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minersWhat is an Asbestos Miner?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was mined during the early 1900s. It was once regarded as a miracle product and the best insulator for factories and machinery. Later, it was refined and incorporated into a variety of products, including construction materials and textiles. Asbestos is now a known carcinogen that put miners and mining communities at some of the greatest risks of developing mesothelioma, asbestosis and asbestos-related diseases.

Asbestos mining in the United States began in the late 1800s. The first mine was opened in Georgia. Later, about 60 mines were fully operational in the eastern United States while several others were located in California, Oregon and Washington. Mining for asbestos peaked in 1973 before the United States government issued warnings about the dangers of the mineral and began regulating its use. By this time, miners had already been exposed to asbestos. The last asbestos mine was closed in 2002.

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How Can an Asbestos Miner Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?

Asbestos miners came in direct contact with asbestos as they mined this mineral that was sold to manufacturers across the country. When asbestos is disturbed in its natural element, tiny fibers become airborne and are then ingested by the miners. Additionally, people who live near asbestos mines could have breathed in these deadly fibers when asbestos particles rose up from asbestos mines and became airborne.

In addition to asbestos miners, miners who mined for other materials were sometimes exposed to asbestos when it grew beside the other product they were mining. For example, vermiculite ia part of a phyllosilicate group of minerals that often grows near asbestos. This is what led to one of the biggest controversies in asbestos history. A popular vermiculite mine was located in Libby, Montana. Miners extracted thousands of tons of this substance that was contaminated with asbestos. Hundreds of miners at the W.R. Grace vermiculite mine were killed because of their exposure to asbestos. Additionally, thousands of residents in the nearby area became sick due to their exposure to the toxic dust. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designated the mine as a superfund site in 2002. Seven years later, the EPA declared a public health emergency in Libby.

Taconite mines in Minnesota were also linked to a higher prevalence of asbestos-related diseases in their workforce. Additionally, coal miners were exposed to asbestos. When coal is extracted and processed, asbestos is present in the air and exposes refinery workers, miners and contractors to the deadly mineral.

Additionally, miners were at risk for asbestos exposure when they handled mining equipment that contained asbestos. When workers handled these products, asbestos fibers would become airborne and workers could have ingested them.

Another potential source of exposure to asbestos is when asbestos miners came home in the clothes they worked on. The fibers that latched onto miners’ clothing could have become airborne in the miner’s home environment where the worker or his or her family could have breathed them in.

Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Asbestos Miners

The United States has banned asbestos mining, so there are no workers who currently occupy this job. The first asbestos mine was located in northern Georgia. Libby, Montana is the most well known asbestos mine in the country. There were over 100 asbestos mines at one point in history. States that had major asbestos mines include:

Similar Occupations as Asbestos Miners

Similar occupations as asbestos miners include:

  • Coal miners
  • Vermiculite miners
  • Drillers
  • Blasters
  • Excavator
  • Bulldozer operators
  • Crusher, drier, vacuuming and packaging workers
  • Geological engineers

Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Asbestos Miners and Mesothelioma

Exposure from the vermiculite mines in Libby, Montana resulted in a settlement in 2011 for $43 million that covered more than 1,300 miners and their estates. A class action lawsuit in 2017 resulted in a $25 million settlement to more than 1,000 victims.

Studies Related to Asbestos Miners and Asbestos

There have been several studies that discuss the connection between asbestos-related diseases and mining, including the following:

  • Cancer Mortality in Chinese Chrysotile Asbestos Miners: Exposure-Response Relationships found that lung cancer rates increased 3.5 times for workers who mined for more than ten years and 5.3 times for workers who mined for more than 20 years.
    • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3749214/
  • Incidence of cancer among anthophyllite asbestos miners in Finland followed 736 male miners and 167 female asbestos miners in Finland who were followed up by the Finnish Cancer Registry for cancer in 1953 to 1991 and found they had a significantly higher likelihood of developing cancer when compared to the general population.
    • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1127999/
  • Cancer Incidence in Asbestos-Exposed Workers: An Update on Four Finnish Cohorts was a study published in 2017 that reported outcomes for 734 asbestos miners who worked in the mines between 1953 and 1967 and found their risk for asbestos was 10 times higher when compared to the general population.
    • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5447405/
  • Asbestos-related diseases in mineworkers: a clinicopathological study found that asbestos-related diseases were misdiagnosed 58% of the time.
    • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5572945/

Types of Asbestos Products Used by Asbestos Miners

Asbestos miners used a variety of products that contained asbestos in them, including:

  • Pipe insulation
  • Transit panels
  • Switches
  • Welding blankets
  • Brake linings
  • Clutches
  • Winches
  • Electrical components

Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Asbestos Miners

Some of the major asbestos manufacturers included the following:

  • Armstrong World Industries
  • Flexitallic
  • Flintkote
  • W. Johns Manufacturing Company
  • John Crane
  • Johns Manville
  • Keasbey & Mattison
  • Owens Corning Fiberglass
  • Unarco
  • R. Grace