Friday, August 03, 2012

Fiberglass fibers cause lung diseases and cancer

By Paul Fassa

The case against asbestos in building materials was finalized after decades of research traced several severe lung cancer incidents to asbestos poisoning. Now fiberglass, the replacement for asbestos, is under similar scrutiny for the same reasons.

Independent researchers at Cornell University discovered that sick building syndrome (SBS), which causes many occupants to suffer similar health issues, occurred mostly in recently built airtight structures without adequate internal air cleaning systems. They ran out of research funds and couldn't continue.

A couple of decades ago, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a medical wing of the Department of Labor, made an alarming discovery regarding man made mineral fibers (fiberglass). They determined that the fibers created DNA damage, which leads to chronic illness and is carcinogenic.

An anti-regulatory Congress that encouraged the rapid rise of biotech industries, such as Monsanto, threatened to abolish NIOSH around that time. Meanwhile, the large suppliers of fiberglass insulation claim they've done their own research. Read more…

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