemical and power plants, putting hundreds of thousands of workers at risk for[…]
Workers still exposed to asbestos at high levels
Many years have passed since asbestos use became limited in the United States, yet the effects are still felt by workers and families alike. Those employed by steel mills, paper mills, shipyards and more put their lives in danger every day simply by going to work. Unlike other substances, overall[…]
Asbestos-related deaths higher than previous estimates
Asbestos is a silent killer, infecting its victim and waiting years to make its presence known. Many believe asbestos is a threat of the past and assume it’s banned with no risk of exposure. In reality, asbestos remains a deadly and destructive force. In the 50 years since the landmark[…]
Mapping the Deadly Toll of Asbestos – State by State, County by County
WASHINGTON (June 30, 2015) – Fifty years after a landmark medical study definitively established that asbestos kills, the exact death toll remains unknown. Now, new research from EWG Action Fund provides the most accurate estimates available for the deadly impact of asbestos – across the nation and in your back[…]
EPA Inspector General: Agency’s Asbestos Guidance ‘Potential Risk to Public Health’
For Immediate Release: June 17, 2015 Contact: Alex Formuzis, EWG Action Fund: 202.667.6982 or alex@ewg.org Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s official guidance on the demolition of crumbling buildings with asbestos is woefully outdated and must be revamped to protect public health, says the agency’s own inspector general in a[…]
Ray of hope for nearly 15,000 Americans who die each year of asbestos-related disease
Washington, D.C. – (June 16, 2015) – A man diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2013 saw his tumors virtually disappear within two months of completing an experimental treatment developed by Australian cancer researchers, a newly published study reports. Bradley Selmon, 51, who was exposed to asbestos over years of working as[…]
Federal Data Show Millions of American Workers Inhaling Asbestos
For Immediate Release: June 10, 2015 Contact: Alex Formuzis, EWG Action Fund: 202.667.6982 or alex@ewg.org Washington, D.C. – For decades, American workers have been breathing air contaminated with asbestos in excess of federal health limits, according to a new analysis of federal government air sampling data. In a study published last month in the[…]
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