Asbestos in Acoustical Plaster
Concerned that asbestos in old acoustical plaster could cause asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma? Learn more below.
What is acoustic plaster?
Acoustical plaster was a popular addition to many homes, schools, and commercial buildings starting in the 1940s. It gained widespread use because it had both style and function. Sprayed on walls and ceilings, acoustical plaster could be manipulated into the textured finishes so popular in the mid twentieth century, including the “popcorn” style ceiling. Besides the visual appeal, acoustical plaster was also a great insulator and sound absorber, especially in densely packed apartment buildings and small offices where sound travels easily.
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Practical and stylish, acoustical plaster was also cheap, partly because of its high asbestos content. Asbestos fibers gave acoustical plaster higher durability and better insulation, but it also made it a highly dangerous product. Asbestos was phased out of most construction products starting in the 1970s when it became widespread knowledge that asbestos was linked to a wide variety of asbestos related diseases, including malignant mesothelioma. But the threat posed by acoustical asbestos plaster lives on. Textured popcorn ceilings are no longer considered stylish and many homeowners attempt to remove their old ceilings themselves without realizing that they contain asbestos. Plaster is also prone to crumbling or other damage over time.
Intact acoustical asbestos plaster is considered to be relatively safe. But disturbing it, by scraping or sanding for example, will release countless microscopic asbestos fibers into the air.
How asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other illnesses?
Asbestos exposure has been linked definitively to several types of cancer and other asbestos related diseases. Mesothelioma, or more correctly, malignant mesothelioma, is a rare but deadly form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure that affects the lungs, heart, or stomach. Asbestos also causes asbestosis, a serious and progressive disease caused by asbestos fibers scarring the lungs and eventually cutting off oxygen supply to the victim. Asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer can lie dormant for many years and decades after the asbestos exposure, suddenly “flowering” without any warning.
Asbestos can also cause lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Many experts believe that the number of asbestos victims worldwide has been vastly underestimated, with the cause of death often listed on the death certificate as heart attack, lung cancer, kidney failure, instead of asbestos related disease. If you have been exposed to asbestos, it is critical that you learn about the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases immediately.
Asbestos companies such as Johns Manville, Raybestos-Manhattan, Owens Corning, and W.R. Grace made enormous profits from asbestos and knew about the deadly effects of asbestos exposure for decades but never warned their workers or the public.
Exposed to asbestos? Contact a mesothelioma lawyer today.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related disease from workplace or home exposure to asbestos, contact an experienced mesothelioma lawyer immediately. Mesothelioma attorneys have helped thousands of mesothelioma patients win compensation for lost wages and medical costs.