Cement and Brick Masons: Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma

Masons worked with cement and bricks containing asbestos throughout their careers.
Asbestos is a cancer-causing mineral fiber that can remain dormant in your lungs when inhaled.
Some cement and brick masons develop mesothelioma, a treatable but incurable form of cancer, decades after they were exposed.
Those with the disease, or family members of those who died because of it, may be able to collect compensation for their trauma.

How Were Masons Exposed to Asbestos?

Asbestos was a common ingredient in the dry powder that was mixed with water to create water or cement from 1920 to 1980. It may come mixed in with the powder, or the mason might add fibers on the job site.

It was cheap, added strength, and was heat-resistant. Asbestos would be especially useful when bricks and mortar were exposed to high heat because of a furnace, or the structure was part of an oven or kiln. Asbestos may also be a brick ingredient.

Asbestos fibers are dangerous when they’re released into the air and inhaled. They may get into the lungs where, over years or decades, they may cause cells to mutate and become cancerous. Pleural mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer of the pleura, a membrane that lines the lungs and chest cavity.

Fibers would be in the workspace when:

Asbestos-containing dry cement was mixed with water
Asbestos was added to a dry cement mix
Existing asbestos-containing cement was chipped away or sanded
Asbestos-containing bricks were sawed into pieces or chipped away with hammers
Other trades on a work site used asbestos-containing products, including steam pipe insulation, valve packing, floor tiles, wallboards, joint compound, or fireproofing, which released harmful asbestos fibers in the air.

The exposure often continued after work, when masons traveled home in work clothes covered in asbestos fibers, which they may breathe in while going home. These dirty clothes could also endanger those living with them.

What Are the Dangers of Asbestos Exposure to Masons?

If enough fibers are inhaled into the lungs, they cause scar tissue, and the person’s ability to breathe is affected (asbestosis). Masons who breathed in asbestos have an increased risk of lung cancer, especially if they smoke. Decades may pass before asbestos fibers impact the:

Pleura: A membrane covering the lungs and chest cavity, causing pleural mesothelioma
Peritoneum: Another membrane covering organs and the abdominal cavity, resulting in peritoneal mesothelioma
Pericardium: The heart’s lining, causing peritoneal mesothelioma

One of the many sources of asbestos exposure for masons was asbestos-containing cement. A study of the impact of cancer and mesothelioma on workers in an Italian cement factory was published in 2020. The plant operated from 1932 to 1993. It was the second-largest asbestos-containing cement plant in the country while it operated. The study authors state the plant had a “high impact” on the community’s health.

Researchers considered the population in the towns surrounding the plant and compared it with national health statistics. Researchers looked at 2012 plant workers. They found 218 people had pleural mesothelioma and 11 had peritoneal mesothelioma. If the mesothelioma rate in the area was consistent with the national average, only 24 people would’ve developed the conditions.

How Does Asbestos Cause Mesothelioma for Cement and Brick Basons?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral. Due to its strength, heat, and fire resistance, asbestos was widely used in building materials (including cement and bricks) for decades.

Asbestos fibers are released into the air when products are first installed if they become damaged, as they age, and if they’re removed.

During masonry work, fibers remain suspended in the air and can enter your lungs if inhaled.

Asbestos can damage your lungs, and cause lung cancer, asbestosis (lung scarring and inflammation that restricts breathing), and pleural mesothelioma (an aggressive cancer of the lung’s linings).

How Harmful is Mesothelioma for Masons and Brick Workers?

The life expectancy of someone diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma depends on several issues, including the type and location of the disease, its stage, and the person’s overall health.

Survival rates are generally four to 18 months after diagnosis, though a few people have lived longer than ten years after diagnosis, according to the Abramson Cancer Center.

The five-year survival rate for pleural mesothelioma is ten percent, though that’s getting better over time as treatment and how well medical science understands the disease improves. Very few patients go into remission (no signs of cancer), but many of those treated for mesothelioma can extend and improve the quality of their lives.

In a 2013 article in the European Journal of Cancer, researchers discussed the survival rates of 108 patients treated for peritoneal mesothelioma. They found 43.6% survived for seven or more years after treatment.

Why You Should Hire Satterley & Kelley, PLLC for Your Asbestos Case

If you’re diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer because you or your spouse worked as a mason, you may be entitled to compensation for what you’ve endured, which includes physical and mental pain and suffering, financial costs, medical bills, and how the disease impacts your relationships.

You need a law firm with experience representing victims taking legal action against the asbestos industry. Satterley & Kelley, PLLC lawyers have helped asbestos victims for more than 25 years.

We have relationships with the best experts in the world to help us prove that asbestos caused your injury and the physical, emotional, psychological, and financial harm you suffered.

Our attorneys will give your case the full investigation it deserves. We never assume your case will settle, so we don’t take shortcuts. Satterley & Kelley, PLLC will carefully analyze the facts of your case and decide on and execute an effective strategy that can provide you with the most compensation possible.

Call Us Today For A Free Consultation

If you or a loved one worked as a brick and cement mason and has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, Satterley & Kelley attorneys can answer your questions, advise you of your rights to compensation, and discuss the necessary steps to protect them.

You can reach our Louisville office by calling 502-589-5600 or toll-free at 855-385-9532. You can also fill out our contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.

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