Mesothelioma is a form of cancer cause by exposure to asbestos. The disease develops in the lining around the lungs. How did asbestos come about?
Asbestos has a long history dating back to ancient Greece. The Greeks also realized the dangers of asbestos. Slaves use to weave it into cloth and long exposure to it caused damage to their lungs.
The industrial revolution brought asbestos to the people. It was used in fire retardant coatings, bricks, fireplace cement, gaskets, pipe insulation, fireproof drywall, flooring, brake pads, roofing, drywall joint compound and more.
In the United States we started hearing about asbestos warnings in the early 1980’s. In fact when one discovers that they have asbestos in their home they say that it’s better to leave it then to have it removed. Asbestos fibers are said to be still unless someone creates movement. Once you disturb asbestos it’s just like dust; it’s everywhere. In fact you know when you have come in contact with it because your skin begins to itch. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 90’s they started making things differently.
Mesothelioma is the most serious of the asbestos cancers. It has a 20 year or more latency period. Workers that were exposed to it in the 60’s or 70’s are just now finding out they have it. Thousands are expected to die because of it.
The states with the highest mortality rates of Mesothelioma are California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. The highest cities of instances of Mesothelioma are Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles.
In recent news a letter sent out by the Environmental Protection Agency to a federal health official in Chicago (April 24, 2007) state there are significant levels of asbestos found at Illinois Beach State Park. The park is the most visited in the suburb of Zion (outside of Chicago). It is believed to have come from a plant nearby. If folks are still using asbestos or have done nothing to get rid of it may face more lawsuits.
If you have become a victim of Mesothelioma you may want to contact an attorney. We are going to list attorneys on this website.
To begin this if you live in the state of Illinois we have compiled a list of some of the best attorney’s in the state.
For more info you can visit our blog at Mesothelioma.