It was an important moment in 2012 when the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer declared that diesel fumes are “carcinogenic to humans.” For workers everywhere, this finding confirmed that their long-term exposures to diesel exhaust likely […]
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Railroad Workers & Asbestos
Posted on March 7th, 2018 by Andrew L. Hughes
Asbestos was identified as a toxin by the Association of American Railroads in 1937. By 1958, railroads knew asbestos caused cancer. After 1960, it was medically accepted that asbestos definitely causes mesothelioma. Despite that, locomotive and parts manufacturers didn’t stop […]
What is Silicosis?
Posted on January 18th, 2018 by Andrew L. Hughes
Silicosis is a progressive, disabling, and often fatal lung disease caused by exposure to silica dust. Silica is one of the most common minerals in the earth’s crust and is a basic component of soil, sand, granite, and most other […]
Why Does Diesel Exhaust Cause Cancer?
Posted on January 18th, 2018 by Andrew L. Hughes
Long-term exposures to diesel exhaust can greatly increase your chances of developing cancer and leukemia. Why? Because diesel engine exhaust is a mixture of several toxic substances, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, unburned and partially burned hydrocarbons (e.g., aromatic and […]
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) – Do These Exposures Cause Cancer?
Posted on December 11th, 2017 by Andrew L. Hughes
What are PAHs? Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are a group of chemicals which occur as complex mixtures rather than single compounds. They occur naturally in coal and crude oil. They can be formed when certain substances are burned. Generally, […]
