Michigan
Michigan has a very high rate of illness attributed to asbestos exposure, such as asbestosis, an illness that causes the victim to suffer reduced lung function and the development of scar tissue in the lungs, and mesothelioma, which is a cancer directly linked to the carcinogenic asbestos fibers inhaled by persons that lived or worked in areas of high exposure risk. There was a time not so long ago when we were all ignorant to the possible injuries that asbestos could inflict, when asbestos laden materials would be dumped in landfills and children would play in the debris, inhaling and ingesting the dangerous carcinogen. There are several industries that placed our families at elevated risk as well. The extent of the damage is yet unknown as the illnesses can have a latency period of several years to decades, but Michigan is currently #38 in overall deaths related to asbestos exposure, and #12 in the US for mesothelioma cases.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite itself is harmless to the persons that use or work with it, but problem with vermiculite is that in the plants that would perform the service of "popping" the vermiculite, an exfoliation process, were exposed to vermiculite from the mines of Libby, Montana. Libby was found to be producing vermiculite from their mines that was heavily contaminated with asbestos in 1993 and vermiculite plants processed this material from 1966-1988. The plants that were processing this vermiculite were not aware of the health risk and the employees that were involved in the process were exposed to asbestos on a daily basis.
Manufacturing
In Michigan there are several products that are produced that employed asbestos heavily so as to insulate, fireproof, or soundproof the site or building and employees. Brake linings and gaskets were produced, which contained asbestos. Foundries and refineries that used asbestos heavily in order to fireproof the buildings as well as the protective gear that the workers would wear to protect them from burns and chemical exposure led to asbestos inhalation from crumbling or worn materials. Welders and boilermakers had employed asbestos laden gear to keep them safe from the extreme heat that they employed on a daily basis. All of these scenarios lead to dangerous levels of exposure as soon as the materials containing asbestos start to crumble, fray or tear.
Construction workers are of particular concern, the persons that worked in this industry prior to the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth Asbestos Program was established to educate entities in the proper removal of asbestos to be compliant with the new government guidelines in 1986 would simply tear through the products that were commonly used in homes, municipal buildings and businesses as an insulator and fire retarding measure. In demolitions large amounts of asbestos debris would be sent airborne throughout the surrounding community, and the workers themselves would carry home the fibers in their hair and work clothes to their families and expose them.
If you or someone that you know has been exposed, it is important to get medical help and to inform the physician of the exposure so that you can be monitored for developing symptoms. Sufferers of any asbestos exposure related disease should contact someone that handles asbestos exposure cases in a legal capacity so that they can get any remedies that they are entitled to, enabling them to get the best care possible.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
