Public health experts had long suspected that people in the taconite industry are at an increased risk for developing mesothelioma, because at least 82 taconite workers on Minnesota's Iron Range have died from the rare but deadly cancer in recent years.
Study: coal tar dust in consumer products may cause cancer
A recent study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology found that coal tar-based asphalt sealants commonly used to update residential driveways and commercial parking lots contains an ingredient that may cause cancer, especially in children. According to the study, the black sealcoat is essentially a chemical compound called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, or PAH, in concentrated form. PAH is known to cause cancer.
U.S. still a major importer of asbestos for industrial use
With all the attention that has been paid to asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, it would be logical to assume that products containing asbestos are no longer available in the United States. While many countries around the world have banned asbestos, the U.S. is not one of them. In fact, while more than four dozen nations have banned the mineral, the United States imported more than 2 million pounds of asbestos in 2012 -- all of it from Brazil.
Legislation could delay asbestos lawsuits in some states
Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses are devastating to the people who receive such a diagnosis. In many cases in Illinois and in other states, time is of the essence when it comes to filing a lawsuit against businesses that have exposed people to asbestos.
Mesothelioma suit moved from local court to federal jurisdiction
When someone is diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness such as mesothelioma, it is usually devastating news. In some cases, the ill person may not have realized they even had any exposure to asbestos, at least directly. This seems to be the case with a West Virginia woman -- who has since died -- in a lawsuit that alleges her mesothelioma was brought on via asbestos exposure in two ways: from the remodeling of her home as well as from fibers her husband inadvertently brought home from his job.
