Meeting in St. Paul, MN Held to Discuss Taconite Exposure and Mesothelioma in Iron Range, MN Area

A meeting was scheduled for late June 2009 in St. Paul, MN to discuss one of the area’s most pressing occupational health issues—the high rate of men and women diagnosed with mesothelioma in the Iron Range District.  A University of Minnesota doctor is seeking participants for a study of those who develop mesothelioma after exposure to taconite, a mineral mined in the region.

Like asbestos, when taconite fibers are inhaled, they remain in the lungs rather than being expelled by coughing or sneezing. While asbestos has been confirmed as a carcinogen, more research is needed to determine whether inhaling taconite dusts and fibers also puts those exposed at risk for serious pulmonary diseases like mesothelioma.

The researchers conducting the study are seeking 1,200 Iron Range miners who handled taconite, as well as 800 spouses of workers who have had second-hand exposure to taconite. In materials sent to possible participants, they were advised that even those without symptoms of lung disease were needed in order to study information in healthy inviduals who worked with taconite.

For more information about the study,contact the University of Minnesota:
Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
1235 Mayo, MMC 807
420 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: 866-978-1822 or 612-625-4578

In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos is also known to serious illnesses such as asbestos-related lung cancer or asbestosis.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos illness, contact our lawyers today for a free review of your case. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.