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How Can a Poultry Farmer Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Poultry farmers may have interacted with a number of products that contained asbestos and made them susceptible to developing mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. Some farmers may have worked with farm machinery like tractors, balers, combines or fertilizer spreaders that contained parts with asbestos. This heavy machinery often contained asbestos products because asbestos helps to prevent fires and is resistant to heat. Asbestos was often contained in these machines’ brakes, brake pads, clutches, gaskets, engines, valves and other components. When these parts grinded together, asbestos fibers could become unhinged and seep through the vehicle where they were breathed in by the person operating or repairing the vehicle.
Asbestos also occurs naturally, so as animals grazed on the farmland, poultry farmers could have breathed in the fibers. When agricultural activities were conducted on the soil, such as digging ditches or planting and sowing seeds, asbestos would be disturbed and more likely to break apart and result in airborne fibers. Many agricultural products were made with asbestos at one time, including animal seed, pesticides and herbicides. Asbestos is still contained in some potting soils today, so poultry farmers who are responsible for feeding animals and planting crops may breathe in these toxic minerals.
Another possible source of asbestos exposure is from the buildings on farms. Many farm structures, including farmhouses, barns, coops, silos and sheds may have been constructed with materials that contain asbestos. Asbestos use was most widespread between the 1930s and the 1970s when it was used to make everything from insulation, drywall, mortar, joint compound, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, siding, roofing felt and more. The farmers may have helped construct these structures or been exposed to these materials as they were building built or repaired.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Poultry Farmers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 876,300 people employed in the BLS’ category entitled “agricultural workers.” States with the highest employment rates for these workers include:
- California
- Washington
- Florida
- Arizona
- Oregon
Similar Occupations as Poultry Farmers
Similar occupations as poultry farmers include:
- Agricultural and food science technicians
- Animal care and service workers
- Dairy farmers
- Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers
- Farmhands
- Forest and conservation workers
- Grounds maintenance workers
- Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Poultry Farmers and Mesothelioma
While there are limited reports of cases involving poultry farmers specifically filing cases involving mesothelioma claims, there are cases involving other types of farm workers and their exposure to asbestos. For example, a jury awarded $38 million to a farm worker and heavy machine operator in 2013 after he was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The jury held that the defendant manufacturers failed to warn him about the dangers of these products. The estate of a former inspector at the University of Connecticut who spent significant time in chicken coops inspecting them filed for workers’ compensation benefits after the man’s death in 2016.
Additionally, mechanics and farm workers have sued companies like Caterpillar after being exposed to asbestos from their brake pads and other vehicle components. The terms of settlements are often kept confidential as a condition of receiving compensation.
Studies Related to Poultry Farmers and Asbestos
There have been a number of studies that have shown a link between agricultural work and asbestos exposure. Research indicates that higher numbers of asbestosis diagnoses were associated with agricultural workers as early as 1967.
Additionally, a number of studies have focused on the link between asbestos in the soil and the impact of agricultural activities on this soil. For example, a 2005 study showed a link between naturally occurring asbestos and an increased rate of mesothelioma in farmers nearby. Researchers concluded that the closer a farm or residence was to naturally occurring asbestos, the higher the likelihood of developing mesothelioma. A 2012 study entitled “Asbestos and agriculture: new perspectives of risk” found that agricultural activity increased the natural rate of asbestos of 2 fibers per liter to 23.6 fibers per liter.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Poultry Farmers
Farmhands may have worked with asbestos-containing products, including agricultural filler, animal feed and pesticides. Additionally, they may have worked on machinery that contained asbestos and vehicle components, such as gaskets, valves, clutches, brakes, brake pads and brake linings. Asbestos products may have been used to construct structures on farms, including farmhouses, animal pens, cages and chicken houses, including in components such as:
- Siding
- Insulation
- Asbestos cement
- Roofing
- Piping
- Insulation
- Shingles
- Walls
- Flooring
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Poultry Farmers
Some manufacturers of products that poultry farmers may have used include:
- ASARCO
- Bendix Corporation
- Byron Jackson
- Caterpillar
- Crane Co.
- Durco
- John Deere Co.
- Johns Manville
- National Gypsum
- Owens-Corning
- Philip Carey Manufacturing
- Union Carbide
- R. Grace
