Asbestos in Valve Stem Packing
Concerned that exposure to asbestos valve stem packing could lead to asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma? Learn more about how mesothelioma attorneys could help you win the mesothelioma settlement you need and deserve.
What is valve stem packing?
Valve stem packing prevented heat and material leakage by sealing a valve stem completely while allowing the full functioning of the control valve. Like so many products made between the 1920s and 1970s, valve stem packing contained asbestos because of its superior insulating properties. Asbestos valve stem packing was widely used in the heating, construction and ship building industries. Airborne asbestos has been definitively linked to numerous asbestos-related diseases, including asbestosis, pleural plaques, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, a rare but deadly form of cancer. Manufacturers of asbestos products were well aware that their products were dangerous, but kept their knowledge hidden from their workers and the public at large.
Once the dangers of asbestos exposure became widely known outside of the asbestos industry beginning in the 1970s, asbestos was phased out of most products and replaced with safer materials. In the case of valve stem packing, asbestos was replaced with Teflon. However, older valve stems may still contain asbestos and should be treated with caution.
How asbestos can cause mesothelioma and other illnesses
Intact asbestos fibers pose little threat. But once they become broken up (friable), asbestos fibers remain airborne for long periods, and once inhaled can become lodged in the lung and stomach linings, leading to a multitude of serious health problems, including
The long time period between exposure to asbestos and development of an asbestos-related disease is between 15 to 40 years, so by the time an individual realizes they have been exposed, it’s too late. Individuals who manufactured asbestos textiles or who used them regularly are at high risk for developing an asbestos-related disease.
The fact that asbestos was a danger to human health was widely known in the asbestos industry for many decades, something the companies did not share with their workers or the public at large. Despite its clear link to mesothelioma cancer and other diseases, asbestos is still not banned in the United States.
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Exposed to asbestos? Contact a mesothelioma attorney 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 attorney immediately. Mesothelioma attorneys have helped thousands of mesothelioma patients win compensation for lost wages and medical costs. A qualified mesothelioma attorney can help you get the compensation that you and your family need and deserve. Asbestos law has become a crucial asset in the fight against the willful negligence that exposed people to asbestos.