mesothelioma and asbestos awareness center
Copyright (c) 2008 Katie Kelley
During the holiday shopping season of 2007, a vigilante group known as the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Asbestos discovered a number of elements of children's toys containing asbestos, a cancer-causing fiber.
While toy production has ceased, a article in The New York Times in April 2008, details about the incident forgotten soon. Currently, the dispute has developed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles between ADAO and CBS Corporation, Planet Toys Inc. (manufacturers of the CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit) and various online retailers for their involvement in the sale of toys contaminated with asbestos. Families affected by the contaminated toy must also consider the development of litigation for the exhibition of "substantial quantities of tremolite asbestos."
The ADAO has also continued with trials of other products containing asbestos and found several, including additional children's toys.
ADAO is an organization that uses volunteers, several of whom have either been directly affected by asbestos-related disease or had friends and relatives suffer of diseases, including mesothelioma. The organization funds research that may affect public health, and the group acts as a guardian of asbestos contaminated products or violations of the asbestos policies, which have been established by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is considered a human carcinogen by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and is a "natural, fibrous silicate mineral," according with EPA. Asbestos becomes deadly when microscopic bundles of fibers are joined together and become the air.
When inhaled, the results can be fatal and serious damage in the body of an individual through the development of mesothelioma cancer. In addition to mesothelioma, asbestos can cause lung cancer or asbestosis in which fibrous tissue scarring of the lungs.
From the extraction of asbestos were used in a variety of industries, according to the EPA:
* Thermal / Acoustic insulation used for fire tests
* Roof and wall tiles made with asbestos cement
* Textured paint and compounds patches used in wall and ceiling joints
* Artificial ashes and embers for gas fireplaces
* Stove top pads
* vinyl tiles, flooring and adhesives
* Asbestos blanket or tape for hot water and steam pipes
* Oil and coal furnaces
Affected by Asbestos Children's Toys
Monitoring of asbestos can be a difficult process because it is often overlooked, especially because there is an ingredient common in the manufacture of products, although it was both. The ADAO has been testing thousands of products for asbestos contamination in toys and regular products. Currently, several toys have been determined to have had small amounts of asbestos, including:
* CSI Fingerprint Examination Kit
* Ja-Ru Toy Clay (which is among the three varieties of product)
* Art Skills' Clay Bucket (asbestos in six colors of clay)
In addition, several other products ADAO found traces of asbestos that are not directly related to children's toys, but still could affect the health of a child. A major concern is the use of talcum powder for babies in infants, which may contain small amounts of asbestos. Other products that have found asbestos contamination, according to Adão include:
* Scotch High Performance and duct tape all the time
* DAP Crack Shot Spackling Paste
* DAP 33 Glazing
* Loss of Gardner Stopper
The organization also found that the hair rollers, hot dishes, cleaning powder and small appliances were at risk of violating public health with asbestos fibers. The organization noted that these products are being sold to national retail chains, including:
* Wal-Mart
* Costco
* Toys "R" Us
* Home Depot
* Lowe's
* Macy's
* Bed Bath & Beyond
* CVS
Consumer Affairs, a Web-based consumer news and resource center, issued the following tips to help parents, family and friends with the purchase of toys for children, to better protect children from exposure to asbestos. The list includes:
* Be a Buyer watch and read all the warnings that may include breaking toy contains small parts or fire and choking hazards.
* Read product reviews are made by panels of independent experts and consumers.
* Research information on the latest product recalls.
* Inspect toys, toys that are broken should be thrown away.
* Investigation of how, where and when a product was created.
What to do if expose their children to asbestos
If a child is exposed or are potentially exposed to tremolite asbestos, it is imperative that medical assistance is sought immediately. Due to the nature of asbestos-induced conditions, if a child is exposed to asbestos and it's not as if everything was OK, they could develop cancer years later mesothelioma, which is why immediate medical attention is advised.
Because asbestos exposure among children is considered extremely avoidable, the development of an action for damages may be a necessary step. The victims should find a lawyer with experience mesothelioma to learn more about developing a mesothelioma lawsuit.
About the Author:
Learn more about mesothelioma and asbestos-tainted products at http://mesothelioma.legalview.com or at http://www.LegalView.com/. LegalView provides an array of resources for individuals who may be suffering from a traumatic brain injury accident or who need assistance in locating a truck accident attorney.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Major Consumer Chains Sell Asbestos-tainted Toys
