If you’ve watched any amount of cable television, you’ve likely been subjected to a barrage of commercials by mesothelioma lawyers and attorneys representing clients struck with that debilitating disease. What you may not know is that the mineral that was the cause of all those mesothelioma lawsuits had been hailed as a miracle substance as far back as the first century.

Asbestos Pit - Wikimedia Commons While many modern inventions at first seemed like good ideas before we discovered their toxic elements, the history of asbestos actually goes back over 4,000 years when inhabitants of what is now East Finland used anthophyllite, an asbestos minderal, to strengthen earthenware pots and cooking utensils. In the 6th century, one Persian king, Khosrow II Parviz, would entertain his guests by cleaning a cloth made of asbestos by throwing it in a fire. Persian legend had it that these cloths were made from the fur of a mystical animal called the samander which lived in fire and died when it was exposed to water. Marco Polo even recounts going to a place called Ghinghin talas where he saw asbestos being mined.

1939 World’s Fair Grounds - Wikimedia Commons Even as recently as the 1939 World’s Fair, an asbestos shingle was placed in the 5,000 year old time capsule to be opened in 6,039. People over the years have truly had a love affair with asbestos for its fire resistant properties. Unfortunately, it’s also a highly toxic mineral that can cause serious health problems when it breaks down. This comes from its small fibers that are dangerous to the lungs when inhaled. From Asbestos.com: _Mesothelioma is caused by inhaling asbestos. When microscopic asbestos fibers lodge in the pleura (the lining of the lungs), they can cause genetic changes that create cancer cells. Greater exposure to asbestos leads to a greater risk of developing the cancer. _Public Domain Mesothelioma was virtually unknown until the 20th century. After decades investigating the disease, medical researchers identified the cause: Asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma rates rose as industries expanded the use of asbestos. Research studies proved inhaling or swallowing microscopic asbestos fibers can start a chain reaction that leads to several types of cancer. The toxic dust can also cause asbestosis, an incurable breathing disorder. In March 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reconfirmed asbestos exposure as the leading cause of mesothelioma. All forms of asbestos cause the disease.

Asbestos Mine - Quebec, Canada 1944 - Public Domain The courts have held producers of asbestos products – especially building products and products used in shipyards – accountable for mesothelioma cases, with an average award of $2.4 million and an average settlement of $1 million to $1.4 million being awarded per case. Sadly, there are no early tests for detection of this dreaded disease and the latency period from exposure to development of the disease can be as long as 50 years. If there is a bright side, it’s that mesothelioma is a very rare disease with only about 3,000 new cases being diagnosed every year. It’s said that of 2 - 10% of people who were subjected to heavy exposure of asbestos will develop the disease. Since the payouts are so large and since mesothelioma has only one cause, a whole cottage industry of mesothelioma law firms have cropped up to handle the cases. Instead of more mesothelioma lawyers, though, I think what everyone could get behind is the science to bring about a cure.