Asbestos Found in Joint Compounds

Asbestos was the material of choice for the building industry; as a result, it found multifarious applications and continued to be used in a thousand products till it was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in the 1980s. Asbestos was linked to fatal diseases and could cause serious illnesses such as asbestosis and mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer. Once the fact came into the public domain, the use of the material reduced but the presence of the material in earlier usage remains even today.

Asbestos Exposure from Joint Compounds

It is quite disturbing to know that the dangers of using asbestos-containing material or working with asbestos in any form were ignored when they first came to light in the 1930s when many major companies began testing and researching new products. Owing to selfish commercial interests, the companies that knew of the dangers of asbestos exposure did not inform the workers or the general public about it. As a result, a very large number of employees and consumers were regularly exposed to the naturally produced mineral. Only 20 to 50 years down the line, when the symptoms of the disease were diagnosed and it was found that there was no way to beat the odds did the terrible truth make an impact on the public. The rising indignation culminated in the ban but the harm was already done. More than 30 deaths occur daily in the U.S. alone owing to asbestos-related conditions, and countless number of lawsuits are ongoing in the U.S. courts.

Joint Compounds Containing Asbestos Fibers

Asbestos imparted singular qualities to the products that it permeated, such as strength, heat-resistance, flexibility, fire-retardancy, insulation, and it also brought down the cost. A common use for asbestos was joint compound, and joint compound is found in most homes. Joint compound was used in building walls. Left intact, it is of no consequence; but with age or tampering, the product starts to disintegrate and minute particles of fiber float in the air. Through inhalation, these get lodged in the soft tissue around the lungs, heart, or stomach. Remaining there for decades, the area festers and gets inflamed and eventually becomes malignant. The initial symptoms can often be misleading as they are not unique in any way. So it is necessary to recollect if you have worked at any point in time in an environment that could have been frought with asbestos. If yes, contact your doctor at once and get yourself tested. Mesothelioma does not give you time; it simply kills.