Comments on: Weather Will NEVER Wear Them Out (Feb, 1929)

By: Tracy B

Tracy B — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:06:44 +0000

The state mineral of California is serpentine, which is full of asbestos. Very ironic, when you consider the amount of treehuggers in the local governments. However at the time it wasn’t was well known that certain naturally minerals could be toxic if handled. Asbestos is just one; minerals containing mercury such as vermilion which was used as a pigment for paint is very poisonous. I’m glad we got the lead out of motor vehicle fuel.

By: blueferretdog

blueferretdog — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:20:54 +0000

When people knew asbestos was harmful is an open question, I am not aware of a credible date, I can tell you that I had raw asbestos in my mineral collection as a boy in the 60′s and I handled, sold and cut asbestos products in the late 70′s with no clue that they were harmful in any way as a part of the building trades. I just hope that the exposure I had was minimal enough as there are no established “safe” levels. We now advise homeowners that nothing happens until they contract with a professional abatement company when we encounter it. In its day it was a miracle material, too bad it had such a downside. There is lots of it still out in the world in old appliances cars, houses ext.

By: Charlene

Charlene — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:32:39 +0000

Long-term asbestos exposure doesn’t always result in cancer. Asbestosis is also disabling and painful. My father had to retire at 50 on full pension from the federal government (Canada) – one of his jobs as a boiler operator was to apply and remove asbestos insulation from boilers.

By: Firebrand38

Firebrand38 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:49:23 +0000

Tracy B: There were 600,000 claimants in the lawsuit that was settled http://www.insurancejournal.co...../45041.htm
http://www.lhc.org.uk/members/...../asb09.htm

By: Tracy B

Tracy B — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:22:27 +0000

I wonder how many Johns-Manville employees got cancer…….