Laboratory Hoods
Prior to and throughout the twentieth century, manufacturers found myriad uses for asbestos, once dubbed “the miracle mineral”. Indeed, asbestos seemed to have many useful traits. The mineral, when added to a variety of other materials, made things more durable. In addition, it was one of the most impressive fire- and heat-resistant materials ever discovered, so it was often used in products and equipment that encountered high temperatures or fire. That’s why it was commonly found in power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, and aboard ships, planes, and railroad cars.
Its use as an insulating material even brought asbestos into the science laboratory. For example, the mineral was often used in the manufacturer of laboratory hoods, also known as fume hoods. A laboratory hood is a piece of scientific equipment often found in chemistry laboratories, designed to limit exposure to dangerous or unpleasant fumes. The hoods – similar to those you’d find over your stove at home – work when air is drawn in from the front of the unit through a fan and either expelled to the outside of the building or filtered and fed back into the room. They come in two varieties: ducted and re-circulating. Before the asbestos warnings were issued in the late 1970s, the duct pipe in the ducted models was usually made of asbestos.
Though laboratory hoods usually work well and help scientists and researchers avoid exposure to toxic or odorous fumes, hoods manufactured prior to the 1980s that contained asbestos presented yet another hazard. The duct pipes were easily damaged and could release airborne asbestos fibers, which would, in turn, be inhaled by those in the vicinity. The result was the eventual development of asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Scientists, research assistants, and others working in laboratories probably gave little thought to the fact that their lab hood might be making them sick. After all, the hood was designed to help keep them safe. However, any time asbestos fibers are released, no matter how few, asbestos diseases can be the result of exposure. Doctors and scientists have proven time and again that NO amount of asbestos exposure is safe.
Alarmingly, investigations have provided information which confirms that some asbestos product manufacturers knew of the dangers of the toxic mineral but failed to inform their employees, instead allowing them to continue working with asbestos for years before its hazards became public knowledge. Because of this deception, many individuals developed serious, often fatal, asbestos-related diseases, particularly malignant mesothelioma, a very serious form of cancer caused only by asbestos exposure.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma due to your work around laboratory hoods that contained asbestos, you may have a right to monetary compensation. For more details about this and about your legal rights in general, order our free mesothelioma information packet today.
