Asbestos in Consumer Products
For literally hundreds of years, people have been singing the praises of the miracle mineral known as asbestos. Even centuries ago, this highly fire- and heat-resistant material was used in a plethora of products, including early burial clothes and napkins and tablecloths that were able to be cleaned by literally throwing them into the fire again and again!
When the Industrial Revolution arrived, yet more uses were discovered for asbestos, and by the onset of the twentieth century, manufacturers made rampant use of the amazing mineral. It is estimated that from the 1930s until approximately the early 1980s, about 5,000 consumer products contained asbestos.
Small Appliances and Household Products
Today, we often associate asbestos with building products like drywall and insulation, but there was a time when asbestos enjoyed widespread use in items that were typically found in nearly every American home.
The category known as "small appliances" included a number of household products that used asbestos for insulation purposes or to protect against fires. It wasn't unusual to find asbestos in a toaster, coffee pot, iron, crock pot, or popcorn popper. While these small items caused no problem while they were functioning properly, dangers arose when the do-it-yourself repairman opened the appliance to make repairs, exposing him/herself to asbestos that may have been damaged or friable.
Another popular asbestos-containing consumer product was the hair dryer. Until about 1980, most portable (hand-held) blow dryers contained asbestos and may have resulted in the blowing of asbestos-contaminated air directly onto the person using the dryer. Nearly all the major manufacturers of hair dryers used asbestos for fire-proofing purposes, including companies such as Clairol, Conair, Norelco, Hamilton Beach, and others.
Additional household products that may have contained asbestos included ironing board pads and covers, electric blankets, and oven mitts or pot holders. It was also found in some portable heaters and dishwashers as well as in woodburning stoves.
Garden Products
Vermiculite, an ore that may be contaminated with asbestos, is often used in garden products including fertilizers, composts, pesticides, and potting mixes. The vermiculite is determined to be advantageous because it assists in aeration and drainage of the soil.
In 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found trace amounts of asbestos in 17 of 38 garden products tested, and though they believe that danger to consumers is low, they recommend keeping these gardening products moist when in use so that dangerous asbestos dust is not generated.
Cosmetics and Baby Powder
Talc often contains asbestos and, therefore, items that contain talc may also contain trace amounts of the hazardous mineral. Talc can be found in baby powder, various cosmetics, and in some feminine hygiene products. The connection between talc-containing products and cancer is not definitive but most doctors recommend avoiding such products if possible.