Asbestos in Crockpots
Concerned that crock pots with asbestos could cause asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma? Learn more below.
When it was introduced in the early 1970s, the crock pot all but revolutionized American cooking with its ability to turn old vegetables and tough cuts of meat into delicious dinners. Just turn it on in the morning filled with ingredients and turn it off and eat at dinnertime. But the enabler of the crock pot’s safe slow cooking turned out to be asbestos. As with many consumer products of the time, the crock pot used asbestos for heat and electrical insulation, a crucial safety component for a self-contained device with elevated temperature. The asbestos was most often located between the inner and outer layers of the crock pot, as well as wrapped around the wires.
Asbestos was phased out of crock pots by the 1980s, but many older pots are still in use. While relatively harmless intact, asbestos is deadly if the products that contain it become damaged. If the wires or other asbestos component become frayed or worn (friable), dispose of the machine immediately.
How asbestos causes mesothelioma
If inhaled or swallowed, microscopic asbestos fibers can become lodged in lungs and stomachs, first irritated then scarring the lining. In rare cases, this irritation can lead to malignant mesothelioma, a rare but usually deadly form of cancer.
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Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms
The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural, accounting for about 75% of all cases. When a patient has pleural mesothelioma, symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Mild to severe pain in the chest, abdomen, shoulder, arm or lower back
- Mesothelioma attorneys may be able to help
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.