TACONITE MINNESOTA
University of Minnesota researchers say mesothelioma study is going well

September 23, 2009 - Minnesota researchers seeking to determine whether 58 Iron Range deaths from mesothelioma are related to mining work in the taconite industry say their study is going well and that they are pleased with the number of people responding so far.

Researchers hope to test the respiratory health of 1,200 taconite miners and 800 of their spouses within the next year.

Denying reports of low participation, Nancy Tekautz, field supervisor for the University of Minnesota respiratory health study said, “We are at almost full capacity.”

The tests take about two hours and include taking X-rays of participants’ chests, blood tests and a chest exam. The study team also measures participants’ lung capacity and how they exchange oxygen for carbon monoxide.

Weitz & Luxenberg

Taconite environmental toxic tort lawyers in Weitz & Luxenberg’s Asbestos Litigation Unit believe there is a direct link between taconite dust and the 58 miner deaths from mesothelioma, an occupational disease more often associated with occupational asbestos exposure.

The study will help confirm the connection between taconite and mesothelioma, and whether lack of routine health safety measures are the cause for the miners’ mesothelioma deaths.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify us through the communication form on this page. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Because the firm works on a contingency basis, there is no cost to you until we secure a verdict or settlement.