ألياف الأسبستوس: منتج خطير في التسقيف والأرضيات و...

• Years of production:

  Early 1970s to 1980s

• Places of use:

  Roofs and floors in homes, businesses, and public buildings; Paper mills

• Toxicity:

  High

• Asbestos use banned:

  Partially: asbestos fiber used for floors banned

• Fibrous:

  Yes

Asbestos Fiber and its Use in Construction Materials

Due to the natural soft components and fibers of asbestos fiber, the fire-resistant mineral was also manufactured into fiber for construction and manufacturing purposes until its toxicity was revealed to the public. Fiber is a type of fabric created when fiber strands are pressed, heated, or moistened so they bond together. Often, the fibers were made from animal hair or synthetic fibers.

Asbestos fiber was used along with adhesives in the flooring of older homes.

Asbestos fiber was used as an underlayment for floors and surfaces. Paper mills also used it to dry hot pulp. Historically, these products contained 85% asbestos. All manufacturers used the commonly known form called chrysotile, also known as white asbestos. Asbestos fiber and paper pose a significant exposure risk, as toxic fibers are easily released into the air when disturbed or handled.

Asbestos fiber used for flooring is considered one of the few products completely banned in the United States. Older asbestos fiber still exists in flooring and surfaces in millions of American buildings built between the 1960s and 1980s. Roofers, floor installers, demolition workers, and paper mill workers have been exposed to these toxins.

Diseases Associated with Asbestos Fiber

Exposure to contaminated asbestos fiber can lead to the following diseases:

• Mesothelioma
• Lung Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Laryngeal Cancer
• Asbestosis
• Pleural Plaques
• Diffuse Pleural Thickening
• Pleural Inflammation
• Pleural Effusion

In a study published in 2020, asbestos exposure was explored in "Worker Exposure and Health Records." The study simulated the work performed by roofers using roofing materials that contained asbestos, including fiber. Chrysotile asbestos fibers were detected in 28 out of 84 air samples taken during the study.

Fortunately, it is unlikely that current roofers are exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos during an eight-hour shift. However, former roofers have been exposed to hazardous levels of asbestos. They have developed related diseases as a result.

At-Risk Professions

Roofers, floor installers, and paper mill workers inhaled asbestos while working with asbestos fiber. Even when the product was new and in good condition, it could release asbestos fibers when handled.

In past decades, asbestos fiber products significantly contributed to occupational exposure. Professions at risk of exposure to asbestos fiber and paper include:

• Roofers
• Floor Installers
• Construction Workers
• Demolition Workers
• Paper Mill Workers

If you have been exposed in the past, be alert for symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, abdominal swelling, and fatigue. Workers diagnosed with related diseases should consult a doctor to ensure they receive the best possible treatment.

It is essential to hire a licensed professional for asbestos removal if you suspect asbestos fiber is present in your home or workplace.

What is Asbestos Fiber Used For in Construction?

The construction industry primarily used asbestos fiber to produce roofing and flooring materials. It was also used to make paper.

The main uses of asbestos fiber included:

• Roofing: Builders used asbestos fiber as an underlayment for shingles. It was also sometimes used as the main material in composite roofs. Asbestos-containing tar paper, also known as asbestos fiber, was used as an underlying layer for roofs.
• Flooring: Asbestos fibers were often used as an underlayment for linoleum, vinyl, and asphalt to provide padding and insulation.
• Paper Manufacturing: Paper mills used asbestos paper as a drying surface for paper pulp.

Repairing and removing asbestos fiber products and paper released asbestos fibers into the air. These fibers can easily be inhaled, but the human body struggles to eliminate them all. The fibers accumulate in the body over time with repeated exposure. Over decades, these fibers cause damage and inflammation that can lead to cancer.

Companies Associated with Asbestos Fiber and Paper

Manufacturers that produced asbestos fiber include:

Several of these companies were forced into bankruptcy due to lawsuits filed against them. To reorganize through bankruptcy, they had to create trust funds to compensate asbestos victims.

Compensation for Asbestos Fiber and Paper Exposure

Workers have filed lawsuits against manufacturers of asbestos products. These individuals have been diagnosed with illnesses such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. This led many companies to file for bankruptcy.

• In September 2020, widower William Rubai was awarded over $10 million in a wrongful death lawsuit against a fiber product manufacturer after his wife died from mesothelioma due to secondary exposure. Rubai used asbestos-containing products made by a fiber manufacturer in his garage. She was exposed while helping him with his work and when she cleaned the garage and his clothes.
• In the 1970s, flooring contractor Robert Ehirte developed mesothelioma after installing asbestos flooring fiber along with floor tiles and paper for two decades. He filed lawsuits against several companies that produced these products from the 1970s to the 1980s. Mesothelioma took Ehirte's life before he could go to court, but his wife received compensation of over $3 million.

Armstrong World Industries, which was a major manufacturer of asbestos flooring products, was driven to bankruptcy due to the volume of lawsuits filed against it. As part of its reorganization, it established the Armstrong World Industries Asbestos Compensation Trust in 2006 to provide asbestos compensation to current and future claimants. According to the trust's annual report, it paid out approximately $100 million in compensation that year and had a total value of around $1.8 billion.

In addition to lawsuits and claims from trust funds, other forms of compensation include VA claims, Social Security Disability, and grants for treatment or travel. A mesothelioma specialist lawyer can provide the best advice on the types of compensations you may be entitled to.

Speak with a Patient Advocate

We have over 50 years of combined experience helping mesothelioma patients.

Asbestos Removal and History of Asbestos Fiber

If roofing or flooring installed before 1980 needs repair or replacement, a sample of the underlayment should be tested for asbestos before work starts. Consult with a professional trained in asbestos removal before performing any work that may disturb asbestos fiber products.

Asbestos was used in the backing of many paper floor products.

Asbestos fiber is fibrous, which makes it a particularly dangerous product regardless of the asbestos content percentage. Most asbestos fiber in homes and businesses today is contained under floor tiles and roofing shingles. In many cases, the safest thing to do is to leave it undisturbed so the asbestos fibers remain contained.

In the early 1970s, a new building method known as built-up roofing became popular. During this process, several layers of fabric coated with tar or asphalt were placed on top of each other. Asbestos fiber became the primary material used in many flat-roofed buildings.

The materials used in flooring installation were also combined with asbestos fiber. Linoleum, asphalt, and vinyl tile floors all offered cheap and durable flooring solutions, and asbestos fiber products were available as backing materials for all.

The rise in office workers led to the emergence of the modern paper industry, which found another application for asbestos fiber. After trees were processed into wood pulp, the pulp had to be dried before it was turned into paper. Placing the pulp on asbestos fiber paper allowed it to dry at high temperatures, speeding up production.

However, by the 1970s, companies could no longer hide the link between asbestos exposure and deadly diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. Like most asbestos products, the use of asbestos fiber has significantly decreased in the United States, though it still poses a threat to workers and homeowners renovating old flooring and surfaces.

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