Tag: Mesothelioma

Where History Means Knowledge. Be Informed.

Asbestos History Blogs: A List for Your Convenience.

I posted a summary of my asbestos blogs a couple of months ago (January 12, 2023) after I reached the 100 blog level. Given the number of new readers and the breadth of my posts (now up to about 110), I would like to post that list again. If any of the below interests you,…
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Asbestos Related Issues Impacting Bangladesh Shipbreaking Laborers: Any Input in Advance?

I have “finally” completed my outline, organized an Abstract, and am working towards drafting the research article discussing the impact of asbestos on shipbreaking laborers in Bangladesh, including a focus on whether jurisdiction for some of the health-related issues should be available in the United States. If anyone reading this blog is so inclined and…
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Trade Names: How can you tell if a Historical Product Contained Asbestos Fibers?

Determining whether a historical product contained asbestos fibers is a lot easier than you might have thought. There are a lot of older books available on eBay and other similar sites for a reasonable sum of money that are right on point. See, for example, The Handbook of Material Trade Names published in 1953 by…
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Asbestos Related Issues: Shipbreaking in Bangladesh Thesis

As I work on my Masters in History Thesis (Number 2 of 3), I thought that many of you might be interested in reading the Abstract and, potentially, would like to weigh in with your thoughts and suggested improvements. All recommendations and criticism will be considered constructive. ABSTRACT As shipbreaking (recycling an ocean going vessel…
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Dust: Silicosis versus Asbestos. Let’s go back again to 1937

I have seen a number of postings on Facebook from outside of the United States discussing the rise in silicosis related illnesses in comparison to asbestos. This link is from Australia, https://lungfoundation.com.au/patients-carers/conditions/occupational-lung-disease/silicosis/#:~:text=There%20are%20an%20increasing%20number,of%20exposure%20to%20silica%20dust., and this from the U.K., https://www.hse.gov.uk/lung-disease/silicosis.htm. Clearly, silicosis is a deadly dust related disease that deserves attention. In addition, it is certainly not…
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1937: Asbestos, Talc, and Tremolite Talc. What was then Known by the Standard Oil Company (N.J.).

We already know that, per the historical documents, Johns-Manville was aware of asbestos occupational lung related issues arising in its Manville, N.J. facilities by the early 1930s. My blog at https://theasbestosblog.com/?p=769 mentions the twelve lawsuits filed in the late 1920s which Manville settled for $30,000 in total with secrecy agreements in 1933, along with obtaining…
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Asbestos-Containing Construction Material in Buildings in the United States: At Least until the Late 1980s. Maybe Later.

Having played around on the Internet the last few weeks, I am concerned over a number of postings which claim that buildings constructed in the United States after 1978 shouldn’t contain asbestos. That is just not true and unknowing people may be relying on those statements. Hence, this post. First of all, the EPA ban…
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Asbestos on Ships: Not Just for Insulation.

Asbestos has been used on a variety of components on ships since at least the late 1800s. This blog isn’t about Navy ships as I already blogged on that topic at https://theasbestosblog.com/?p=9987. Rather, this blog is to provide a history primarily concerning civilian sailing vessels such as a cruise ship or an oil tanker and…
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How to Find, Research, and Download Old Asbestos Documents: The Hathi Digital Trust is the Place to Be.

For those of you who like to collect old documents or do your own research, especially for asbestos related issues, the Hathi Digital Trust is a great place to start. Never heard of the Hathi Digital Trust? You are leaving behind 18 million documents scanned into electronic format by Google. A good discussion is found…
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Remembering the Space Shuttle Challenger: Was it Really an Asbestos Substitute that did in the O-rings and, Ultimately, caused the tragedy? My Research.

I first posted my full research project discussing this Internet myth during January 2022 in the blog located at https://theasbestosblog.com/?p=9723. The full blown 75 page research paper with footnotes and bibliography can be read at https://theasbestosblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Space-Shuttle-Challenger-Thesis-1282022.pdf. If you are interested in the topic but do not want to read the entire scholarly analysis, please find…
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