Talc - Pfizer California Talc, Desert Talc DT51, R.T. Vanderbilt Company Nytal 100

Pottery is usually made by using clay “slip.”  The clay “slip” can be premixed or it can be mixed from water added to a dry powder, which may contain talc.  The talc is added to decrease the temperature at which the clay needs to be heated.  Certain talcs have been found to be contaminated with asbestos fibers.  Exposure to the asbestos fibers can occur when the dry powder (containing dry talc) is poured into a barrel or bucket and mixed.  Exposure to the asbestos fibers can also occur when the dried greenware pottery pieces are sanded at the seams and to remove imperfections. 

Some of the talcs that are believed to be contaminated with asbestos fibers include:

·         Pfizer California Talc - contaminated with tremolite asbestos fibers

·         Desert Talc DT51 – contaminated with tremolite asbestos fibers

·         R.T. Vanderbilt Company Nytal 100 – contaminated with asbestos fibers          

The contamination of talc with asbestos fibers is still an ongoing concern.  In June of 2007, the Connecticut Departments of Public Health and Education discovered that the art clays used in the schools in Connecticut may have contained talc that was contaminated with anthophyllite asbestos. The Departments of Public Health and Education recommended that non-talc alternatives for art clays be used instead.

If you are exposed to asbestos, there is a chance that you may develop an asbestos-related disease, including mesothelioma or lung cancer.  It can take up to 40 or 50 years for an asbestos-related disease to develop and for symptoms to begin to show.  If you believe you may have inhaled asbestos fibers, look for signs such as breathing difficulty, pain in your chest and/or abdomen, unexplained weight loss and/or ongoing dry coughing.  

If you or someone you know has been exposed to asbestos as a result of handling or being involved with Talc, and if you think such exposure may have caused you or your loved one to become ill with mesothelioma or any other form of asbestos related disease, please contact the lawyers at Clapper, Patti Schweizer & Mason for more information.