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A New Threat to the Lining of the Lungs?

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

By Wade Rawlins

Asbestos mineral fibers gained widespread use in building materials and construction decades before the deadly effects of breathing asbestos fibers became apparent in cases of cancer and fatal respiratory ailments. Today, microscopic carbon nanotubes offer another “miracle” material with extraordinary properties potentially useful in everything from miniaturizing electronics to delivering medicine. But scientists say much more research is needed as to whether carbon nanotubes are as toxic to humans as asbestos.

In a new study using mice, researchers at North Carolina State University set out to determine whether nanotubes, — which are a fraction of the width of a human hair— would reach the lining of the lung if inhaled. The pleura or lining of the lung is one of the tissues that is affected by asbestos fibers, causing development of mesothelioma, a fatal cancer, and asbestosis, a scarring of tissue.

Dr. James Bonner, associate professor of environmental and molecular toxicology at N.C. State and senior author of the study, said the inhaled nanotubes reached the lining of the lungs of mice and caused scarring and a unique pathologic reaction on the surface of the pleura—the target tissue for mesothelioma.

The reaction began within one day of inhalation of the nanotubes, when clusters of immune cells began amassing on the surface of the pleura. Fibrosis, a scarring of the lining the lungs, that also occurs with asbestos exposure, began two weeks after inhalation.

The study shows that the carbon nanotubes can affect the lining of the lungs, the researchers said, though the study was too short in duration to assess whether the mice would eventually develop cancer.

The mice’s immune reaction and scarring disappeared within three months of exposure, but the mice only were exposed once for six hours to carbon nanotubes. “It remains unclear whether the pleura could recover from chronic or repeated exposures,” Bonner said.

The collaborative study by researchers at N.C. State, the Hamner Institutes of Health Sciences and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, is the latest to probe similarities in health responses to asbestos fibers and nanotubes. Scientists have been raising concerns about the potential toxicity of nanotubes in recent years as the material has shown promise for many uses.

A recent article by French researchers in the journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology explored the question of whether asbestos and carbon nanotubes pose similar health risks. The researchers noted that carbon nanotubes resembled asbestos fibers in their needle-like shape and could be inhaled unknowingly and lodge in the lungs. Two recent studies by Japanese researchers showed that occurrence of malignant mesothelioma in mice and rats exposed to carbon nanotubes.

Bonner said more research is needed and it’s not yet known whether inhaled carbon nanotubes cause cancer in the lungs or lining of the lungs. The study suggests that minimizing the inhalation of nanotubes is prudent until further research on the long-term effects is conducted.



N.C. State release

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posted by Wade Rawlins at 2:24 PM
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$2.25 Million Awarded in NY Asbestos Death of Factory Worker

Thursday, October 22, 2009

The New York law firm of Belluck & Fox has obtained a $1.5 million verdict and punitive damages of $750,000 against Fisher Controls International following the death of a worker at Hooker Chemical in Buffalo, New York, who was exposed to asbestos on the job.

The verdicts in Estate of Ronald Drabczyk, Index No. I 2005/1583, were rendered on October 19 and 20 in Erie County Court in Buffalo, New York. Judge John Lane presided.

Fisher Controls, based in Marshalltown, Iowa, is a subsidiary of Emerson Electric Co., based in St. Louis, MO. Emerson is a publicly-traded company on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol EMR.

Belluck & Fox represented the family of Ronald Drabczyk, a factory worker at a chemical plant in Niagara Falls, NY. Drabczyk died from mesothelioma, a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Drabczyk repaired valves manufactured by Fisher Controls which contained asbestos gaskets and packing. The valves were sold by Fisher to the Hooker plant where Drabczyk overhauled them from 1970-1988. The evidence at trial demonstrated that Fisher was aware of the dangers of asbestos as early as 1946 but failed to place any warning on its products.

In addition to awarding Drabczyk`s estate $1.5 million in damages, the jury found that Fisher Controls acted negligently in failing to warn of the dangers associated with the valves. It found that Fisher Controls was responsible for five percent of the fault associated with his exposure and that the exposure to the valves was a substantial contributing factor in causing Drabczyk's mesothelioma. Further, the jury found that Fisher Controls acted with reckless disregard for the safety of Drabczyk. Under New York law, this finding of reckless disregard renders Fisher Controls responsible for the entire verdict, minus a set-off for prior settlements.

This is the first instance that Fisher Controls has been found liable for using asbestos in its products.

The jury also awarded $750,000 in punitive damages, finding that Fisher Controls acted with wanton and reckless manners toward Drabczyk and others. This is the first punitive damage award in an asbestos case in New York State in more than 20 years.

The case was tried by Belluck & Fox partner Jordan Fox and Michael P. Joyce of the Law Office of Michael P. Joyce in Boston, MA. The law firm of Lipsitz, Green, Scime Cambria, based in Buffalo, New York, served as co-counsel in the case. The trial lasted six weeks.

"The jury's verdict confirms that this corporation acted in a negligent and reckless manner in selling its valves without ever warning of the dangers associated with the asbestos-containing products used in these valves," Fox said. "The punitive damage verdict underscores that corporations have a duty to workers to protect them from hazards known or knowable regarding their products. The jury held Fisher Controls accountable for the fatal consequences of its actions. Although we cannot bring Mr. Drabczyk back, we hope that this verdict will send a message that these actions will not be tolerated."

Belluck & Fox, LLP is a nationally recognized law firm that represents individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims, as well as other serious injuries. The firm has obtained verdicts and settlements of nearly $225 million on behalf of its clients. Partner Jordan Fox has been named to the Best Lawyers in America and to Super Lawyers and on two separate occasions his verdicts were featured as the National Law Journal's Largest Verdict of the Year. Partner Joseph W. Belluck is a Super Lawyer who has prosecuted numerous cases involving injuries from asbestos, defective medical products, tobacco and lead paint, including a recent asbestos case that settled for over $12 million.

Belluck & Fox sponsors www.mesotheliomahelp.net, one of the Web's leading sources of information about mesothelioma. The website features in-depth information on the diagnosis and treatment of pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma. MesotheliomaHelp.net also features patient profiles, biographic and contact information for mesothelioma specialists throughout the country and a daily blog with the latest research on mesothelioma treatments.

Labels: Featured News, National News

posted by Your Attorney at 7:57 AM
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EPA Fines Vermont Flooring Contractor for Improper Handling of Asbestos

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A Vermont flooring company faces of a penalty for failing to follow federal guidelines pertaining to removal and disposal of asbestos building materials.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Morrison-Clark, Inc., of South Barre,Vermont violated federal asbestos removal regulations when workers removed a vinyl asbestos tile floor from Main Street Middle School in Montpelier in July 2008. The company did not provide advance notice to EPA, failed to wet the asbestos while stripping it and did not properly dispose of the materials, EPA alleged in announcing the penalty this month.

The company faces a penalty of up to $32,500 per day for the alleged violation so the asbestos removal regulations.

The federal Clean Air Act and the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutant, require contractors doing renovation work to follow certain inspection requirements prior to starting work and to follow specific work and waste disposal practices. The guidelines are designed to protect workers and the public from inhaling airborne asbestos fibers.

Breathing asbestos can cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdominal cavity.

Earlier this year, researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reported that the overall annual deaths from mesothelioma in the U.S. are still increasing, though the rate as a portion of the population has been stable in recent years. More than 18,000 deaths from mesothelioma were reported in the U.S from 1999 to 2005, researchers reported.

Although asbestos is no longer mined in the United States, it is still imported and a substantial amount of asbestos in buildings eventually must be removed. An estimated 1.3 million American construction workers and general industry workers are exposed to asbestos, researchers say, underscoring the need for efforts to minimize exposure.

In the case of the Vermont school, EPA said it was not aware of any specific harm or exposure to airborne asbestos caused by the renovation.

Labels: National News

posted by Wade Rawlins at 11:11 AM
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Study To Examine Possible Genetic Predisposition To Mesothelioma

Friday, October 16, 2009

Medical researchers in North Carolina have announced a new study to investigate the possibility of a genetic predisposition to the development of mesothelioma. The Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston Salem, NC and FirstHealth Carolinas, has undertaken research to better understand why only some individuals exposed to asbestos develop mesothelioma.

Dr. Jill Ohar of Wake Forest University, the study’s principal investigator, has spent more than 20 years studying mesothelioma. Her previous work includes research into understanding why some people and families appear more susceptible to developing the disease and whether such susceptibility could be inherited.

“Over years of research, we have determined that there is a strong tendency for mesothelioma to run in families and it tends to be associated with a family history of cancer, which suggests a genetic susceptibility,” Ohar said in a prepared statement about the current study released by FirstHealth Carolinas.

Compared to other groups who were exposed to asbestos, Ohar’s previous research has found that individuals who developed mesothelioma shared certain traits, such as an increased risk of cancer among relatives, according to an article on the research in the March 2007 issue of the medical journal Respiratory Medicine.

Similarly, the current study examines associated environmental factors and genetic markers of individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma to determine the particular genetic factors that make some families more susceptible than others to mesothelioma and other forms of cancer.

Chris Miller, director of clinical trials at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, said the current study presented an exciting opportunity to increase understanding about the causes of mesothelioma.

“The FirstHealth Clinical Trials staff is excited about this opportunity to assist one of our state’s medical research institutions further the knowledge about this deadly disease and the factors that cause it,” Miller said.

FirstHealth of the Carolinas is a private, non-governmental, not-for-profit health care network serving 15 counties in the mid-Carolinas.

New Mesothelioma Study

Labels: Featured News

posted by Your Attorney at 10:59 AM
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Sheet Metal Production Linked to Mesothelioma

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

In the August 2009 issue of the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, a new study was published showing that sheet metal workers have an increased risk of dying from mesothelioma. The study which involved 17,345 sheet metal workers confirms that workers with 20 or more years in the industry run a significantly higher risk of dying from the asbestos-related disease.

New York injury attorney, Joe Belluck, of Belluck & Fox, LLP states,"We have represented many sheet metal workers and it is clear, both anecdotally and now through scientific data, they have an increased risk of dying from mesothelioma." Belluck also went to add that it was not surprising that sheet metal workers would be at risk since their job involves using many asbestos-containing materials.

Belluck & Fox, LLP is a New York personal injury law firm that handles many types of work-related injury cases including mesothelioma. The firm has helped numerous victims and their families through their hard times battling mesothelioma.

Read the article

Labels: Asbestos, Cancer, Mesothelioma, News, Research

posted by Aaron Phelps at 4:23 PM
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Change of Law Sought in Indiana to Aid Victims of Asbestos-related Diseases

A group of mesothelioma victims and their families are asking Indiana lawmakers to rewrite state law to allow people who get diseases that appear decades after exposure more time to sue for compensation.

Under current Indiana law, victims have 10 years to file a lawsuit after being exposed to a hazardous substance. But mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs associated with asbestos exposure, typically doesn’t appear until 20 to 40 years after exposure. It claims 2,000 too 3,000 people a year in the United States.

Loved ones of those who died of mesothelioma told an Indiana legislative panel that the current state law placed no value on the lives of those who died of mesothelioma or the economic hardships their families suffered as a result of their loss. They want the law changed to allow victims two years after diagnosis of the disease to file legal action.

The Indiana Legislature is likely to consider the issue in the session that convenes in January.

Labels: National News

posted by Wade Rawlins at 10:46 AM
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Shining a Headlamp on Miners' Health

Monday, October 5, 2009

Former mine workers in the Iron Range of Minnesota have begun undergoing health screenings to help researchers unravel a medical mystery. They’re trying to understand why taconite miners have a high incidence of lung disease including mesothelioma, a cancer associated with asbestos exposure.

In recent weeks, the first wave of an expected 1,200 miners and 800 spouses received chest x-rays, had blood drawn and underwent tests to assess their lung function at the Virginia Regional Medical Center in Minnesota, according to The Duluth News Tribune. The University of Minnesota is conducting a comprehensive three- to five-year, $4.8 million study of the respiratory health of taconite workers as a follow-up to a 2003 study that linked taconite miners who had developed mesothelioma to commercial asbestos exposure in the mines.

The aim on the current study is to analyze cancer and mortality rates among taconite workers, to examine airborne particles collected from the Iron and to evaluate miners’ exposure to taconite dust on the job.

Duluth News Tribune article

Labels: National News

posted by Wade Rawlins at 3:42 PM
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Testing Under Way To Find Whether Homeowners Risk Asbestos Exposure during Yard Work

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Do routine homeowner activities such as raking the yard, cutting grass or shoveling dirt could cause asbestos fibers to become airborne? That is the question investigators with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are trying to answer near a former insulation factory in Spokane, Washington.

“We’re simulating what people could do on their property,” Greg Weigel, on-scene coordinator for EPA’s environmental clean-up program told The Spokesman-Review newspaper.

Weigel said even low levels of asbestos in soil pose a health risk. Breathing microscopic asbestos fibers can cause serious respiratory diseases including lung cancer, mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs, and asbestosis, a scarring of the lungs.

In June, EPA investigators found low levels of asbestos fibers in residential yards near the former Vermiculite Northwest factory in Spokane. For more than two decades, the factory produced Zonolite, a lightweight attic insulation that contained asbestos. Rail cars brought vermiculite ore from a mine in Libby, Montana to the plant where it was heated to form insulation. W.R. Grace Company closed Vermiculite Northwest in 1973.

Earlier this year, federal environmental officials declared a public health emergency in Libby, Montana where more than 200 people have died of asbestos-related disease.

Test results in Spokane should be available in about six weeks, EPA said.


Read The Spokesman-Review article

Labels: National News

posted by Wade Rawlins at 12:10 PM
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