The History of Asbestos Use and its Impact on Health

Despite the once-celebrated status of asbestos throughout the world, the history of asbestos use is a history of deception and attempts to cover-up the truth. Unfortunately, deceptive tactics and coverups were all in the name of protecting the finances of the asbestos industry from being taken away, all while denying victims the compensation they required after being burdened with numerous health conditions. But how did it ever get to this point? Here’s what you should know about the history of asbestos use and its negative impact on health.

Asbestos, the Once-Celebrated Mineral

There’s almost a sense of shock when people born in or after the 1990s discover that the world once celebrated asbestos. If we rewind back to the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations, asbestos was considered a miracle mineral, consisting of almost supernatural properties. These qualities include things like sound absorption, fire resistance, heat resistance, waterproofing, corrosion resistance, and more. 

The Latency Component

During the ancient eras, asbestos was utilized for these impressive qualities in such applications as burial shrouds, clothing, pottery, and much more. However, there is no evidence to suggest that ancient civilizations were aware of asbestos exposure dangers. But why is this?

The answer is a very important word: latencia. Latency has to do with the delayed or late reaction that takes place after being exposed to asbestos. With modern medical technology, we have determined that people can be exposed to asbestos and go about their lives with little to no symptoms whatsoever for as many as five decades after exposure. 

The Invisible Threat

While we do not know whether ancient civilizations experienced the wide range of cancers and chronic diseases that are commonplace with asbestos exposure today, we at least know that they did not have the technology or the mental awareness to connect asbestos symptoms with exposures that may have taken place decades prior. 

The reason for this is that in addition to the latency of asbestos, the actual experience of being exposed to asbestos fibers is very subtle. For one, asbestos fibers make their way into the human body by ingestion or inhalation. To complicate matters, asbestos has no smell or taste, so this would take place without any sense of experience. Secondly, fibras de asbesto are microscopic, meaning the swallowed or inhaled fibers cannot be seen either. If ancient civilizations could not see, taste, or smell asbestos fibers, it is virtually impossible that they would have been able to make the connection between exposure and bodily harm.

Money Over Safety

This short historical reflection means that the coverups and deception that define the asbestos history are a more recent phenomenon. 

Asbestos helped cradle steam innovations and the industrial revolution.

The world changed after the Industrial Revolution, and asbestos is no exception. What once was a readily available natural mineral for small-scale use quickly became a commodity for large-scale production and manufacturing processes. Suddenly, an entire industry was birthed around the miracle mineral known as asbestos. 

While continuing to exhibit the impressive durability qualities that ancient civilizations came to appreciate, asbestos was now seen as the secret ingredient for thousands of products and manufacturing materials. With a high demand and low production cost, the asbestos industry became an empire. 

Kershaw, Victim and Forerunner

With the launch of this asbestos empire, people were suddenly exposed to asbestos in forms and quantities never before experienced in human history. Business was booming and workers enjoyed a reliable career that could support their families. 

This all changed with Nelie Kershaw. 

Kershaw was the first ever recorded victim of asbestos, the first example of asbestos litigation, and the catalyst for the establishment of the first-ever asbestos regulations in the working world. 

Of course, Kershaw’s fame is due to the tragedy of her life. 

Nellie Kershaw was exposed to high levels of asbestos as an industry worker and was met with rejection and cover-up tactics by her employer, Turner Brothers Asbestos Company. 

El company warned its insurance company that no liability related to asbestos should ever be accepted because it would mark a dangerous financial precedent for the company. 

However, while the company was quick to warn the insurance company in order to protect future profits, they were entirely unwilling to warn employees that their health was at risk on a daily basis. Instead, Turner and many other companies would allow their employees to literally work themselves to death, with thousands going on to die from various asbestos-related diseases.

Deception At Work

This tactic was a bold move, especially because there was already a growing circulation of medical literature that pointed to the connection between asbestos exposure and illnesses, including lung cancer. Sadly, such a playbook would be the norm throughout the industry up to the present day. It seemed like a necessary gamble for these companies, to simply coverup the asbestos findings. 

The Lanza Controversy and the Cancer Cover-up

One notorious example is Dr. Anthony Lanza, who was an authoritative medical figure in the realm of epidemiology in the early 20th century. 

Unfortunately, he was willing to suppress vital information related to asbestos. Employed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), Lanza conducted X-ray examinations of asbestos workers from 1929-1931 and determined that asbestos was a cancer-causing substance producing serious health conditions in workers. 

Despite clear evidence from his research that most of the test animals exposed to asbestos develop cancerous tumors, Lanza obliged the asbestos industry’s desire to modify his published findings, resulting in a medical report that downplayed the seriousness of asbestos exposure. 

Had Lanza’s research been left unaltered, it is possible that asbestos litigation would have gained traction at a faster rate, and federal regulation would have happened much sooner than the mid-1980s. Instead, the familiar pattern of coverup and deception continued to rule the industry for another four decades. 

Evidence Prevails and the Public Learns About Asbestos

It would be an overstatement to say that the blood of asbestos workers is on the hands of the industry at large, were it not for the overwhelming evidence that shows the clear pattern of sacrificing the health of workers on the altar of profit margins. It seemed like a better option, in the mind of these companies, to simply ride things out for as long as possible, deny the health risks of asbestos exposure, and fight in court, if needed.

Courts make asbestos companies responsible for their deception

For many companies, this strategy worked- at least for a while. The lack of well-circulated medical evidence left the burden of proof on the side of the asbestos workers. However, the steady increase of asbestos-related diseases plaguing workers and the continual medical research helped build the necessary link between asbestos exposure to the conditions these workers were suffering from. 

Asbestos Trust Funds

This connection turned the focus on the asbestos industry. Connecting internal records of deception with reputable medical research and a sufficient diagnosis opened the pathway for workers to see justice served. One by one, the giants of the industry began to fall like a house of cards under the growing weight of lawsuits. 

The result was the development of asbestos trust funds, a process that allowed these companies to file for bankruptcy and afforded workers and their family members with a means  to receive compensation. 

While bankruptcy has served as a way to shield these companies from future liability, the positive aspect of asbestos trust funds is the fact that those who file for a trust fund claim do not need to file a lawsuit or provide testimony in court. Instead, those who qualify can expect a fast and easy process of receiving compensation to help pay for medical expenses.