Pipe Insulation

Asbestos Used to Insulate Pipes

Large networks of pipes are used in homes, offices, industrial settings and most everywhere else to carry liquids and gasses to rooms or machinery. This piping is often installed in areas that have extremely hot or cold temperatures, and it must be kept fully protected to continue operating at peak performance. Insulation is necessary to make sure the pipes are well wrapped and protected from the elements.

Insulation materials that were produced from the 1860's until the 1970's almost all contained asbestos. This is a mineral found in tremendous natural deposits that was mined constantly for more than a century. It was inexpensive and boasted a number of attributes that made it very appealing to manufacturers of insulation and other products. Among those beneficial features were the facts that it is able to withstand incredible amounts of heat and even act as a fire retardant; it can be shaped, molded and made into most anything; and it gives a great deal of strength and longevity to all of the goods that utilize it.

Asbestos is a Health Hazard

Despite these positive traits, asbestos has a quality that is such a health hazard the mineral was eventually banned from use in any American product. Exposure to the material can create great amounts of internal damage to the human respiratory system and is often responsible for the development of a sometimes deadly type of cancer known as mesothelioma. Sadly, even after this realization some companies continued to include it in their products, which allowed more people to become needlessly infected by the toxic material. This practice helped lead the Environmental Protection Agency to declare the mineral to be banned as an unfit ingredient in goods of any kind.

A mesothelioma prognosis is generally not a favorable one as there is no known cure discovered thus far. There is however a good number of top quality doctors practicing at mesothelioma cancer clinics across the country that utilize state of the art treatment protocols. Some of the more conventional treatment options include mesothelioma pleurodesis and pneumonectomy. There are also experimental therpies available such as mesothelioma photo-dynamic therapy, brachytherapy and mesothelioma immunotherapy. There have also been advances with the types of drugs available including Alimta®, Navelbine and Onconase.

Many people who were made sick because of pipe insulation and other items that contained asbestos, filed lawsuits against the manufacturers who created the dangerous products. So many claims were filed that the vast majority of these companies filed for bankruptcy. In most cases, the end result was that the manufacturers were allowed to be relieved of their ever increasing debts in exchange for establishing a trust fund to pay the victims in valid cases.

A second result of the ban was that products containing asbestos were removed and disposed of nationwide. While this was a noble effort, there is no way to be certain how many of these products escaped the attention of the professionals that took care of them and are still in public settings today. This allows them to continue to be a hazard to people, even so many years after they were officially banned.

Pipe Insulation Products Containing Asbestos

The following partial list of pipe insulation products were known to contain asbestos:

Find Out What Your Options Are

Learn more about asbestos and what you can do if you have been afflicted with poor health after being exposed to products that contained it. We have put together an informational kit with all the details you will want to know on the subject. Ask for your free copy and we will mail it directly to you right away.