Mississippi Asbestos Exposure

Beyond building trades, most occupational exposure to asbestos in Mississippi was among those who were employed in oil refining, power generation and shipbuilding.

Mississippi Cities where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

Provided below is a list of cities in the state of Mississippi where asbestos jobsites are known to have been located. If you worked at any of these companies and/or jobsites in Mississippi there is a possibility that you may have been exposed to harmful asbestos which is known to cause mesothelioma. Click on any link to view a complete list of jobsites in that city.

Oil Refineries

Petroleum is a highly volatile substance, even in crude form. For this reason, asbestos insulation was used throughout oil refining facilities in structures, on machinery and in pipe fittings. In addition, much of the protective asbestos clothing worn by oil workers was lined with asbestos. Such refineries were operated by Chevron, Ergon, and Southland.

Power Plants

Power plants are also prone to fire danger; as in the case of oil refineries, asbestos insulation is used on pipe fittings, electrical conduits and machinery as well as within the structures themselves. The Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant, Jack Watson Powerhouse and Gulf Power Plant are all known to have had asbestos issues at some point.

In 2007, Puerto Rican doctors published a study in which chest x-rays of several hundred power plant workers were examined. Thirteen percent of these x-rays showed indications of asbestos-related illness.

Shipbuilding

Research from the National Cancer Institute has confirmed that workers employed in maritime professions run a "significantly higher" risk of asbestos disease than the general population. From the mid-1930s until the late 1970s, asbestos insulation was used extensively in the construction of sea-going vessels. Ingalls Shipbuilding and the Naval Station at Pascagoula are two facilities at which workers were known to have been exposed to asbestos. Those who worked in the shipbuilding industry could have been negligently exposed to asbestos and therefore should seek legal counsel from a mesothelioma lawyer.

Statistics

Of the 612 patients who died from asbestos disease between 1980 and 2000, over one third were from Mississippi's larger cities. Twice as many of these were from asbestosis, which is far more common than mesothelioma (the latter is actually quite rare). However, asbestosis is highly treatable; as long as the disease is caught fairly early in mesothelioma clinics and patient is (A) not further exposed to asbestos and (B) not a tobacco user, the disease can usually be managed. On the other hand, mesothelioma is not usually diagnosed until the disease has reached its last stages.

Other Mississippi Jobsites Where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

If you or someone you know has ever worked at one of the Jobsites listed below, you may have been exposed to high levels of asbestos. Asbestos exposure at any one of these Jobsites could put them at risk for developing one of the following asbestos related diseases: malignant mesothelioma (a terminal cancer), asbestos related lung cancer, asbestosis or pleural mesothelioma.

Sources

Bowker, Michael. Fatal Deception: The Terrifying True Story of How Asbestos is Killing America. (New York: Touchstone, 2003.)

Cabrera-Santiago, Manuel et al. "Prevalence of Asbestos-Related Disease Among Electrical Power Generation Workers in Puerto Rico." Presentation at American Public Health Association Annual Meeting, 2007.

Evans, David and Greg Johnstone. "Asbestos Use Companies and Locations in Mississippi." All About Malignant Mesothelioma (September 2005.)

Krstev, S. et al. "Mortality Among Shipyard Coast Guard Workers: A Retrospective Cohort Study." Occupational and Environmental Medicine 64 (October 2007): 651-8.