Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases are most commonly associated with occupational exposure. But many people have also been sickened by asbestos hidden in everyday household items, from children’s toys and cosmetics to appliances and sporting goods. While the use of asbestos in consumer products has largely been discontinued, some older items are still in use, and some overseas manufacturers continue to include asbestos in their products today.
Asbestos in Household Items
We typically think of asbestos as being used in industrial and commercial settings requiring strength, durability, and insulation against heat and flame.
While it’s true that the majority of those who’ve been sickened by the toxic material were exposed in workplaces, including factories, construction sites, and shipyards, there have been countless other people exposed to asbestos in the home while using common household items.
Many of the same characteristics that made asbestos so valuable in high-heat, high-friction settings also made it useful in the insulation of home appliances. It was also found in talc and was useful for improving binding or blending and adding bulk. This made it a natural choice for items like crayons and cosmetic products.
Even textiles and paper goods were made using asbestos to protect against burning, and loose asbestos fibers were incorporated in items ranging from attic insulation to fake snow for holiday decorations.[1]
Though more than sixty countries across the globe have banned the use of asbestos, approximately two million tons a year are processed through Russia, half of which is utilized in China and India.[2]
Those countries continue to manufacture and import products using asbestos, and many of those items end up in U.S. households. The products put adults and children at risk of malignant mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related diseases years after their use.
Why Was Asbestos So Popular?
Today, the American public is well aware of the health dangers posed by asbestos. But in the years between the 1930s and 1980s, the mineral was widely used in industrial settings, as well as in manufacturing items for use by consumers.
The term asbestos refers to six different minerals — amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. Each has its own unique characteristics, but all of them are made up of easily separable fibers that are strong, yet flexible enough to be spun and woven.
They are all resistant to heat, all readily available, and all inexpensive. They do not dissolve in water or evaporate and don’t undergo significant reactions with most chemicals or break down significantly in the environment.
All of these factors made asbestos a popular choice for manufacturers, who used it to make items ranging from roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, to paper products, automobile brakes, insulation, and cosmetics.[3]
Because the six minerals that fall under the umbrella term of asbestos are so versatile, they were used in extremely diverse applications. It’s been estimated that more than 4,000 asbestos-containing products were made during the most popular years of its use.[4]
Household Products Made With Asbestos
Asbestos is most commonly associated with industrial uses, such as products used in construction and to protect against heat and friction in industrial settings.
Many building materials used to construct homes contained asbestos. These included insulation, vinyl flooring, roofing materials, cement siding, and textured paint.
Asbestos was also used in consumer items common in homes, offices, and schools:
- Air conditioners
- Aprons
- Artificial fireplace ash and logs
- Ashtray coasters
- Bicycle seats
- Blenders
- Bottle warmers
- Bowling balls
- Brake pads and linings
- Candle and lantern wicks
- Chainsaws
- Christmas decorations, including lights and tree skirts
- Cigarettes
- Clothes dryers
- Clutch assemblies
- Coffee pots
- Cooking mats
- Crockpots
- Curling irons
- Dish towels
- Dishwashers
- Door and window caulking
- Electric blankets
- Electric fans
- Electrical tools
- Exercise bikes
- Fake snow
- Fire blankets
- Fireplace decorations
- Floor tiles
- Furniture
- Gas broilers
- Hair dryers
- Heaters
- Heating pads
- Irons
- Iron pads
- Ironing boards
- Ironing board covers
- Joint compound
- Kettles
- Kitty litter
- Lawnmowers
- Leaf blowers
- Lining paper for shelves
- Microwaves
- Model airplane heat guns
- Ovens
- Oven mitts
- Placemats
- Popcorn poppers
- Potholders
- Potting soil
- Radios
- Ranges
- Refrigerators
- Rice cookers
- Shuffleboard pucks
- Spackle
- Stepping machines
- Stoves
- Textured paint
- Toasters
- Transmission parts
- Treadmills
- Trivets
- Vacuum cleaners
- Washing machines
Additionally, asbestos has been found in items made using talc, a mineral whose deposits are frequently found in the same place as asbestos deposits, leading to cross-contamination. Consumer products containing talc that have been identified as being contaminated with asbestos include:
- Art supplies
- Bicycle tires
- Children’s modeling clay
- Children’s crayons
- Children’s makeup
- Cosmetics, including eye shadow, powdered foundations, compact powders, and blush
- Talcum powder-based products
- Toy crime lab kits
How Is Asbestos in Consumer Products Harmful?
Asbestos that is well-contained and undisturbed is generally not considered dangerous. When disturbed, tiny asbestos fibers that are invisible to the naked eye are released into the air, where they can be easily inhaled.
Asbestos fibers can settle on hair, skin, or clothing, from which they can then become airborne again. Any time that asbestos enters the body, its particles can become embedded in cells.
Inside the body, asbestos fibers can cause inflammation, cell death, and mutations that can lead to scarring or the formation of deadly tumors. The more exposure an individual faces over their lifetime, the higher their risk of illness.
Several diseases have been linked to exposure to asbestos. The deadliest of these is malignant mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer that affects an organ called the mesothelium. The mesothelium lines the cavities that hold the pleural and peritoneal organs.
Both pleural mesothelioma and peritoneal mesothelioma are extremely aggressive. Mesothelioma has a long latency period and does not generally begin to manifest symptoms until decades after the victim’s exposure to asbestos. Once diagnosed, it spreads quickly and is difficult to treat.
Other conditions that have been linked to asbestos exposure include:
- Asbestosis
- Lung cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Laryngeal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Pharyngeal cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Bile duct cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Leukemia
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pleural plaques
- Pleural effusion
- Pleural thickening
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Is Asbestos in Consumer Products Still a Danger?
Asbestos has been banned in nearly all applications in the U.S. The only real risk that remains is from legacy asbestos, older products and materials that still contain asbestos and are found in homes.
Although uncommon, some imported goods might contain asbestos. It’s important to be aware of where asbestos may linger in homes and old products and materials. If you’re not sure, you can have materials tested for asbestos.
Generally, if a product or material with asbestos remains intact and undisturbed, it poses little to no risk of releasing fibers and causing exposure.
What to Do if You Were Exposed to Asbestos in Consumer Products
If you were exposed to asbestos in household products or to talc in cosmetic products or toys, you may be at risk for an asbestos-related disease. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of asbestos illnesses and alert your physician to your history of exposure.
Many asbestos-related diseases share symptoms with benign conditions like bronchitis and pneumonia, making it hard to diagnose. A delayed diagnosis can make treatment more challenging.
If you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, you have several options. Many people who have been sickened by asbestos in consumer products have successfully held the companies that manufactured and sold the dangerous products financially responsible.
Successful personal injury lawsuits and settlements out of court have resulted in millions of dollars in compensation.
Your best source of information on your next steps is an experienced asbestos attorney, who can explain your rights and what to expect from the process.
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