Cancer Risk Posed to Talcum Powder Users Claims Industrial Lawyer

19 Jul 2018

Talcum powder is a widely used product by the general public and has been for decades, which is why a recent claim by Industrial lawyer, Philip Gower has quite a stir http://bit.ly/2NN6Qaq. He claims that commonly used varieties of talcum powder have carcinogenic qualities when ingested and their use has been linked to some cases of ovarian cancer and mesothelioma (a lung cancer closely associated with the inhalation of asbestos fibres).

What do we know?
At OHSS Safety Consultants, we are interested in all matters relating to asbestos abatement and we feel it necessary to allay the fears that naturally arise when claims like these are made. What we know is that talcum powder is mined all over the world and in some countries, where the asbestos regulations are not as stringent as they are in Ireland, asbestos is found in the same deposits as talc mines and is allowed to remain as part of the product.

If you buy talcum powder sourced from as supplier that operates in countries where the asbestos regulations are tight, then it’s almost certain that it will be asbestos free, as it has been in Ireland since the 1970s. Whilst purchasing it from a country with a lax attitude to asbestos doesn’t guarantee you’re at risk, it is more likely.

"It's a massive scandal and is only going to get bigger."

Gower went on to predict that the cases seen recently are just “the tip of the iceberg” and that we’re only just seeing the beginning of what he calls a “massive scandal”. His claims are backed up by the fact that talc manufacturers in the United States of America have already paid out millions for damages to those who’ve gone on to suffer with cancer as a result of using asbestos-containing talcum powder.

Whilst there certainly seems to be some substance to Philip Gower’s claims about talcum powder that contains asbestos, this would certainly appear to be the crux of the matter. Talc that is supplied to the retail markets from areas where asbestos laws are less strict could conceivably contain the substance, so if you are to keep buying talc, we would recommend checking its background, so that you don’t put yourself at risk unnecessarily.

To date, there is no known link between using talcum powder that doesn’t contain asbestos and cancer.

If you would like to know more about anything discussed here or about what we do in the fields of occupational hygiene and asbestos disposal and removal, you can find everything you need on our website www.ohss.ie Alternatively, if you’d like a chat with one of our knowledgeable team, you can contact us on 01 6905907.

We’re more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

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