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Arkansas

Asbestos occurs naturally in Arkansas but is largely restricted to the Hot Springs and Russellville areas in West Arkansas. While natural asbestos is not as prevalent as in other U.S. States, incidence of asbestos use in infrastructure and power plants is equally as high. Asbestos has been used in many products for many different aspects of building construction in these areas. Nearly 80% of buildings constructed prior to 1978 have some asbestos use in their construction, including those in the urban areas, such as Little Rock and Fayetteville.

Power Plants

Asbestos use in power plants is high across the country and those in Arkansas are no exception. Asbestos was used predominantly as an insulator prior to its federal ban in the late 1970’s. Power plants often generate power through steam or coal powered turbines, in which temperatures are extremely high. Asbestos was used to line these fixtures, preventing heat transfer and making the materials more fire retardant.

Workers who encounter these materials while doing their jobs have been exposed to harmful levels of friable (airborne) asbestos fibers. For this reason, asbestos exposure risk for power plant workers is high, particularly those employees who came into contact with older insulation fixtures around piping or electrical coverings. Power plant employees should be conscious of the risk of asbestos exposure and take action to ensure they are not harmfully exposed if asbestos is encountered. Those who have worked around these materials in the past should monitor their health closely.

Home and Building Construction

Perhaps the most common use of asbestos is in building insulation, but home asbestos use is not restricted solely to insulation materials. Asbestos was extremely durable, meaning it was ideal for adding to items such as floor and ceiling tiles. It was also fire retardant, meaning it could be added to any number of materials, such as drywall or siding, to promote resistance against structural fire damage. While it is no longer used in new building construction, several older structures still have asbestos in their older fixtures. As these materials get older or damaged they become more dangerous. Those who knowingly encountered asbestos materials in home construction should consult the advice of a physician and monitor their health closely.

Asbestos was banned because there was a clear connection between asbestos exposure and the development of respiratory complications, including mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos fibers in the lining of the lung. In Arkansas alone, there have been nearly 300 asbestos-related deaths since it was banned in the late 1970’s. Those diagnosed with mesothelioma or other asbestos related disease should contact us for a free mesothelioma information packet, detailing the top treatments and information on how to obtain financial compensation for their wrongful exposure.

Last modified: December 09 2009.