Asbestos Fertilizer & Potting Mixtures
Mineral vermiculite containing asbestos was widely used in fertilizers and potting mixtures during the mid-1900s.
Vermiculite is a brownish-gold substance that is composed of a variety of different minerals and is used to provide heat insulation and to stimulate plant growth. When exposed to heat, mineral vermiculite expands into a puffy white material that resembles Styrofoam. The substance has been widely used for agricultural purposes around the world.
Presence of Asbestos within Fertilizer and Potting Mixtures
A large amount of vermiculite used in fertilizers and potting mixtures was mined in the Western United States and then distributed to different facilities throughout the country from the 1960s to the 1990s. Certain types of vermiculite mined from this area, particularly the tremolite series, contained approximately 4 to 6 percent of asbestos.
While the use of asbestos in many consumer products has been restricted in the United States since the 1970s and 1980s, reports as recent as 2001 have detected the presence of asbestos in fertilizer and potting mixtures. While the Environmental Protection Agency has urged fertilizer and potting mixture manufacturers to find a replacement for vermiculite, there are currently no federal regulations outlawing the use of the substance in the products.
Fertilizer, Potting Mixtures and Mesothelioma
Asbestos fibers that have been released from potting mixtures or fertilizers, can become swallowed or breathed in by people who may be nearby.
Fibers often become wedged in the membrane that lines the lungs and cannot be expelled once in the body. The presence of asbestos fibers in the body can lead to inflammation and, in some cases, the rare cancer known as mesothelioma.
Individuals Affected by Asbestos Fertilizer and Potting Mixtures
Certain workers may be at a higher risk of becoming exposed to asbestos during on-the-job activities such as the extensive handling of asbestos fertilizer and potting mixtures. Some workers who may be at risk include:
- Workers at vermiculite plants
- Agricultural workers
- Gardeners
In a report released in 1986, researchers found that the risk of respiratory cancer among employees working in a vermiculite mine in Montana before 1963 increased 1 percent with each year of exposure to the mine.
Another report released in 2002 showed that a 65-year-old man who developed asbestos 50 years after a brief summer job at a California vermiculite plant had more than 8,000,000 asbestos fibers per gram of dry lung present in his body. Almost three quarters of the fibers were tremolite asbestos.
According to a study published by the UCLA School of Medicine's Department of Medicine,"This case analysis raises several concerns: risk of vermiculite induced disease among former workers of the more than 200 expansion plants throughout the United States; health effects of brief but very high-intensity exposures to asbestos; and possible health effects in end-users of consumer products containing vermiculite."
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Last Modified Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy |
The information provided by The Mesothelioma Center is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Sponsored by a law firm concentrating in asbestos litigation, The Peterson Firm, LLP with offices at 1350 Connecticut Ave, NW, Fifth Floor, Washington DC 20036.
