Missouri
Missouri has areas with very high concentrations of asbestos that naturally occur in the soil and the ambient environment due to wind, passing traffic, and other disturbances that would cause the natural deposits of asbestos in the area to become airborne. Asbestos occurs naturally in the Ozark Mountains, and the persons that live in areas that are known to have higher concentrations should consider paving, or otherwise dressing, their driveways so as to keep the dust and dirt from becoming disturbed for their families to inhale and track inside. If you do your own landscaping or gardening, a few inches of topsoil is advisable.
Power Generation Plants
Power generation plants are a source of exposure all over the United States to asbestos. Workers used to wear protective clothing, and use other protective gear that was manufactured containing asbestos fibers. The asbestos was suppose to protect the worker from the dangers of high heat or extreme cold. The equipment itself in a power generation plant also needed to be protected from such changes, such as the electrical housings and pipes. Asbestos was an excellent insulator of heat, cold, and electricity. When the insulation would age it would crumble and allow fibers to be inhaled by the workers. The same would happen when their gear was torn or worn as well.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is a well known and commonly used insulator. The insulation that was produced in Missouri under the name Zonolite was made from the vermiculite that was taken from a mine in Libby, Montana. The mine in Libby was shut down in 1993 due to the heavy contamination of the vermiculite with asbestos that was being produced from the mines. Anyone that has worked handling vermiculite should have their health screened and notify their medical professional of the possible exposure so that they can properly follow your progress so that they can identify any onset of asbestos related injuries early.
There are other sites that could be at elevated risk for exposure, such as manufacturing plants, such as those that produce gaskets and brake linings, as with Mack. If you work in construction, you may not have been aware of the risk that you have been exposed to in demolition and remodeling projects, as there was not much information in circulation before the 1980s, so workers would send large quantities of asbestos airborne as well as inhale it and bring it home on their hair and clothing to their families. Persons that have been exposed to asbestos can develop asbestosis, which is a condition that can be treatable when caught in time. Asbestosis reduces lung function. Mesothelioma is also a condition that can appear in those that have been exposed to asbestos. Asbestos exposure leads to mesothelioma, a malignant cancer that develops when asbestos has been inhaled or ingested.
If you have been exposed and have received a diagnosis of either of these asbestos related ailments, then you should seek legal counsel so that you may receive any of the possible remedies that you may deserve in order to get the best care available to you. Since it can take years for your symptoms to develop, you should be watchful no matter how long ago your exposure was.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
