Asbestos Exposure
Syracuse, New York, is the county seat of Onondaga County and the fifth most populous city in the State of New York. The 2010 census said the city had a population of 145,170, and that there was a population of 742,603 in the metropolitan area.
Syracuse’s economy in the first half of the 20th century was based on industrial manufacturing. In a 1924 history titled “Syracuse and Its Environs,” author Franklin Chase said, “In truth, Syracuse manufactured more different articles numerically than even New York City itself.” An early leading manufacturer in the area, Brown-Lipe Gear, eventually became the Inland Fisher Guide unit of General Motors, which employed more than 1,300 people in Salina until GM closed the plant in 1993.
Scores of plants in the Syracuse area manufactured iron and steel, electrical components, firearms, chemicals, textiles, paper and other business and consumer goods. Workers from Syracuse worked in plants operated by companies that are household names, like Bristol-Meyers in East Syracuse, General Electric in Auburn, Chrysler in Syracuse, Crucible Steel in Syracuse. Alcan in Oswego, Lockheed Martin in Owego, Revere Cooper in Rome, just to name a few.
Asbestos was commonly used in industrial manufacturing plants. The region has a significant history of manufacturing and construction industries where fire and excessive heat were a concern. Asbestos-containing materials, therefore, were commonly used.
Asbestos is a fire resistant material, which is why it was popular for use in manufacturing and construction materials. According to the U.S. EPA, because of its fiber strength and heat-resistant properties, asbestos has been used for a wide range of manufactured goods and building materials. Uses include asbestos cement, boilers, equipment, valve and pump products, ceiling and floor tiles, roofing shingles, paper products, and friction products such as automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts, heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings.
Given the type of work that occurs in industrial plants, asbestos appeared in factory buildings, lab equipment, bench tops, and safety clothing. Malignant mesothelioma very often will take decades, sometimes several decades, to manifest. By the time a diagnosis is made, this cancer is almost always at an advanced stage.
Databases that track asbestos use and identify subsequent hotspots that have higher-than-average rates of occurrence include New York’s Syracuse area.
The upstate area of New York, which includes Syracuse and Onondaga County, is home to one of the nation’s leading hospitals, the Upstate Medical Center. Upstate Medical Center is an excellent choice for asbestos cancer treatment, including peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. Upstate Medical Center maintains state-of-the-art equipment and employs doctors who are well informed about new treatment options for asbestos-related diseases.
