A woman who claims she developed mesothelioma from alleged talc asbestos contamination in talcum powders has filed a lawsuit that is scheduled to go to trial in California this month.

Plaintiff Carolyn W. alleges she used Johnson’s Baby Powder, Shower to Shower powder and Chanel No. 5 After Bath Powder for years and that the products caused her to develop mesothelioma. She alleges she inhaled asbestos particles that tainted the talcum powders.

Carolyn’s talc asbestos contamination lawsuit is only the sixth one to go to trial since 2017 saw an initial action brought against Johnson & Johnson. The company has faced thousands of lawsuits regarding its talcum powders’ alleged link to ovarian cancer, but there is a trend beginning to try to hold the makers of talc-based cosmetic products accountable for mesothelioma cancers.

Talc Asbestos Contamination Allegations

Johnson & Johnson insists its Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower powder do not contain asbestos.

Still, allegations of talc asbestos contamination are not out of the realm of possibility. Some talc actually contains asbestos at the time it is mined. Talc is a natural substance consisting of magnesium, silicon and oxygen, but it can be contaminated with a type of asbestos called tremolite, which also is a type of magnesium silicate. Tremolite is not a commercially viable type of asbestos, so it has never been mined purposefully.

Because tremolite has no commercial value, the asbestos allegedly often went undetected when talc was mined prior to the 1970s.

Talc used in consumer products is supposed to be purified so that all traces of asbestos are removed. However, in 2017, small amounts of tremolite asbestos allegedly were detected in some cosmetics at a couple of stores that market clothing and makeup to young girls. The companies took the suspect products off the market and subsequently released test results that allegedly showed no asbestos was found.

In the 1970s, the U.S. government required all talc-based cosmetics must be free of asbestos particles.

Talc appeals to the cosmetics industry because of its soft and absorbent properties. Chalk, ceramics and rubber manufacturers also use talc as a binding agent.

Asbestos fibers cause mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the lining of an organ. Most often, mesothelioma develops in the lungs because the victim has inhaled microscopic asbestos fibers that settle deep into the lining of the lungs. Symptoms of mesothelioma can take anywhere from 10 to 50 years after exposure to become apparent.

A majority of mesothelioma lawsuits have been filed by workers who were employed in a variety of jobs that made them apt to experience asbestos exposure. Shipyard workers, auto mechanics, railroad workers, boilermakers, carpenters, cement plant workers, HVAC mechanics and electricians all could have been exposed to asbestos through their daily work activities and environments.

Talc asbestos contamination is impossible to detect by looking at talcum powder. When dusting oneself with talcum powder, some of the powder enters the air. If there are asbestos fibers present, tests indicate 48 to 72 hours may pass before the asbestos fibers fall in a room with no air currents. During the time asbestos fibers are airborne, they can be breathed in by anyone present.

The Talc Asbestos Contamination Lawsuit is Case No. BC656425, in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.