Author: Martin Ditkof

Where History Means Knowledge. Be Informed.

Asbestos History and uses as the Roaring 20s Heated Up.

The 1920s saw a significant expansion in the use of asbestos containing products. For you to understand this history, I have attached the following three one-hundred year old articles from Raw Materials Magazine: (1) March 1920 article titled “Asbestos Manufactured Products and Uses,” (2) July 1922 article titled “Asbestos, An Ideal Insulating Material,” and (3)…
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The History of Talc, and How to Find and Understand that History.

As talc is becoming a bigger issue, I wanted to ensure that my readers are able to find and understand the history — even if needed for the deepest of deep dig. Of my 122 blog posts, three have focused on the history of talc. The first was on August 27, 2021, titled “Talc and…
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Asbestos Post: Listing of Prior 122 Blog Topics

As my readership continues to grow, I like to periodically provide a searchable summary of my prior blog topics, just in case a reader would like to search for a specific topic. My prior posts of this list have drawn a lot of readers. As such, my prior asbestos blog posts are as follows: Blog…
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Global Information on Asbestos as of 1959: A Materials Survey by the United States Government.

Global surveys seem to always include forgotten information. As an example, did anyone reading this blog know or remember that Crocidolite Asbestos was mined in Bolivia? I did not, and yet Circular 7880 titled Asbestos-A Minerals Survey by Oliver Bowles for the United States Bureau of Mines in 1959 states as follows: This publication is…
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Mesothelioma Cases Caused by Environmental Factors are Increasing: This includes Household and Neighborhood Exposure to Asbestos. Be Careful out There.

The February 2023 scholarly article published by Junjie Huang, PhD and twelve co-authors lays out a very convincing argument that Mesothelioma cases caused by occupational exposures to asbestos are decreasing in the developed countries while Mesothelioma cases caused by environmental cases, including household and neighborhood exposures, are increasing. As stated by those thirteen authors at…
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Asbestos-Related Issues Impacting Bangladesh Shipbreaking Laborers: A Summary.

I suspect that some of my readers would prefer a 20 page summary on how asbestos impacts shipbreaking workers in Bangladesh, without footnotes or a bibliography, rather than the full scale thesis which you can find at https://theasbestosblog.com/?p=10929. As such, my 20 page, “easy to read” summary is at https://theasbestosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Asbestos-Bangladesh-Shipbreaking-5192023-20-Page-Summary-1.pdf. I hope that you find…
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Asbestos-Related Issues Impacting Bangladesh Shipbreaking Laborers: My Research Thesis.

My second of three research thesis is now complete and at my professor for grading and feedback. The title is “Asbestos-Related Issues Impacting Bangladesh Shipbreaking Laborers” and you may find a full copy at https://theasbestosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Asbestos-Bangladesh-Shipbreaking-582023.pdf. The paper is thirty eight pages not including the Bibliography because, after all, there are a lot of asbestos-related issues…
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ChatGPT and Asbestos: Let’s give it a Try.

I decided to look into ChatGPT at https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt to see what it has to say about asbestos. Just some simple questions. Question 1. In how many products has asbestos fibers been used since recorded history? Asbestos has been used in a wide variety of products throughout recorded history due to its heat-resistant properties and durability.…
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Are You Renovating a House Built in 1877? Might that Last Layer of Paint that you are scraping off the Bare Wood have Asbestos? You Bet.

This blog is a little short as I am still focusing on my research thesis entitled “Asbestos-Related Issues Impacting Bangladesh Shipbreaking Laborers.” I should complete that project within a couple of weeks. For this blog, let’s talk paint. I happen to have a H.W. Johns’ manual from March 1, 1877 (yes, over 150 years ago)…
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The Breadth of Asbestos Products by the 1920s: Or, why you need to worry today when taking down old schools, houses, factories, theaters, offices, etc.

By the 1920s, asbestos in the United States was everywhere. To elaborate, let’s use the Johns-Manville Book titled Service to Industry from either 1924 or 1925 — the exact time of publication is a little confusing. For a mostly product catalogue, it shows just how ubiquitous asbestos was in the day to day life back…
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