Popcorn Poppers
The positive qualities of asbestos were recognized for literally centuries. Even the ancient Romans used products containing asbestos, lauded for its strength and ability to withstand heat and high temperatures. After World War II, it is estimated, as many as 5,000 products contained asbestos; many of them were items that one could find in the average American home and in homes throughout the world.
As a matter of fact, a number of small household appliances contained asbestos, which was generally used in these products as an insulator. These small appliances included irons, hair dryers, and even popcorn poppers. Long before popcorn was popped in the microwave oven, if was cooked in an electrical appliance that usually consisted of a round base on which you’d heat oil and place the kernels, and a domed plastic lid, where the popcorn would gather as it popped. The popping was triggered by heat, which was generated once the appliance was plugged into an outlet.
The asbestos in a popcorn popper wasn’t visible to the eye. As in most small appliances, it was used to insulate electrical components. So, the popper didn’t really present a hazard unless it was damaged or was taken apart to be repaired. At that point, the owner and/or repairperson may have been exposed to toxic asbestos particles.
Who knew that they could be exposed to dangerous asbestos via the use of a popcorn popper? Not the general public, say most experts. However, some company executives and others involved in the mining of asbestos and the manufacture of asbestos products did indeed know about the dangers of the mineral yet continued to use it in popcorn poppers and other small appliances as well as myriad building materials. The result of this cover-up was the development of asbestos-related diseases among those who were exposed to the mineral.
Asbestos-related diseases are painful and debilitating. They occur when asbestos fibers become lodged in the chest area and cause inflammation. The inflammation can trigger chest pain and breathing difficulties. Eventually, the inflammation may also develop into a cancerous tumor. Mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, is the result. At this time, there is no cure for mesothelioma and even conventional cancer treatments provide little relief for those who suffer from this aggressive disease.
If you’ve developed mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos from small appliances such as popcorn poppers, you may be eligible for compensation. If you haven’t already contacted an experienced asbestos lawyer about your disease, you may want to consider doing so. For more information about the disease in general as well as your legal rights as a victim of asbestos, order our mesothelioma information packet today.
Last modified: September 23 2008.
