The History of Asbestos

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Budget cuts put US kids at elevated risk of lead poisoning

By Brett Wilkins, http://digitaljournal.com

At a time when hundreds of thousands of US children are suffering from lead poisoning, budget cuts mean there are fewer resources available to deal with the problem.

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that more than 500,000 US children are believed to have lead poisoning. One out of every 38 children are believed to suffer from the debilitating and potentially deadly ailment, and the poor are disproportionately affected.

Children often get lead poisoning from living in old homes in which lead paint was used. Contaminated soil and drinking water and industrial lead dust also sicken children, who breathe or swallow lead particles. The heavy metal can damage children’s brains, kidneys, and other organs. Elevated levels of lead in the blood can lead to reduced intelligence, hearing impairment and behavioral and other problems.

Read more: http://digitaljournal.com/article/349098#ixzz2SXRnA8YP

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TEM AHERA or NIOSH?

By Jeff Mlekush, QuanTem Labs Vice President

It’s the time of year when a young man’s heart turns to…asbestos sampling. You thought I was going somewhere else with this? Nope. Before the summer rush sets in and you’re running six ways from Sunday, I think a reminder is called for. I want to remind everyone of the AHERA sampling protocol and the difference between the AHERA Method and the NIOSH 7402 Method.

First, which way to go – AHERA or NIOSH? Well, why are you sampling?

The AHERA TEM Air clearance monitoring requires thirteen samples to be collected. Five samples should be collected inside the contained area. Five samples should be collected outside the contained area. Two field blanks should be opened for 30 seconds (one inside containment and one outside containment). One unopened lab blank should be submitted.

Even though thirteen samples are required to be collected and submitted to the TEM laboratory, AHERA allows for a “screening” in which only the five inside samples are analyzed – but you have to collect at least 1200 liters of air for each sample. If you collect less than 1200 liters of air, you are required to have all thirteen samples analyzed. (See 40CFR763, Subpart E, Section IV, Mandatory Interpretation of TEM Results To Determine Completion of Response Action, A. Introduction – if you don’t believe me.)

So, I hope this brief discussion helps. If you have any questions regarding TEM air sampling or other asbestos, lead, or mold sampling give me a call. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find the person for you to talk to.

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U.S. asbestos imports condemned by health experts, activists

Even with all the information we have about the dangers of asbestos the U.S. is still importing more than 2.3 million pounds of the carcinogen.

By Jim Morris, http://www.publicintegrity.org

More than 50 countries have banned asbestos, a toxic mineral used in building materials, insulation, automobile brakes and other products.

The United States isn’t one of them. Last year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, 1,060 metric tons - more than 2.3 million pounds - came into the country, all of it from Brazil. “Based on current trends,” the USGS says, “U.S. asbestos consumption is likely to remain near the 1,000-ton level …”

Public health experts and anti-asbestos activists find this distressing. Read More

Bacterial breakthrough could lead to better biological batteries

An interesting study uses bacteria to create better batteries.

By Jennifer Welsh, http://www.businessinsider.com

New research into electricity-conducting bacteria could lead to environmentally friendly “bio-batteries” that could create energy, be used as factories for biological products, or clean out heavy metals from contaminated soils.

These bacteria live off iron and heavy metals, similar to how we live off of oxygen. They use it to make energy the way we use oxygen and food to make the energy that runs our bodies. Read More

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Linking mold to respiratory problems

By Carl Bennett, http://www.hivehealthmedia.com

Molds are rather harmless little fungi, present in every single environment, all-year round. But when they find warm and humid conditions, they tend to turn into that matter-decomposing eye sore we all know and dread. Their aspect however is probably the least important characteristic we should worry about; molds can be the cause of many health issues, ranging from itchy eyes and a runny nose to serious respiratory infections. Read More

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Lead paint, other toxic products banned in U.S. still exported to unsuspecting customers abroad

Lead paint may be banned in the U.S., but that is not stopping some companies from exporting it to unregulated countries.

By Lynne Peeples, http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Not until Perry Gottesfeld pulled up to the front gates of Seigneurie in Cameroon did he realize the African country’s leading paint manufacturer was owned by a U.S.-based corporation.

“A big sign read PPG,” Gottesfeld, executive director of the nonprofit Occupational Knowledge International, recalled from his March 2011 visit to the factory. “We were shocked.”

The reason for the surprise: His research team had just discovered that more than 40 percent of Seigneurie house paints on the market in Cameroon contained high levels of lead, with the neurotoxic heavy metal accounting for up to half the weight of some paints. Read More

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Asbestos-contaminated tarantula ‘could be on the loose’ in Cardiff

Straight out of an ’80s horror movie, Cardiff deals with the reveal of an “asbestos spider.”

By Simon Gaskell, http://www.walesonline.co.uk

A web of intrigue surrounds a gruesome discovery in a 19th century attic – where a large tarantula skin, potentially contaminated with asbestos, has been found.

The shock find was made during a routine survey by Cardiff asbestos specialists Kusten Vorland.

After three days in the empty house, on The Parade, in Roath, surveyor Katie Parsons-Young led her team into a pitch-black attic at 4.30pm on Tuesday. In a scene reminiscent of horror flick Arachnophobia, Katie – no fan of creepy crawlies – got the shock of her life when lifting up one of the floorboards and spotting a large, hairy leg. Read More

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Rogers County Courthouse mold is being eradicated

By RHETT MORGAN World Staff Writer
3/21/2008

CLAREMORE — County officials have hired a Catoosa company to begin mold remediation from an office in the Rogers County Courthouse, according to County Clerk Peggy Armstrong.

Worldwide Restoration Inc. this week began removing drywall and carpeting from the second-floor chambers of Associate District Judge Sheila Condren, said Arthur Mathews, the maintenance supervisor for the courthouse.Initial repairs are estimated at $6,000, Armstrong said.

The whole story at the Tulsa World

W.R. Grace & Co. To Pay $250 Million in Record Asbestos Settlement

3/12/2008 9:59:58 AM In the largest asbestos-related settlement on record, W.R. Grace & Co. (GRA) agreed Tuesday to reimburse the federal government $250 million. The money was used by the government in the town of Libby, Montana, where hundreds of people were sickened by asbestos, including some that died. The investigation and cleanup cost the taxpayers $168 million, with another $175 million likely.

The record payout is awaiting approval by a federal bankruptcy judge. The funding for the cleanup was originally taken from the government’s Superfund environmental cleanup program, and the $250 million from W.R. Grace & Co. will reimburse taxpayers….

Read the full story at RTT News: Global Financial Newswires