According to a recent asbestos exposure study, a popular air dry modeling clay that had been commonly used in Europe during the 1960s and 1970s may be carcinogenic.

This clay has been reportedly linked to asbestos in the lungs of numerous teachers and students, putting them at risk for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that attacks the mucus lining of the organs, which is specifically linked to asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers were used popularly as an insulation and construction material before the 1980s, reaching its peak in World War II, for its chemical and fire resistant qualities.

However, it has been recently discovered that a number of people who had been exposed to asbestos during their childhoods are being diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases. Experts explain that once asbestos are inhaled into the lungs, they embed themselves into the tissue and fester sometime between 30yrs and 50yrs.

This has resulted in numerous buildings and materials to be investigated for possibly containing asbestos, additionally resulting in the investigation of the modeling clay.

Overview of Asbestos Exposure Case Study

Currently it is estimated that 55 million packages of DAS paste, the modeling clay in question, were sold and used as toys throughout schools in the United Kingdom and Europe between 1963 and 1975. The DAS paste, like many other items during that time, contained asbestos fibers as an additive to make the material stronger.

After it became known that asbestos exposure could lead to mesothelioma and other devastating disease, DAS had the product recalled and reformulated. This action came too late, as a new case study suggests that individuals who used the initial DAS clay may have unintentionally collected asbestos in the lungs.

The asbestos injury litigation has become one of the largest mass torts in the history of the United States, often focusing on veterans and former manufacturing laborers as victims and manufacturing companies as negligent.

The Italian case study suggests that asbestos exposure in classrooms may have been widely overlooked for this reason, and that the asbestos fibers were contained in modeling clay. The case study examines a 78-year-old teacher who had been interviewed about her own experience with mesothelioma.

Even though her case has been classified as “unknown asbestos exposure”, further investigation revealed that she had used the DAS modeling clay for nearly a decade in her classroom. This study was conducted by Dr. Pietrogino Barbieri and was published in the Italian medical journal Medicina del Lavoro.

Dr. Pietrogino and his colleagues concluded that the DAS modeling clay could potentially result in asbestos in the lungs, and should be handled with caution. Furthermore, Dr. Pietrogino states that identifying potential sources of exposure can prevent future cases of mesothelioma and could lead to early diagnoses for patients who may have been exposed by another source.

Patients who are diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos related conditions often have little treatment options and limited survival, so prompt diagnoses are vital. Asbestos exposure patients may be eligible to file legal action against manufacturers, for failing to warn them against the potential dangers related to exposure.