Asbestos

Asbestos is a group of minerals that form thin, strong fibers resistant to heat and chemicals. For most of the twentieth century it was used in pipe and boiler insulation, roofing and flooring, cement products, brake pads and clutches, ship construction, and fireproofing. Its danger is in the fibers: when asbestos-containing material is disturbed, microscopic fibers can become airborne, be inhaled, and lodge in the lungs and the lining around them for decades.

The EPA lists three of the major health effects of asbestos exposure: lung cancer; mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the thin lining of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart; and asbestosis, a serious, progressive, non-cancer lung disease. These diseases often appear decades after exposure, which is why people are still being diagnosed today from exposures in shipyards, the military, construction, and factories long ago.

Regulation came late. In March 2024, the EPA announced a ban on ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, the only known form of asbestos imported, processed, or distributed for use in the United States, to protect against lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers. Older buildings can still contain asbestos, and contaminated talc is another route of exposure.

Asbestos litigation is the longest-running mass tort in U.S. history. Many former asbestos makers went bankrupt and set up trust funds that still pay claims, alongside lawsuits against companies that remain solvent. A claim generally requires a diagnosis and a work or exposure history identifying the products involved. See our pages on mesothelioma and asbestos, talc and ovarian cancer, and the J&J talc settlement.