From the early 20th century until the mid-1980s, manufacturers across numerous industries widely included asbestos in the plastic manufacturing process. Though the mineral served as an ideal filler material that stabilized plastic’s ingredients and made it resistant to heat, it is also the cause of malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and other deadly diseases.
The History of Asbestos in Plastics
The use of asbestos in plastic dates back to 1907, when chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland created Bakelite, the first synthetic thermosetting plastic. Baekeland advertised his invention as “the material of a thousand uses.”[1] Manufacturers quickly discovered that adding asbestos fibers could significantly improve the material’s properties. The naturally occurring mineral provided multiple benefits: it increased strength, prevented shrinkage, and offered remarkable resistance to heat, moisture, acid, and electricity while being widely accessible and inexpensive.
Bakelite and similar plastics were particularly attractive to manufacturers because they facilitated quick, inexpensive mass production of molded parts. The material could be formed into virtually any shape.[2] Asbestos became the preferred additive, despite many of the manufacturers that used it knowing that it was suspected of causing deadly diseases, including mesothelioma.
Widespread Use of Asbestos-Containing Plastics
The use of asbestos-containing plastics spread across numerous industries and product types. Automotive manufacturers integrated these materials into critical components including steering wheels, brake pads, and air conditioning housings. The aerospace industry used asbestos plastics in sophisticated applications including rocket nose cones, aircraft drop tanks, and missile casings.
Consumer goods were equally impacted. Cookware handles, electrical circuit breakers, tools, and appliances frequently contained asbestos-reinforced plastics. Even textiles like ropes and fabrics were manufactured using asbestos-plastic polymers. Construction materials like floor tiles, roofing components, and plastic cement also incorporated the mineral.
Materials that contained asbestos-containing plastics included:
- Adhesives
- Aircraft components
- Asbestos sheets
- Brake linings
- Electrical insulation
- Floor tiles
- Gaskets
- Laminated boards
- Pipe insulation
- Plastic cement
- Resin products
- Roofing materials
- Textiles
Companies with Links to Asbestos in Plastics
Many companies across multiple industries were involved in the asbestos plastics industry, manufacturing and distributing the material for use in everything from industrial equipment to consumer products.
One of the most widely-known companies was Bakelite, whose wide range of popular products and parts contained asbestos from at least 1909 to 1974. While most American manufacturers phased out asbestos around the mid-1980s, international production has continued, and as recently as 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed a temporary ban on certain types of asbestos plastic importation.
Companies involved in asbestos plastic manufacturing included:
- Allied Chemical & Dye Corporation
- American Petrofina
- Armstrong World Industries
- Celotex
- Certainteed Corporation
- Combustion Engineering
- Durametallic Corporation
- Durez Plastics
- Eastman Chemical Company
- Flintkote Company
- Garlock Sealing Technologies
- Greene, Tweed & Company
- Indianapolis Paint & Color Company
- Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation
- Mobil Oil Corporation
- North American Asbestos Corporation
- TBA Industrial Products Limited
- Tile-Tex Company
- United Gilsonite Laboratories
- W. R. Grace & Company
Many of these companies have faced significant financial consequences for having exposed workers and consumers to asbestos in their products. Some have been forced into bankruptcy by their asbestos liabilities and are required to establish asbestos trust funds to compensate those harmed by their products, work environments, or both.
Health Risks Linked to Exposure to Asbestos in Plastic
Over time, people who worked with asbestos plastics and who regularly breathed in its microscopic fibers have developed serious health conditions. Many have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, the rare and fatal form of cancer that has been directly linked to asbestos exposure.
Exposure to asbestos in plastic products is known to cause several other dangerous diseases, including lung cancer, ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer, and asbestosis. While molded asbestos plastic products were generally less friable (less easily crumbled) than other asbestos-containing materials, they still posed significant risks when damaged.
Lawsuits Filed by Victims of Asbestos-containing Plastic
Many plastic manufacturers knew the dangers of asbestos but continued incorporating it into their products to maximize their profits. Internal documents from companies like W.R. Grace have been used as evidence of these companies’ knowledge of potential health risks in successful lawsuits filed against asbestos-plastic companies. Examples of these lawsuits include:
- Joseph Muir was 57 when he was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma after being exposed to raw asbestos during two summers that he worked at Durez Plastics and suffering secondary asbestos exposure from fibers carried into the family home by his father, who had been a full-time employee. Muir sued multiple defendants, including the Canadian mining company that supplied asbestos to Durez and was awarded $5.6 million in damages.
- A Connecticut man’s survivors were awarded $22.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages after a jury agreed that their loved one’s mesothelioma death was the result of exposure to asbestos during his time working as an engineer in a location where phenolic plastics that incorporated both raw asbestos and talc were manufactured. The jury was told that Vanderbilt Minerals had known of the dangers of asbestos since 1925.
- James Ginter was a chemist at Durez Plastics who developed mesothelioma after using the Ford-manufactured FAST machine to test friction materials for brakes. His work involved cutting and abrading asbestos-containing materials, which generated visible dust. His survivors were awarded $2.5 million by jurors.
- James Pieper developed asbestos-related cancer after nearly 30 years of working at Durez Plastics as a production and maintenance employee. He was awarded $742,000 by a New York State Supreme Court jury, including $567,000 in compensatory damages and $175,000 in punitive damages against the company that supplied asbestos to Durez.
- A former Durez plant worker diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma at age 64 negotiated a $2.5 million cash settlement. He had worked at the company from 1969 to 1974 emptying raw asbestos into grinders to create plastic molding compounds.
In the face of mounting legal action, many companies that once used asbestos in their plastic manufacturing process have adopted alternative fillers including calcium carbonate, clay, mica, glass, and silica, while other industries continue using the toxic mineral in their manufacturing process.[3]
Who is at Risk of Exposure to Asbestos in Plastic?
While those at greatest risk of asbestos exposure were the employees of manufacturing plants who worked directly with raw asbestos, professionals including electricians, construction workers, auto mechanics, and industrial maintenance workers were also vulnerable as a result of drilling, sawing, or breaking old electrical components and releasing asbestos fibers into the air. Loved ones of these individuals were also placed at risk of secondary exposure to asbestos from fibers carried into their homes on their loved one’s hair, skin, or clothing. The risk continues today, as many asbestos-containing plastic parts remain in use.
Those at greatest risk of asbestos plastic exposure include:
- Aircraft mechanics
- Automotive workers
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Electricians
- HVAC workers
- Industrial workers
- Insulators
- Laboratory technicians
- Machine operators
- Maintenance technicians
- Manufacturing workers
- Material handlers
- Mixer operators
- Plastic fabricators
- Plastic molders
- Plumbers and pipefitters
- Product designers
- Production associates
- Tire and rubber workers
- Utility technicians
Asbestos Abatement and Safety
Today, asbestos plastic product removal is strictly regulated. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration classifies it as a class II operation, requiring specialized training, certification, and extensive safety protocols. Homeowners are strongly advised against attempting removal during home renovations, as improper handling — and particularly sawing, drilling, or in some other way damaging asbestos-containing plastic can release the encapsulated fibers and put them at risk of exposure.
Have You Been Diagnosed with Mesothelioma After Exposure to Asbestos-containing Plastic?
If you’ve been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or another asbestos-related illness after manufacturing or working with asbestos-containing plastic products, you may be entitled to compensation from suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors of these dangerous materials. These companies knew the dangers of including asbestos in their products but continued using it to maximize their profits. Many asbestos plastic companies have been ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages to those sickened by exposure to their products, with some forced into bankruptcy by their liabilities and required to establish asbestos trust funds to compensate victims.
You may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit directly against those responsible for your illness, with compensation potentially covering your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. You may also be able to file a claim against some of the trust funds. Mesothelioma attorneys specialize in helping people who’ve been harmed by asbestos exposure. These compassionate legal professionals understand the complex landscape of asbestos litigation and can help you navigate the process of seeking compensation.
As devastating as a mesothelioma diagnosis is and as hard as it is to accept, it’s very important that you seek legal guidance as soon as possible after being diagnosed. There are strict time limits, known as statutes of limitations, that determine how long you have to take legal action against those responsible. These time frames vary by state and can be quite short, so contact an attorney without delay. They can review your work history, identify potential sources of exposure, and help you develop a comprehensive strategy to seek justice.
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