Popcorn Poppers - Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure Risks

During the time when asbestos use was extremely prevalent, asbestos could be found in more than three thousand consumer products and materials. While some of these products were used to build homes and schools, homeowners often bought products containing asbestos for use in various applications in their homes. Before the 1970s, when the general public became aware of the dangers of asbestos exposure, many small home appliances contained asbestos.

Some of the asbestos-containing appliances were designed for use in the kitchen. Asbestos was particularly popular in kitchen appliances, because it is an extremely poor conductor of heat, making it very useful as an insulator for wiring, or as a heat shield in items such as popcorn poppers. Popcorn poppers that contained asbestos were particularly hazardous, because they broke down fairly often. Whoever was called upon to fix the popcorn popper, whether it was the homeowner himself or a repairman, may have been placed at risk of exposure to the asbestos-containing heat shield inside the unit.

Many of those who worked as small appliance repairmen in the decades leading up to the 1970s eventually developed a serious illness as a result of exposure to asbestos in appliances and other consumer products. In fact, in 2001 the family of a deceased repairman took part in one of the first lawsuits filed against manufacturers of asbestos-containing products. According to the family attorney, before this claim most lawsuits focused on workers who were exposed to asbestos in factories, shipyards or other industry facilities. Now, increasing numbers of repairmen, homeowners, and even bakers have begun to suspect they were exposed to asbestos in their own homes or kitchens, through contact with popcorn poppers, hair dryers, ovens and other small appliances.

Homeowners, business owners, and other appliance consumers have a right to important information concerning the products in their homes and kitchens - especially information concerning safety. Many popcorn popper and hair dryer owners were unknowingly exposed to asbestos, simply because the manufacturer of the product neglected to inform them of the presence of asbestos in the product.

Each year in the United States, 10,000 people die due to asbestos exposure, and many deaths could have likely been prevented with the proper precautionary warnings or information. Exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer, intestinal cancer, mesothelioma, and other illnesses. Some of these asbestos-related illnesses can take years or even decades to develop, making diagnosis and treatment difficult. If you would like to learn more about mesothelioma and the diagnostic and treatment process, please fill out the packet request form at the top, right of this page.

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