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Asbestos Lexicon

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“I started this firm after learning that the cancers that killed my father and grandparents were caused by asbestos, something we did not realize until it was too late to hold anyone accountable. That experience is why we built this site: so that no other family misses their chance to ask the questions, hear the options, and decide for themselves what to do.”
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  • 8-Nitroguanine8-Nitroguanine is a chemically damaged form of guanine, one of the four building blocks of DNA. It forms when...
  • 8-OHdG8-OHdG (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine) is a chemically modified form of the DNA building block guanosine that fo...
  • 13 Peritoneal RegionsThe 13 Peritoneal Regions are a standardized anatomical map dividing the abdominal cavity into thirteen zones...
  • 22 nm TubeA "22 nm tube" refers to the approximate outer diameter of a single chrysotile asbestos fibril, the smallest s...
  • 40 CFR Part 763, Appendix A40 CFR Part 763, Appendix A is the section of the U.S. federal regulations that sets out the official laborato...
  • 85% Magnesia85% Magnesia is a high-temperature thermal insulation material made of about 85% basic magnesium carbonate and...
  • 524(g) TrustA 524(g) trust is a special bankruptcy trust that a company overwhelmed by asbestos lawsuits can set up to pay...

A

  • A-siteThe A-site (aminoacyl site) is one of three binding pockets on a ribosome where protein synthesis takes place....
  • A. W. Chesterton CompanyA. W. Chesterton Company of Stoneham, Massachusetts, made mechanical packings, gasket sheet and seals, chiefly...
  • A/B/C/T FrameworkThe A/B/C/T framework is a classification system used in fiber analysis to sort the mineral particles found in...
  • A549 CellsA549 cells are a line of human lung cells originally taken from a patient's lung adenocarcinoma (a type of lun...
  • AbatementAbatement is the controlled removal, sealing, or enclosure of asbestos-containing material so that fibers are...
  • Abbe Diffraction LimitThe Abbe diffraction limit is a fundamental physical rule that sets the smallest distance at which a tradition...
  • Abex CorporationAbex Corporation, earlier the American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company and then the American Brake Shoe Company...
  • Absolute FilterAn absolute filter is a high-efficiency air filter designed to capture nearly all airborne particles, includin...
  • Academic Medical CenterAn academic medical center (AMC) is a hospital integrated with a medical school and research institution, wher...
  • ACandSACandS, founded in 1958 as Armstrong Contracting and Supply Corporation, the insulation contracting subsidiary...
  • Accessory MineralAn accessory mineral is a mineral present in a rock in small amounts, not one of the main minerals that define...
  • Acetone VaporAcetone vapor is the gaseous form of acetone, a common organic solvent, used in laboratory preparation of air...
  • Acetylene Cylinder ReinforcementAcetylene cylinder reinforcement refers to the porous filler material packed inside acetylene gas cylinders to...
  • AcicularAcicular means needle-shaped. In mineralogy, it describes crystals that grow as slender, straight, rigid needl...
  • Acid-Digested AsbestosAcid-digested asbestos refers to asbestos fibers that have been chemically treated with strong acid to dissolv...
  • Acid-Resistant CementAcid-resistant cement is a specialized cementitious material formulated to withstand corrosive chemical enviro...
  • Acid-Resistant Chemical FilterAn acid-resistant chemical filter is an industrial filtration device designed to separate solids from highly c...
  • Acid-resistant packingAcid-resistant packing is a type of industrial sealing material (typically braided rope, sheet gasket, or mold...
  • Acid DigestionAcid digestion is a laboratory technique that dissolves lung or other tissue using strong chemicals, leaving b...
  • Acid Filter NicheAn acid filter niche refers to the specialized industrial use of acid-resistant asbestos products (primarily f...
  • AcinarAcinar refers to a small, cluster-like or grape-like grouping of cells or glands, often the smallest functiona...
  • Acoustic Ceiling TextureAcoustic ceiling texture is a bumpy, sprayed-on ceiling finish, often called a "popcorn" or "cottage cheese" c...
  • ActinoliteActinolite is a calcium-magnesium-iron silicate mineral in the amphibole group. It can occur in a non-fibrous...
  • Active SurveillanceActive surveillance is a planned strategy of closely monitoring a disease or suspicious finding with regular i...
  • AdenocarcinomaAdenocarcinoma is a cancer that begins in glandular cells, the cells that produce mucus and other fluids in th...
  • Adenomatoid TumorAn adenomatoid tumor is a small, benign growth that arises from mesothelial cells, the same cells that line bo...
  • Adjuvant TherapyAdjuvant therapy is treatment given after the primary treatment, usually surgery, to destroy any cancer cells...
  • Admiralty JurisdictionAdmiralty jurisdiction is the authority of federal courts over maritime cases, including injuries that happen...
  • AdmissibilityAdmissibility is whether a judge will allow a piece of evidence or expert testimony to be presented to the jur...
  • Admission by Party-OpponentAn admission by a party-opponent is a statement by a party to a lawsuit, or by its employees or agents on matt...
  • Affirmative DefenseAn affirmative defense is a reason a defendant gives for avoiding or reducing liability even if the plaintiff'...
  • AHERAAHERA stands for the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, a 1986 U.S. federal law that requires public and...
  • AHERA TEM MethodThe AHERA TEM method is the transmission electron microscopy procedure EPA requires for clearance air testing...
  • Airborne Toxic Control MeasureAn Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) is a type of regulation issued by the California Air Resources Board...
  • Air SamplingAir sampling (also called air monitoring) is the process of collecting samples of air and analyzing them in a...
  • AJCCAJCC stands for the American Joint Committee on Cancer, the organization that publishes the staging system use...
  • ALKALK is a gene that produces a protein involved in cell growth signaling. When the ALK gene becomes abnormally...
  • Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)Alpha-fetoprotein is a protein normally produced by the liver and yolk sac of a developing fetus. In adults, b...
  • Alpine OrogenyThe Alpine Orogeny is the long mountain-building event that created the Alps, Carpathians, Apennines, Pyrenees...
  • Alternative LiabilityAlternative liability is a doctrine that shifts the burden of proof when a plaintiff shows that each of severa...
  • Alveolar CompartmentThe alveolar compartment is the deepest region of the lung, made up of millions of tiny air sacs (alveoli) whe...
  • Alveolar MacrophageAn alveolar macrophage is a specialized immune cell that patrols the tiny air sacs (alveoli) deep in the lungs...
  • AlveoliAlveoli are the tiny, thin-walled air sacs at the ends of the airways where oxygen passes into the bloodstream...
  • Amatex CorporationAmatex Corporation, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, made asbestos textiles, including cloth, tape and lagging, wi...
  • American BiltriteAmerican Biltrite, known in earlier documents as American Biltrite Rubber Company, made vinyl asbestos floor t...
  • American Cyanamid CompanyAmerican Cyanamid was a large American chemical company. In the library's records it appears as a holder of pa...
  • American OpticalAmerican Optical, of Southbridge, Massachusetts, made industrial safety equipment through its Safety Products...
  • AmocoAmoco was the oil and chemical business of Standard Oil Company (Indiana), with refineries, oil fields and che...
  • AmosaAmosa was a major asbestos mining town in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, historically associated with t...
  • AmositeAmosite is a form of asbestos belonging to the amphibole mineral group, known for its straight, needle-like br...
  • Amphibole AsbestosAmphibole asbestos is one of the two mineral families that make up asbestos, the other being serpentine (chrys...
  • Amphibole GroupA family of silicate minerals with elongated, needle-like or fibrous crystal structures. Five of the six comme...
  • amphibole hypothesisThe amphibole hypothesis is the claim that the amphibole types of asbestos (crocidolite, amosite, tremolite) c...
  • Amphibole Hypothesis Strong FormThe Amphibole Hypothesis Strong Form is the contested scientific claim that only amphibole asbestos fibers (su...
  • Amphibole Hypothesis Weak FormThe weak form of the amphibole hypothesis is the scientific position that amphibole asbestos fibers (such as c...
  • amphibole nomenclatureAmphibole nomenclature is the formal naming system used by mineralogists to classify the amphibole family of m...
  • Amphibolite FaciesAmphibolite facies is a category geologists use to describe rocks that formed under moderate-to-high temperatu...
  • AmphibolizationAmphibolization is a geological process in which pre-existing rocks or minerals are altered (usually through h...
  • Analytical SensitivityAnalytical sensitivity is the asbestos concentration that one counted fiber or structure would represent in a...
  • Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy (ATEM)Analytical Transmission Electron Microscopy is a laboratory technique that uses a high-powered electron beam t...
  • Anatomic Pathway of ExposureThe anatomic pathway of exposure describes the physical route that asbestos fibers travel through the body, fr...
  • Ancient Documents RuleThe ancient documents rule allows old documents, generally at least 20 years old, to be authenticated and, in...
  • AngiogenesisAngiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels from existing ones. Tumors, including mesothelioma, depend on...
  • Annular RingAn annular ring is a ring-shaped feature seen on imaging or in cross-section, where a band surrounds a central...
  • AnswerAn answer is a defendant's formal written response to a complaint. It admits or denies each allegation and lis...
  • AnthophylliteAnthophyllite is one of the six regulated forms of asbestos and belongs to the amphibole family of minerals. I...
  • Anthophyllite-Talc SeriesThe anthophyllite-talc series refers to the closely related group of magnesium silicate minerals that form tog...
  • AnthracosisAnthracosis is the buildup of black carbon pigment in lung tissue from inhaling coal dust, soot, diesel exhaus...
  • AntifolateAntifolates are a class of chemotherapy drugs that block the body's ability to use folate (vitamin B9), a nutr...
  • AntigoriteAntigorite is a serpentine mineral closely related to chrysotile (the form of asbestos used in most commercial...
  • ApicesThe apices are the uppermost, rounded tips of the lungs, sitting just above the collarbone on each side of the...
  • ApoptosisApoptosis is the body's built-in process for eliminating cells that are old, damaged, or potentially dangerous...
  • AppealAn appeal is a request to a higher court to review a lower court's decision for legal errors. The appeals cour...
  • Appendiceal MetastasisAppendiceal metastasis refers to cancer that has spread to, or involves, the appendix, a small tube-shaped pou...
  • Approved Site ListAn approved site list is a list kept by an asbestos bankruptcy trust of worksites, such as plants, refineries...
  • Armco Steel CorporationArmco Steel Corporation was a large steelmaker based in Middletown, Ohio. Its asbestos story in our library is...
  • Armstrong Cork CompanyArmstrong Cork Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, made cork, flooring and insulation. Its asbestos products i...
  • Armstrong World Industries Asbestos PI Settlement TrustThe Armstrong World Industries Asbestos PI Settlement Trust is a court-established fund created to pay current...
  • Army and Navy Munitions BoardThe Army and Navy Munitions Board (ANMB) was a joint U.S. military planning body that coordinated industrial m...
  • Army Chemical Warfare ServiceThe Army Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) was a branch of the U.S. Army, active from 1918 to 1946, responsible f...
  • AsbestiformAsbestiform is a mineralogical term describing minerals that grow as long, thin, flexible fibers resembling as...
  • Asbestiform AnthophylliteAsbestiform anthophyllite is the fibrous, asbestos-grade variety of the mineral anthophyllite, a magnesium-iro...
  • Asbestiform DiopsideAsbestiform diopside is a fibrous variety of the mineral diopside, a calcium-magnesium silicate in the pyroxen...
  • Asbestiform TremoliteAsbestiform tremolite is the fibrous, asbestos-like form of the mineral tremolite, a calcium-magnesium silicat...
  • AsbestosAsbestos is the commercial and legal name for six naturally occurring silicate minerals that grow as long, thi...
  • Asbestos-CementAsbestos-cement is a hard building material made by mixing asbestos fibers into cement, used for pipes, corrug...
  • Asbestos-Cement PipeAsbestos-cement pipe (often called A/C pipe or by brand names like Transite) is a rigid pipe made by mixing Po...
  • Asbestos-Cement Pipe ManufacturingAsbestos-cement (A/C) pipe manufacturing was the industrial process of combining raw asbestos fibers (usually...
  • Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM)Asbestos-containing material, or ACM, is any material that contains more than one percent asbestos by weight,...
  • Asbestos-Free Talc"Asbestos-free talc" is a marketing and regulatory label used by talc producers and product manufacturers (cos...
  • Asbestos-Related Pleural DiseaseAsbestos-related pleural disease is the umbrella name for the non-cancerous changes asbestos causes in the ple...
  • Asbestos Bankruptcy TrustAn asbestos bankruptcy trust is a fund set up by a company that went bankrupt because of asbestos lawsuits, cr...
  • Asbestos BodiesAsbestos bodies are microscopic structures that form in lung tissue when inhaled asbestos fibers, typically am...
  • Asbestos Body FormationAsbestos body formation is the biological process in which an asbestos fiber lodged in the lung becomes coated...
  • Asbestos CornsAsbestos corns are small, hard, callus-like skin growths that form when asbestos fibers become embedded in the...
  • Asbestos Corporation LimitedAsbestos Corporation Limited was a Canadian chrysotile mining and milling company that operated major asbestos...
  • Asbestos ExposureAsbestos exposure is contact with airborne asbestos fibers that are then breathed in or swallowed. Because the...
  • Asbestos FractionThe asbestos fraction is the portion of a bulk material (such as talc, vermiculite, or industrial ore) that co...
  • Asbestos HillAsbestos Hill is a former chrysotile asbestos mining site in the Ungava region of northern Quebec, Canada, ope...
  • Asbestos InvestmentsAsbestos investments refers to the financial holdings, corporate acquisitions, and capital expenditures that c...
  • AsbestosisAsbestosis is scarring (fibrosis) of the lung tissue caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. The scarring builds u...
  • Asbestos MagazineAsbestos (sometimes called Asbestos Magazine) was a trade publication first issued in 1919 that served the asb...
  • Asbestos Management PlanAn asbestos management plan is the written plan that AHERA requires every public and private nonprofit element...
  • Asbestos MillboardAsbestos millboard is a stiff, gray board made mostly of asbestos fiber with a binder, used for heat and fire...
  • Asbestos PackingAsbestos packing is braided, twisted or molded material wrapped around valve stems and pump shafts to stop ste...
  • Asbestos Presumption LawAn asbestos presumption law is a statute, most commonly found in workers' compensation systems, that legally p...
  • Asbestos SidingAsbestos siding is exterior wall cladding, usually flat shingles or panels, made of cement reinforced with asb...
  • Asbestos Strike of 1949The Asbestos Strike of 1949 was a four-month work stoppage by roughly 5,000 miners and millers against the Can...
  • Asbestos Textile CompanyThe Asbestos Textile Company was an asbestos textile and brake lining maker organized in 1915 with offices in...
  • Asbestos Textile IndustryThe asbestos textile industry spun and wove asbestos fibers into yarn, cloth, tape, rope, and protective cloth...
  • Asbestos TextilesAsbestos textiles are products made by spinning asbestos fibers into thread and weaving them into cloth, tape,...
  • Asbestos TrustAn asbestos trust is a court-supervised fund created when a company with significant asbestos liability files...
  • Asbestos Trust FundAn asbestos trust fund is a pool of money set aside by a bankrupt asbestos company to pay current and future i...
  • Asbestos Workers UnionThe Asbestos Workers Union is the common name for the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators a...
  • AscitesAscites is a buildup of fluid inside the abdominal cavity, the space that surrounds the stomach, liver, intest...
  • Ascitic Fluid CytologyAscitic fluid cytology is the laboratory examination of fluid drawn from the abdominal cavity (ascites) to loo...
  • Aspect Ratio (Length-to-diameter ratio)Aspect ratio is the length of a fiber divided by its width (diameter). For asbestos, regulatory and counting d...
  • Asphalt Roof CoatingAsphalt roof coating is a thick, brushable or sprayable bitumen-based material applied to roofs to waterproof...
  • AspirateTo draw a substance (such as air, fluid, or airborne particles like asbestos fibers) into the airways or lungs...
  • Assigned Protection FactorAn assigned protection factor is the level of protection a type of respirator is expected to give when it fits...
  • Assumption of RiskAssumption of risk is a legal defense arguing that an injured person knew about a danger, understood it, and v...
  • ASTM D5755ASTM D5755 is a standard laboratory method for measuring asbestos in settled dust. Dust is collected from a su...
  • ASTM D6281ASTM D6281 is a standardized laboratory method for identifying and counting airborne asbestos fibers collected...
  • ASTM D6480ASTM D6480 is a standard method for measuring asbestos on surfaces by wiping a measured area with a moistened...
  • ATA MineralsATA Minerals refers to the "Asbestiform Tremolite-Actinolite" group of minerals, a family of amphibole asbesto...
  • AtelectasisAtelectasis is the collapse or incomplete inflation of part or all of a lung, so that the affected air sacs ca...
  • Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)Atezolizumab, sold as Tecentriq, is an immunotherapy drug that blocks PD-L1. It is approved for several cancer...
  • Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO)Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) was a major American oil company. In our library its asbestos story is mainl...
  • Atlas Asbestos Company (Coalinga, California)Atlas Asbestos Company mined and milled short-fiber chrysotile asbestos at its Santa Cruz mine northwest of Co...
  • Atlas TurnerAtlas Turner Inc. of Montreal, formerly Atlas Asbestos Company Ltd., was a Canadian maker of asbestos-cement p...
  • Atomic Energy CommissionThe Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was a U.S. federal agency that controlled the nation's nuclear weapons prog...
  • ATSDRThe Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is a federal public health agency under the U.S. Departme...
  • Attorney-Client PrivilegeThe attorney-client privilege protects confidential communications between a lawyer and a client made to get o...
  • Attributable RiskAttributable risk is the portion of disease in a group that can be linked to a specific exposure, calculated b...
  • AttributionAttribution is the process of determining how much a specific cause is responsible for a disease. In asbestos...
  • Atypical Mesothelial ProliferationAtypical mesothelial proliferation is the term a pathologist uses when mesothelial cells look abnormal but can...
  • Australian Blue AsbestosAustralian blue asbestos is crocidolite asbestos mined in Western Australia, most notoriously at the town of W...
  • Australian Blue Asbestos Pty LtdAustralian Blue Asbestos Pty Ltd (ABA) was the subsidiary of CSR Limited that operated the crocidolite (blue a...
  • AuthenticationAuthentication is the showing, required before a document or object can be used as evidence, that it is what t...
  • Authorship-Context DisclosureAuthorship-context disclosure is the requirement that an expert witness, treating physician, or report author...
  • AutopsyAn autopsy is a medical examination of the body after death to determine the cause of death and the diseases p...
  • Azrock Floor ProductsAzrock Floor Products of San Antonio, Texas, later Azrock Industries, made floor tile, including Azrock vinyl...
  • αvβ5 Integrinαvβ5 integrin is a cell-surface protein made of two subunits (alpha-v and beta-5) that helps cells attach to s...

B

  • B-ReadA B-Read is a standardized interpretation of a chest X-ray performed by a physician specially certified to cla...
  • B-ReaderA B-Reader is a physician, usually a radiologist or pulmonologist, who has passed a National Institute for Occ...
  • B-siteThe B-site is a specific cation position within the crystal structure of amphibole minerals, including amphibo...
  • B. F. GoodrichThe B. F. Goodrich Company of Akron, Ohio, was a rubber and chemical maker whose asbestos story in our library...
  • B72.3 (TAG-72)B72.3 is a monoclonal antibody used in immunohistochemistry (IHC), a laboratory staining technique applied to...
  • Background ExposureBackground exposure is the small, unavoidable amount of asbestos nearly everyone breathes from natural sources...
  • Background RateThe background rate is the number of cases of a disease that occur in a population in the absence of a specifi...
  • BakeliteBakelite is an early synthetic plastic made from phenol and formaldehyde, first produced in 1907 and widely us...
  • BalangeroiteBalangeroite is a rare fibrous magnesium-iron silicate mineral that occurs alongside chrysotile asbestos at th...
  • Balangero MineThe Balangero mine, located near Turin in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, was one of the largest chryso...
  • Baldwin-Hill CompanyBaldwin-Hill Company was a Trenton, New Jersey, maker of mineral wool insulation and insulating cements, inclu...
  • BAL FluidBAL fluid (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) is the liquid recovered when a doctor washes a small section of the l...
  • Banded Iron FormationA Banded Iron Formation (BIF) is an ancient sedimentary rock made of alternating thin layers of iron-rich mine...
  • Bankruptcy TrustA bankruptcy trust is a fund set up when an asbestos company files for bankruptcy, designed to pay current and...
  • Bankruptcy Trust ClaimA bankruptcy trust claim is a claim filed against a special fund set up when an asbestos company goes bankrupt...
  • Bankruptcy Trust TransparencyBankruptcy trust transparency refers to the rules and practices governing how much information about asbestos...
  • BantuBantu refers to a large group of ethnolinguistic communities in sub-Saharan Africa, including many of the Blac...
  • BAP1BAP1 (BRCA1-Associated Protein 1) is a tumor suppressor gene that helps cells repair DNA damage and control ce...
  • BAP1 Tumor Predisposition SyndromeBAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome is an inherited condition in which a person carries a harmful change in one...
  • Bar DateA bar date is the deadline set by a bankruptcy court for creditors to file proofs of claim. In most asbestos b...
  • Bare Metal DefenseThe Bare Metal Defense is a liability argument raised by manufacturers of pumps, valves, turbines, boilers, an...
  • BasilarBasilar means "at the base." In chest imaging and lung medicine, it refers to the lower portions of the lungs,...
  • Battery BoxA battery box is the enclosure that houses a vehicle's or piece of equipment's storage batteries, historically...
  • Bazhenov DepositThe Bazhenov (or Bazhenovskoye) deposit is a massive chrysotile asbestos ore body located in the Ural Mountain...
  • Becke LineThe Becke line is a thin bright halo that appears at the edge of a particle under a light microscope when the...
  • Bell Asbestos Mines Ltd.Bell Asbestos Mines Ltd. was a Canadian chrysotile asbestos mining company that operated in Thetford Mines, Qu...
  • Bellwether TrialA bellwether trial is one of a small number of test cases tried first in a large group of similar lawsuits. Th...
  • Belvidere MountainBelvidere Mountain is a peak in Eden and Lowell, Vermont, that hosted the largest chrysotile asbestos mine in...
  • Bendix CorporationBendix Corporation was a major American manufacturer of automotive and aviation parts, best known in the asbes...
  • Bendix Friction Materials TrustThe Bendix Friction Materials Asbestos Personal Injury Trust is a court-supervised fund created to pay people...
  • BenignBenign means not cancerous. A benign growth or condition does not invade surrounding tissue or spread to other...
  • Benign Asbestos Pleural EffusionBenign asbestos pleural effusion is a buildup of fluid between the lung and the chest wall caused by asbestos...
  • Benjamin Foster CompanyBenjamin Foster Company was a Philadelphia maker of mastics, coatings, sealants and adhesives used to finish a...
  • Ber-EP4Ber-EP4 is an antibody used in pathology to detect a protein (EpCAM) found on the surface of most adenocarcino...
  • Berman-Crump Meta-AnalysisThe Berman-Crump meta-analysis refers to a series of influential statistical analyses by D. Wayne Berman and K...
  • Beta-hCGBeta-hCG (beta human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone protein normally produced during pregnancy by placen...
  • BET nitrogen adsorptionBET nitrogen adsorption is a laboratory method that measures the total surface area of a powder or fiber sampl...
  • BevacizumabBevacizumab is a laboratory-made antibody (a targeted drug) that blocks a protein called VEGF, which tumors us...
  • BiancavillaBiancavilla is a town on the southwestern slope of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, where an unusual cluster of me...
  • BilateralBilateral means "on both sides." In medicine, it describes a finding, structure, or disease that involves both...
  • Billerica PlantThe Billerica Plant was a manufacturing facility in Billerica, Massachusetts operated by H.K. Porter Company a...
  • Biologically Active IronBiologically active iron refers to iron atoms on or within asbestos fibers that can participate in chemical re...
  • Biological PlausibilityBiological plausibility is the idea that a proposed cause-and-effect relationship should make sense given what...
  • BiomarkerA biomarker is a measurable biological signal, often a protein, gene, or other substance in blood, tissue, or...
  • Biomarker TestingBiomarker testing looks for specific molecules, proteins, genes, or other signals in blood, tissue, or fluid t...
  • biopersistenceBiopersistence is the ability of a fiber to remain in lung tissue over time without being dissolved, broken do...
  • Biopersistence Half-TimeBiopersistence half-time is the amount of time it takes for half of a given quantity of inhaled fibers to be c...
  • BioprocessingBioprocessing refers to the body's attempts to dissolve, break down, transport, or wall off asbestos fibers af...
  • BiopsyA biopsy is a procedure in which a doctor removes a small sample of tissue, fluid, or cells so it can be exami...
  • Biphasic MesotheliomaBiphasic mesothelioma (also called mixed mesothelioma) is a tumor that contains a mixture of two distinct cell...
  • Bird & SonBird & Son, Inc. was a Massachusetts-based building products manufacturer that produced asbestos-containing ma...
  • birefringenceBirefringence is an optical property of certain crystals and fibers in which light entering the material is sp...
  • Bitumen LacquerBitumen lacquer is a black, tar-based protective coating made from bitumen (asphalt) dissolved in solvents, hi...
  • BituminousBituminous describes materials that contain or are made with bitumen, a thick, black, tar-like form of petrole...
  • Bladed CrystalA bladed crystal is a mineral grain that grows in a flat, elongated, knife- or blade-like shape, longer than i...
  • Bluerock MineThe Bluerock Mine is a historic chrysotile asbestos mine located in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada, n...
  • Boiler InsulationBoiler insulation refers to the heat-resistant materials wrapped around boilers and their fittings to contain...
  • Boiler TechnicianA boiler technician is a worker who installs, operates, inspects, repairs, or maintains boilers and associated...
  • Bolivian crocidoliteBolivian crocidolite is the blue asbestos (a fibrous form of riebeckite) that was mined in Bolivia, principall...
  • Bound BrookBound Brook is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, that was home to one of the largest and longest-opera...
  • Bowel ResectionBowel resection is a surgical procedure in which a diseased or damaged segment of the small or large intestine...
  • BrachytherapyBrachytherapy is a form of radiation treatment in which small radioactive sources are placed directly inside t...
  • Bradford Hill CriteriaThe Bradford Hill criteria are a set of nine viewpoints scientists use to judge whether a statistical link bet...
  • BRAF V600EBRAF V600E is a specific change in the BRAF gene where the amino acid valine is swapped for glutamic acid at p...
  • Brake LiningA brake lining is the friction material bonded or riveted to a brake shoe or pad that presses against the drum...
  • Breach of WarrantyA breach of warranty occurs when a product fails to live up to a promise the seller or manufacturer made about...
  • Brigham and Women's HospitalBrigham and Women's Hospital (often called "the Brigham" or BWH) is a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medic...
  • Broad-spectrum CytokeratinBroad-spectrum cytokeratin refers to a group of antibody stains (such as AE1/AE3, CAM 5.2, and MNF116) that de...
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL)Bronchoalveolar lavage is a procedure in which a thin, flexible scope (bronchoscope) is passed into a small ai...
  • Bronchogenic CarcinomaBronchogenic carcinoma is cancer that arises from the cells lining the airways (bronchi) of the lungs. It is t...
  • BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor passes a thin, flexible tube with a camera (a bronchoscope) thro...
  • BronchusA bronchus is one of the large airways that branches from the windpipe (trachea) and carries air into the lung...
  • BruciteBrucite is a soft, white-to-pale-green mineral made of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)₂). It commonly forms in ser...
  • Brucite-Silica MismatchThe brucite-silica mismatch is the slight size difference between the two structural layers that make up serpe...
  • Brucite LayerThe brucite layer is a sheet of magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)₂] that forms one of the two structural layers in c...
  • Bulk Sample AnalysisBulk sample analysis is the laboratory testing of a physical piece of material, such as insulation, floor tile...
  • Bulk Supplier DoctrineThe bulk supplier doctrine is a defense for companies that sell a material in bulk to a manufacturer or employ...
  • Burden of ProofThe burden of proof is the responsibility a party in a lawsuit has to prove the facts they are claiming. In an...
  • Burnsville MineThe Burnsville Mine refers to a tremolite-bearing talc deposit located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North...
  • Business Records ExceptionThe business records exception is a hearsay rule that allows records made and kept in the regular course of an...
  • Butchart Staging SystemThe Butchart Staging System is one of the oldest staging systems for pleural mesothelioma. It divides the dise...
  • Bystander ExposureBystander exposure is asbestos exposure that occurs when a person breathes in fibers released by someone else'...

C

  • c-axisThe c-axis is one of the reference directions used to describe the internal structure of a crystal. In fibrous...
  • C-siteA C-site is one of two structurally distinct cation-binding positions within the chrysotile asbestos fiber whe...
  • CA-125CA-125 (cancer antigen 125) is a protein measured in the blood that can be elevated in several cancers, includ...
  • CachexiaCachexia is a wasting condition in which a person loses weight and muscle that ordinary eating cannot restore....
  • Calcic AmphiboleCalcic amphiboles are a subgroup of the amphibole mineral family in which calcium is the dominant cation occup...
  • Calcium Silicate InsulationCalcium silicate insulation is a hard, molded insulation material used on high-temperature pipes, boilers, and...
  • CalidriaCalidria is the trade name for a short-fiber chrysotile asbestos product mined and processed by Union Carbide...
  • CalretininCalretinin is a calcium-binding protein that pathologists detect in tissue samples to help confirm mesotheliom...
  • CAM5.2CAM5.2 is a monoclonal antibody used by pathologists to detect low-molecular-weight cytokeratins (cytokeratins...
  • CampolungoCampolungo is a high-altitude locality in the Swiss Alps (Canton Ticino, Switzerland) historically known to mi...
  • Cana Brava MineCana Brava is a chrysotile asbestos mine in Goiás, Brazil, and for decades was one of the largest sources of c...
  • Canadian Johns-ManvilleCanadian Johns-Manville was the Canadian arm of the Johns-Manville Corporation, one of the world's largest asb...
  • Cancer RegistryA cancer registry is an organized system that collects information on every cancer diagnosed in a defined popu...
  • CAP/Roggli Histologic CriterionThe CAP/Roggli histologic criterion is a pathology standard used to confirm a diagnosis of asbestosis by requi...
  • Cape AsbestosCape Asbestos (the Cape Asbestos Company, later Cape plc and Cape Industries) was a British asbestos mining, m...
  • Cape Asbestos Barking facilityThe Cape Asbestos Barking facility was an asbestos processing factory operated by Cape Asbestos Company Limite...
  • Cape BlueCape Blue is the historical commercial name for crocidolite asbestos mined in the Northern Cape Province of So...
  • Cape Blue grading systemThe Cape Blue grading system was the commercial classification scheme used to sort and price crocidolite (blue...
  • Cape Blue Mines (Pty) Ltd.Cape Blue Mines (Pty) Ltd. was a South African subsidiary within the Cape Asbestos group that mined crocidolit...
  • CapecitabineCapecitabine is an oral chemotherapy pill that the body converts into 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a drug that inter...
  • Cape ProvinceCape Province is the historical region of South Africa (split in 1994 into the Eastern, Northern, and Western...
  • Cape Province Crocidolite OperationsThis refers to the historical mining and milling of crocidolite (blue asbestos) in the Northern Cape Province...
  • Capillary PassageCapillary passage describes how extremely thin, needle-like asbestos fibers can travel through very small biol...
  • CapositeCaposite was a brand of high-temperature insulating block and pipe-covering material manufactured in the mid-2...
  • CappadociaCappadocia is a region in central Turkey where several villages experienced extraordinarily high rates of mali...
  • CAR-T CellCAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) therapy is a form of immunotherapy in which a patient's own T cells a...
  • CARB Method 435CARB Method 435 is the California Air Resources Board's laboratory method for measuring asbestos in serpentine...
  • Carbonate MineralA carbonate mineral is a naturally occurring solid built around the carbonate ion (CO₃²⁻) bonded with metals s...
  • Carbon Film TEM GridA carbon film TEM grid is a small metal mesh disc (usually about 3 millimeters across) coated with an ultra-th...
  • CarboplatinCarboplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug used to treat several cancers linked to asbestos exposure, i...
  • Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)CEA is a protein normally produced during fetal development that can reappear in the blood of adults with cert...
  • CarcinogenesisCarcinogenesis is the process by which normal cells turn into cancer. It usually happens in stages over many y...
  • CarcinogenicCapable of causing cancer in living tissue. A carcinogen is any agent (chemical, mineral fiber, virus, or form...
  • CarcinomaCarcinoma is a cancer that begins in epithelial cells, the cells that line the surfaces of organs, airways, gl...
  • Cardiac TamponadeCardiac tamponade is a medical emergency in which fluid builds up in the sac around the heart (the pericardium...
  • CardingCarding is a textile manufacturing step in which raw fibers are combed and aligned by passing them between rot...
  • Carey-Canadian MinesCarey-Canadian Mines was the Quebec asbestos-mining subsidiary of the Philip Carey Manufacturing Company, inco...
  • Carey Canada Inc.Carey Canada Inc. was a Quebec-based chrysotile asbestos mining company that operated the East Broughton mine...
  • CarlosturaniteCarlosturanite is a rare serpentine-like mineral, a hydrous magnesium silicate related to chrysotile and antig...
  • Casale MonferratoCasale Monferrato is a town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy that became one of the world's most devas...
  • Case-Control StudyA case-control study is a type of medical research that compares people who already have a disease (the "cases...
  • Case 1991 PrincipleThe Case 1991 Principle is an informal name for the causation reasoning developed by epidemiologist Bruce Case...
  • Cassiar MineThe Cassiar Mine was a large chrysotile asbestos mine located in northern British Columbia, Canada, that opera...
  • Category I and II Nonfriable ACMUnder the EPA asbestos NESHAP, nonfriable asbestos-containing materials are split into two categories. Categor...
  • CationA cation is a positively charged ion, an atom or molecule that has lost one or more electrons. In minerals, ca...
  • Cation SiteA cation site is a specific position within a mineral's crystal structure where a positively charged ion (a ca...
  • CausationCausation is the legal requirement that a plaintiff prove the defendant's conduct or product actually caused t...
  • CavitationCavitation is the formation of vapor bubbles in a liquid due to a decrease in pressure, relevant in the flow o...
  • CC-6 paperCC-6 is a mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filter membrane historically used to collect airborne fibers for asbesto...
  • CD34CD34 is a protein found on the surface of certain cells, including blood vessel lining cells (endothelial cell...
  • CDKN2ACDKN2A is a tumor suppressor gene that produces proteins (p16/INK4a and p14/ARF) which help control cell divis...
  • CDX2CDX2 (Caudal-type Homeobox 2) is a protein that acts as a master switch for intestinal cell identity. Patholog...
  • Cell BlockA cell block is a small paraffin block made from cells spun out of pleural fluid, ascites or a needle aspirate...
  • Celotex Asbestos Settlement TrustThe Celotex Asbestos Settlement Trust is a court-supervised fund created to pay asbestos injury claims against...
  • Cement Asbestos Products CompanyCement Asbestos Products Company (Capco) of Birmingham, Alabama, made asbestos-cement water and sewer pipe in...
  • CertainTeedCertainTeed Corporation is an American building products manufacturer that, during much of the 20th century, p...
  • Cetuximab (Erbitux)Cetuximab is a targeted cancer therapy given by IV infusion that blocks the epidermal growth factor receptor (...
  • cGycGy stands for centigray, a unit used to measure the dose of radiation absorbed by body tissue during radiothe...
  • Chain of CustodyChain of custody is the documented record showing who collected a piece of evidence, when, and everyone who ha...
  • Channeling InjunctionA channeling injunction is a court order, issued when an asbestos bankruptcy plan is confirmed, that permanent...
  • Chapel 2021Chapel 2021 refers to a peer-reviewed study by David J. Chapel and colleagues published in 2021 that examined...
  • Chapter 11Chapter 11 is a section of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code that allows a financially distressed company to reorganize...
  • Chatfield EMPs"Chatfield EMPs" refers to the counting and identification rules for elongate mineral particles proposed by mi...
  • CheckMate 743CheckMate 743 was a large international clinical trial that compared the combination of two immunotherapy drug...
  • checkpoint inhibitorsCheckpoint inhibitors are immunotherapy drugs that release the natural "brakes" on the immune system so it can...
  • Chemical InertiaChemical inertia is the resistance of a substance to reacting with acids, bases, oxidizers, or biological flui...
  • ChemotherapyChemotherapy is treatment with drugs that kill cancer cells or stop them from dividing, usually given through...
  • Chest X-RayA chest X-ray is a quick, low-dose picture of the lungs, heart and chest wall. It is the standard first test f...
  • Chisholm markersChisholm markers are a set of trace mineral and chemical "fingerprints" used to distinguish commercial asbesto...
  • Chlor-Alkali DiaphragmA chlor-alkali diaphragm is a porous barrier used inside industrial electrolytic cells that produce chlorine,...
  • Chlor-Alkali IndustryThe chlor-alkali industry produces chlorine and caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) by passing electricity through...
  • ChloriteChlorite is a group of green, platy sheet-silicate minerals rich in magnesium, iron and aluminum. It commonly...
  • Choice of LawChoice of law is the set of rules a court uses to decide which state's (or country's) laws govern a case when...
  • Chronic InflammationChronic inflammation is a prolonged, low-grade immune response that persists for months or years, often withou...
  • Chrysler CorporationChrysler Corporation was one of the large American automakers. Our library's documents show it making asbestos...
  • ChrysotileChrysotile is a fibrous form of the mineral serpentine and is the most commonly used type of asbestos worldwid...
  • Chrysotile DefenseThe chrysotile defense is the argument that a product contained only chrysotile (white asbestos), and that chr...
  • Chrysotile InstituteThe Chrysotile Institute was a Canadian industry-funded organization that promoted the continued mining, expor...
  • CIB 62CIB 62 refers to Current Intelligence Bulletin No. 62, a 2011 document published by the U.S. National Institut...
  • CisplatinCisplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug that damages cancer cells' DNA so they cannot divide. For meso...
  • Civil ConspiracyCivil conspiracy is a claim that two or more parties agreed to act together to accomplish an unlawful purpose,...
  • CK7CK7 (Cytokeratin 7) is a protein found in the structural skeleton of certain epithelial and mesothelial cells....
  • Claims MatrixA claims matrix is a schedule, used by an asbestos bankruptcy trust or in a mass settlement, that lists qualif...
  • Class ActionA class action is a lawsuit in which one or a few named plaintiffs sue on behalf of a much larger group of peo...
  • Claudin-4Claudin-4 is a protein found in the tight junctions between cells that line body cavities and organs (epitheli...
  • Clearance Air TestingClearance air testing is the final air sampling done inside a work area after asbestos abatement, before the c...
  • Clear and Convincing EvidenceA middle standard of proof used in civil cases when the law wants more certainty than usual before deciding an...
  • Cleavage FragmentCleavage fragments are small particles produced when a non-asbestiform mineral is crushed or broken along its...
  • CleavingCleaving is the splitting of a mineral along well-defined planes of weakness built into its crystal structure....
  • Clinical TrialA clinical trial is a research study that tests a new treatment, or a new use of an existing one, in volunteer...
  • Clonal SelectionClonal selection is the process by which a single damaged cell, one that has gained a survival or growth advan...
  • ClubbingClubbing is a painless change in the shape of the fingertips (and sometimes toes) in which the nail beds softe...
  • Coalinga DistrictThe Coalinga District is a region in western Fresno County, California, on the eastern slope of the Diablo Ran...
  • Coast RangesThe Coast Ranges are a series of mountain ranges running along the Pacific coast of North America from Souther...
  • CobbingCobbing is the manual process of breaking apart raw asbestos ore with hammers, picks, or hand tools to separat...
  • CochabambaCochabamba is a department and region in central Bolivia notable in mineralogical science as the type locality...
  • Cohort StudyA cohort study is a type of research that follows a defined group of people over time to see who develops a di...
  • Cold-Molded ThermoplasticCold-molded thermoplastic refers to a class of insulating and structural materials made by pressing a binder (...
  • CollagenCollagen is the main structural protein in the body's connective tissue, giving strength and shape to skin, te...
  • Collateral EstoppelCollateral estoppel, also called issue preclusion, is a rule that stops a party from re-arguing a specific fac...
  • Collateral Source RuleA legal doctrine that prevents a defendant from reducing the damages they owe by pointing to money the injured...
  • Collegium RamazziniThe Collegium Ramazzini is an international scientific society of physicians and researchers focused on occupa...
  • Colonial Sugar Refining CompanyThe Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR Limited) is a major Australian industrial company, historically known...
  • Colorectal CancerColorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum, the large bowel. Asbestos exposure has been linked to a mo...
  • Columnar CellA columnar cell is a type of epithelial cell that is taller than it is wide, shaped like a column or pillar. T...
  • Combined Raw Materials BoardThe Combined Raw Materials Board (CRMB) was a wartime allocation agency established in 1942 by the United Stat...
  • Combined Water ContentCombined water content refers to the water that is chemically bound within the crystal structure of a mineral,...
  • Combustion EngineeringCombustion Engineering, Inc. was a Delaware company, incorporated in 1912 with a home in Windsor, Connecticut,...
  • Comet AssayThe comet assay (also called single-cell gel electrophoresis) is a laboratory test that measures DNA damage in...
  • Comparative NegligenceComparative negligence is a rule courts use to reduce a plaintiff's compensation by the percentage of fault as...
  • Compassionate AllowancesCompassionate Allowances (CAL) is a Social Security Administration program that fast-tracks disability benefit...
  • Compassionate Coast Range Tremolite NOACoast Range Tremolite NOA refers to naturally occurring asbestos of the tremolite variety found in serpentinit...
  • Compensatory DamagesCompensatory damages are money awarded to make up for the actual harm a person suffered. In an asbestos case t...
  • Competent PersonUnder OSHA rules, a competent person is someone who can identify existing and predictable asbestos hazards and...
  • ComplaintA complaint is the document that starts a lawsuit. It names the plaintiff and the defendants, describes what h...
  • Completeness of Cytoreduction (CC) ScoreThe Completeness of Cytoreduction (CC) Score is a surgical grading system used to describe how much visible tu...
  • Component Parts DoctrineA legal principle that limits the liability of a company that made a non-defective part when injury was caused...
  • Composite Nuclear Grading SystemThe Composite Nuclear Grading System is a pathology scoring method used to predict prognosis in epithelioid me...
  • Composition FlooringComposition flooring is a category of resilient floor covering made by combining a binder (such as asphalt, vi...
  • Concordance IndexThe concordance index (C-index) is a statistical measure of how well a prediction model ranks patients by thei...
  • confidence intervalA confidence interval is a range of values that scientists report alongside a single estimated number (like a...
  • CONFIRM TrialThe CONFIRM Trial (Cancer Research UK NivOlumab vs placebo For Relapsed Mesothelioma) was a UK-based, randomiz...
  • Confluent DiseaseConfluent disease describes a stage of an illness in which separate, individual lesions or abnormalities have...
  • ConfoundingConfounding happens in a study when a third factor is linked to both the exposure being studied and the diseas...
  • Confounding by IndicationConfounding by indication is a bias in observational studies where the reason a person received a particular e...
  • Conjunctive DefinitionA "conjunctive definition" of asbestos is a regulatory or scientific definition that requires a mineral fiber...
  • Conservation Order M-79Conservation Order M-79 was a wartime directive issued by the U.S. War Production Board in 1942 that restricte...
  • ConsolidationConsolidation is when a court groups multiple lawsuits together so they can be handled, and sometimes tried, a...
  • Consumer Product ExposureConsumer product exposure refers to asbestos exposure that happens through everyday products used at home rath...
  • Contact MetamorphismContact metamorphism is the change in a rock's minerals caused by heat from a nearby body of molten rock (magm...
  • Contingency FeeA contingency fee is a payment arrangement where your attorney is paid only if your case results in a settleme...
  • Contralateral PleuraThe contralateral pleura is the pleural lining on the opposite side of the chest from where a disease, injury,...
  • Contra Non ValentemContra non valentem is a legal doctrine that pauses the deadline for filing a lawsuit when the injured person...
  • Contributory NegligenceContributory negligence is a legal doctrine that can completely bar an injured person from recovering damages...
  • Controlled Use"Controlled use" is the asbestos industry's long-standing argument that asbestos can be handled safely if work...
  • COPDCOPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is a progressive lung disease in which the airways become narrowe...
  • Corporate KnowledgeCorporate knowledge refers to what asbestos companies knew, and when they knew it, about the health dangers of...
  • Cor PulmonaleCor pulmonale is enlargement and weakening of the right side of the heart caused by long-standing lung disease...
  • Cor Pulmonale Before Age 12Cor pulmonale is right-sided heart failure caused by long-standing lung disease that strains the heart. "Befor...
  • Corrosion Proof Fittings v. EPACorrosion Proof Fittings v. EPA is a 1991 federal appeals court decision that struck down most of the EPA's 19...
  • Cosmetic TalcCosmetic talc is finely milled talc powder used in consumer products such as baby powder, body and facial powd...
  • Costophrenic angleThe costophrenic angle is the sharp corner on a chest X-ray or CT scan where the diaphragm meets the rib cage....
  • Cottrell-Type Electric PrecipitatorA Cottrell-type electric precipitator is an industrial air-cleaning device that uses a high-voltage electric f...
  • Countable FiberA countable fiber is an airborne particle that meets specific size rules used in regulatory air-sampling metho...
  • Country RockCountry rock is the geological term for the existing, surrounding rock that hosts a mineral deposit, vein, or...
  • Coworker TestimonyCoworker testimony is evidence from people who worked alongside an injured person, describing the jobs, condit...
  • COX PathwayThe COX (cyclooxygenase) pathway is a biological process in which the enzymes COX-1 and COX-2 convert arachido...
  • Crackling RalesCrackling rales (also called crackles or crepitations) are abnormal lung sounds a doctor hears through a steth...
  • CratonicCratonic describes anything pertaining to a craton, the ancient, stable interior portion of a continent that h...
  • CrocidoliteCrocidolite, commonly called "blue asbestos," is one of the six regulated asbestos minerals and the fibrous fo...
  • Cross-ClaimA cross-claim is a claim one defendant makes against another defendant in the same lawsuit, usually asking tha...
  • Cross-Company CorrespondenceCross-company correspondence refers to letters, memos, telegrams, and other written communications exchanged b...
  • Cross-Fiber VeinA cross-fiber vein is a type of mineral vein in which the fibers grow perpendicular to the walls of the vein,...
  • Crossed PolarsCrossed polars is a setup on a polarized light microscope in which two polarizing filters are oriented at 90 d...
  • Crown Cork & Seal CompanyCrown Cork & Seal, a maker of metal bottle caps, enters the asbestos record through Mundet Cork Corporation, a...
  • CRS-207CRS-207 is an experimental cancer vaccine made from a weakened Listeria monocytogenes bacterium engineered to...
  • CrystallineCrystalline describes a solid in which the atoms are arranged in a precise, repeating three-dimensional patter...
  • Crystallographic AnalysisCrystallographic analysis is a group of laboratory methods that determine how atoms are arranged inside a soli...
  • Crystallographic SiteA crystallographic site is a specific position within the repeating atomic framework of a mineral where a part...
  • Crystal MorphologyCrystal morphology is the external shape, form, and surface features of a mineral crystal, including whether i...
  • Crystal StructureCrystal structure is the repeating, three-dimensional arrangement of atoms inside a mineral. This internal pat...
  • CSR LimitedCSR Limited is an Australian building-products company, originally the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, that o...
  • ctDNActDNA is small fragments of DNA shed into the bloodstream by cancer cells as they grow, die, or turn over. Bec...
  • CTLA-4CTLA-4 (Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-Associated Protein 4) is a protein on the surface of certain immune cells that...
  • CT ScanA CT (computed tomography) scan is an imaging test that combines many X-ray pictures taken from different angl...
  • Cummingtonite-GruneriteThe cummingtonite-grunerite series is a family of iron- and magnesium-rich amphibole minerals that form a cont...
  • Cumulative DoseCumulative dose is the total amount of asbestos a person breathed in over their lifetime, combining how heavy...
  • Cumulative ExposureCumulative exposure is the total amount of asbestos a person has breathed in over their lifetime, calculated b...
  • Cumulative Mutational LoadCumulative mutational load is the total amount of genetic damage that builds up in a cell over time from repea...
  • Cutback AdhesiveCutback adhesive is a black, asphalt-based glue used to bond vinyl-asbestos floor tile and sheet flooring to t...
  • CyanosisCyanosis is a bluish or purplish discoloration of the skin, lips, or nail beds caused by inadequate oxygen in...
  • CyclosilicatesCyclosilicates are a class of silicate minerals whose silicon-oxygen building blocks are joined into closed ri...
  • Cytokeratin 5/6Cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6) are structural proteins found in certain cell types, including mesothelial cells (whic...
  • CytokineCytokines are small signaling proteins released by cells, especially immune cells, to communicate with other c...
  • CytologyCytology is the laboratory examination of individual cells (usually collected from fluids, washings, or fine-n...
  • CytopathologyCytopathology is the branch of pathology that diagnoses disease by examining individual cells, rather than int...
  • Cytoplasmic vs. NuclearIn cell biology and pathology, this distinction refers to whether a protein, stain, or molecular signal is loc...
  • Cytoreductive SurgeryCytoreductive surgery (often called "debulking") is an operation that removes as much visible tumor as possibl...

D

  • Damage CapsDamage caps are laws, usually passed by state legislatures, that set a maximum dollar amount a jury can award...
  • DamagesDamages are the money a court or settlement awards to compensate a person for harm they suffered because of so...
  • Dana CorporationDana Corporation was an Ohio-based maker of vehicle parts whose Victor division made gaskets and seals, and a...
  • Daubert StandardThe Daubert standard is the test federal judges use to decide whether an expert witness's testimony is reliabl...
  • Davis 1991 StudyThe Davis 1991 study refers to an influential inhalation experiment by J.M.G. Davis and colleagues at the Inst...
  • Death CertificateA death certificate is the official government record of a person's death, listing the date, place and causes...
  • De Bene Esse DepositionA de bene esse deposition is sworn testimony recorded, usually on video, so that it can be played at trial if...
  • de Broglie WavelengthThe de Broglie wavelength is the wavelength associated with a moving particle, calculated as Planck's constant...
  • DecarbonationDecarbonation is a geological process in which carbonate minerals such as calcite, dolomite, or magnesite rele...
  • Deciduoid VariantThe deciduoid variant is a rare and aggressive subtype of epithelioid mesothelioma in which tumor cells resemb...
  • DecorticateTo surgically peel away a thickened, fibrous rind that has formed around an organ, most often the lung. In asb...
  • Default JudgmentA default judgment is a ruling a court enters against a defendant who fails to answer a lawsuit or appear in c...
  • DefendantA defendant is the person or company being sued in a civil lawsuit. In an asbestos case, defendants are typica...
  • DehydroxylationDehydroxylation is a chemical process in which hydroxyl groups (–OH) bound within a mineral's crystal structur...
  • De NovoDe novo is a Latin phrase meaning "from the beginning" or "anew." In law, it describes a court reviewing a mat...
  • Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monthly benefit the VA pays to an eligible surviving...
  • DepositionA deposition is sworn testimony given outside of court, usually in a conference room, where attorneys ask ques...
  • Desferrioxamine BDesferrioxamine B (also called deferoxamine) is a chemical compound that strongly binds iron, pulling it out o...
  • Design DefectA design defect is a legal claim that a product is unreasonably dangerous because of the way it was designed,...
  • DesminDesmin is a protein found inside muscle cells that helps hold their internal structure together. Pathologists...
  • Desmoplastic MesotheliomaDesmoplastic mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive subtype of sarcomatoid mesothelioma in which more than half...
  • Desmoplastic Small Round Cell TumorDesmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor (DSRCT) is a rare and aggressive soft-tissue cancer that most often arises...
  • Diagnostic LaparoscopyDiagnostic laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which a surgeon makes small incisions in...
  • DiaphragmThe diaphragm is a thin, dome-shaped sheet of muscle that sits beneath the lungs and separates the chest cavit...
  • Diaphragmatic ResectionDiaphragmatic resection is a surgical procedure in which part or all of the diaphragm, the dome-shaped breathi...
  • Diastase-Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) MethodA two-step histology stain in which tissue is first treated with the enzyme diastase to digest away glycogen,...
  • Differential DiagnosisA differential diagnosis is the systematic process a physician uses to identify which disease is causing a pat...
  • Diffuse"Diffuse" describes a pattern of disease or fiber distribution that is spread out broadly across tissue rather...
  • Diffuse Pleural ThickeningDiffuse pleural thickening is widespread scarring and stiffening of the lining around the lungs, the pleura, t...
  • Diffusing Capacity (DLCO)Diffusing capacity, or DLCO (diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide), is a breathing test that mea...
  • Diffusion-Weighted MRIDiffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI or DWI) is a specialized form of magnetic resonance imaging that measures how w...
  • DiopsideDiopside is a common rock-forming mineral in the pyroxene group, chemically a calcium-magnesium silicate (CaMg...
  • Direct-Transfer MethodThe direct-transfer method is a laboratory technique used to prepare airborne dust samples for analysis under...
  • Directed VerdictA directed verdict is a ruling by the trial judge that decides the case in favor of one side before the jury g...
  • DiscoveryDiscovery is the formal pre-trial phase in which each side gathers evidence from the other through written que...
  • Discovery RuleThe discovery rule is a legal principle that delays the start of the deadline to file a lawsuit (the statute o...
  • Disease-Free SurvivalDisease-Free Survival (DFS) is the length of time after treatment during which a patient remains alive with no...
  • Disease LevelA disease level is one of the numbered categories an asbestos bankruptcy trust uses to sort claims by diagnosi...
  • Disease ProgressionDisease progression means a disease is getting worse over time, spreading, growing, or causing more symptoms....
  • dispersion stainingDispersion staining is an optical microscopy technique used to identify asbestos fibers and other minerals by...
  • Distal Respiratory ZoneThe distal respiratory zone is the deepest part of the lung, made up of the respiratory bronchioles, alveolar...
  • DNA adductsDNA adducts are pieces of a harmful chemical or reactive molecule that have become chemically bonded to a stra...
  • DNA lesionsDNA lesions are physical or chemical injuries to the DNA molecule inside a cell, such as broken strands, chemi...
  • DolomiteDolomite is a common carbonate rock and mineral made of calcium magnesium carbonate. It isn't asbestos itself,...
  • Dolomitic LimestoneDolomitic limestone is a sedimentary rock made primarily of calcium carbonate (calcite) mixed with a significa...
  • Doppler UltrasoundDoppler ultrasound is a painless imaging test that uses sound waves to measure how blood moves through vessels...
  • Dose-response relationshipThe dose-response relationship is the scientific link between how much of a harmful substance a person was exp...
  • Dose MetricA dose metric is the specific way exposure to asbestos is measured and expressed when scientists try to link p...
  • Double-Chain SilicateA double-chain silicate is a mineral built from two parallel rows of linked silica tetrahedra (SiO4 units) tha...
  • Doubling of RiskDoubling of risk is the idea that if an exposure at least doubles a person's chance of getting a disease (a re...
  • DoxorubicinDoxorubicin is an intravenous chemotherapy drug in the anthracycline family that damages cancer cell DNA and b...
  • Drilling MudDrilling mud is a thick fluid pumped down oil and gas wells during drilling to cool the bit, lift rock cutting...
  • Drilling Specialties CompanyDrilling Specialties Company, of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was a Phillips Petroleum subsidiary that sold Flosal,...
  • Drug Penetration DepthDrug penetration depth is the distance a chemotherapy or other therapeutic agent can diffuse into a solid tumo...
  • Dual Capacity DoctrineA legal rule that allows an injured worker to sue their employer outside the workers' compensation system when...
  • Dual Checkpoint Inhibitor TherapyDual checkpoint inhibitor therapy is a cancer treatment that combines two immunotherapy drugs to help the immu...
  • Duluth Water SupplyThe Duluth Water Supply refers to the municipal drinking water system serving Duluth, Minnesota, which was fou...
  • DuniteDunite is a coarse-grained igneous rock made up almost entirely of the mineral olivine, formed deep within the...
  • Durabla Manufacturing CompanyDurabla Manufacturing Company was a Pennsylvania maker of compressed asbestos sheet gasket material and packin...
  • Durvalumab (Imfinzi)Durvalumab, sold as Imfinzi, is an immunotherapy drug that blocks PD-L1, a protein tumors use to switch off th...
  • Dust-Free Milling PlantA "dust-free" milling plant was an asbestos mill, most famously promoted by Johns-Manville and other producers...
  • Dust ControlDust control refers to the engineering measures, work practices, and protective equipment intended to reduce t...
  • Dust PhthisisDust phthisis is a historical medical term for a chronic, wasting lung disease caused by long-term inhalation...
  • Duty of CareA duty of care is a legal obligation to act with reasonable caution so you don't cause harm to others. In an i...
  • Duty to WarnThe legal obligation of a manufacturer, supplier, or employer to give clear, timely warnings about known or kn...
  • DysphagiaDysphagia is difficulty or discomfort swallowing food, liquids, or even saliva. It can feel like food sticking...
  • DyspneaDyspnea is the medical term for shortness of breath or the uncomfortable awareness of having to work harder to...
  • Dzhetygara CombineThe Dzhetygara Combine (also spelled Zhetygara or Jetygara) is a large chrysotile asbestos mining and milling...

E

  • Each and Every Exposure DoctrineThe each and every exposure doctrine is the argument that every identifiable exposure to asbestos above ordina...
  • Eagle-PicherEagle-Picher was a Cincinnati company with an insulation plant in Joplin, Missouri, that made mineral wool ins...
  • Early SatietyEarly satiety is the feeling of being full after eating only a small amount of food, or losing appetite quickl...
  • Eastern TownshipsThe Eastern Townships is a region of southern Quebec, Canada, southeast of Montreal, that was the heart of the...
  • EchocardiogramAn echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan of the heart that uses sound waves to create moving pictures of its ch...
  • ECOG Performance StatusECOG Performance Status is a simple 0-to-5 scale doctors use to rate how well a patient can carry out everyday...
  • Economic DamagesEconomic damages are the out-of-pocket and financial losses caused by an injury or illness that can be calcula...
  • EdeniteEdenite is a calcium-bearing amphibole mineral closely related to tremolite, with extra sodium and aluminum in...
  • EdgewoodEdgewood refers to Edgewood Arsenal (later part of Aberdeen Proving Ground) in Harford County, Maryland, a U.S...
  • EGFREGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) is a protein found on the surface of many cells that receives signals...
  • Eggshell Skull DoctrineThe eggshell skull doctrine is a long-standing rule in personal injury law that says a wrongdoer must take the...
  • Ehret Magnesia Manufacturing CompanyEhret Magnesia Manufacturing Company of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania made 85% magnesia pipe and boiler insulatio...
  • Elcor mineThe Elcor Mine is a former asbestos mine in Culberson County, West Texas, that produced tremolite asbestos in...
  • El Dorado HillsEl Dorado Hills is a community in El Dorado County, California, built on and around naturally occurring deposi...
  • Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD)Electron Backscatter Diffraction is a technique used inside a scanning electron microscope that identifies a m...
  • electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS)Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy is a laboratory technique used inside a transmission electron microscope to...
  • Electron Microprobe AnalysisElectron microprobe analysis is a laboratory method that identifies the chemical elements in a tiny sample by...
  • Elemental AnalysisElemental analysis is a group of laboratory techniques that measure which chemical elements (such as magnesium...
  • elongate mineral particles (EMPs)Elongate Mineral Particles, or EMPs, are microscopic mineral fragments that are much longer than they are wide...
  • Emergency Procurement ServiceThe Emergency Procurement Service was a wartime U.S. government agency responsible for acquiring strategic raw...
  • EMPHACIS TrialThe EMPHACIS trial (Evaluation of MTA in Mesothelioma in a Phase III Study with Cisplatin) was a landmark inte...
  • EmphysemaEmphysema is permanent damage to the walls of the air sacs in the lungs, leaving larger, floppy air spaces tha...
  • Empty Chair DefenseThe empty chair defense is a trial strategy in which a defendant blames the plaintiff's injury on someone who...
  • EmpyemaEmpyema is a collection of pus in the pleural space, the gap between the lung and the chest wall. It is a seri...
  • EncapsulationEncapsulation is an asbestos management method in which a sealant is applied to asbestos-containing material (...
  • End-MemberAn end-member is the pure, idealized form of a mineral at one extreme of a chemical series in which two or mor...
  • EndemicEndemic describes a disease that is consistently present at a predictable, baseline rate in a particular place...
  • EndoscopyEndoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin, lighted tube with a camera (an endoscope) into the...
  • Endothoracic FasciaThe endothoracic fascia is a thin layer of fibrous connective tissue that lines the inside of the chest wall,...
  • Endotracheal BiopsyAn endotracheal biopsy is a procedure in which a doctor removes a small piece of tissue from the inside lining...
  • energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy is a laboratory technique paired with an electron microscope that identif...
  • Engineering ControlsEngineering controls are physical methods for reducing exposure to a hazard at its source, such as ventilation...
  • Environmental ExposureEnvironmental exposure means contact with asbestos that isn't from a person's own job. It includes asbestos in...
  • Environmental MesotheliomaEnvironmental mesothelioma is mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure that occurred outside of a workplace se...
  • EosinophilicIn pathology, "eosinophilic" describes tissue or cell structures that stain bright pink or red with the dye eo...
  • EPAThe EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency, is the U.S. federal agency responsible for protecting human healt...
  • EPA 2024 TSCA Chrysotile Ban RuleThis is the final rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in March 2024 under the Toxic Substa...
  • EPA Method 600/R-93/116EPA Method 600/R-93/116 is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency analytical procedure for identifying and qua...
  • EpidemiologyEpidemiology is the science of studying how diseases occur and spread in groups of people, and what factors ca...
  • EpididymisThe epididymis is a small, tightly coiled tube that sits on the back of each testicle, where sperm mature and...
  • EpididymitisEpididymitis is inflammation of the epididymis, the coiled tube behind each testicle that stores and transport...
  • Epithelial Membrane Antigen (EMA)EMA, also known as MUC1, is a protein found on the surface of many cell types that pathologists detect using i...
  • EpithelioidEpithelioid describes cells that look like epithelial cells under the microscope, relatively uniform, rounded...
  • EpitheliumEpithelium is the thin layer of tightly packed cells that covers the body's outer surfaces and lines its inter...
  • erioniteErionite is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral in the zeolite family that, when inhaled, can cause mesothel...
  • ErythemaErythema is redness of the skin caused by increased blood flow through small vessels near the surface. It is a...
  • Esophageal CancerEsophageal cancer is cancer of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. A lin...
  • EternitEternit is a brand name for asbestos-cement building products (including roofing sheets, siding panels, pipes,...
  • EtiologyEtiology is the study of what causes a disease, the specific agents, exposures, or biological events that set...
  • Exclusive RemedyThe exclusive remedy rule says that when a worker is hurt or made ill by their job, workers' compensation is u...
  • Excursion LimitThe excursion limit is OSHA's short-term ceiling for asbestos: no worker may be exposed to more than 1.0 fiber...
  • Exfoliation PlantAn exfoliation plant is an industrial facility that heated raw vermiculite ore in furnaces to make it pop and...
  • Exigent Health ClaimAn exigent health claim is a request that an asbestos trust process a claim ahead of its normal order because...
  • Expanded TransiteExpanded Transite refers to a class of lightweight asbestos-cement building boards in which the cement matrix...
  • Expedited ReviewExpedited review is the faster, fixed-value way most asbestos bankruptcy trusts process claims. A claim that m...
  • Expert WitnessAn expert witness is a person with specialized training, experience, or credentials who is permitted to give o...
  • Exposure-Knowledge GradientThe exposure-knowledge gradient is the documented gap, across time and across different industries, between wh...
  • Exposure-Reconstruction ProblemThe exposure-reconstruction problem is the practical and scientific challenge of estimating a person's past as...
  • Exposure AffidavitAn exposure affidavit is a sworn written statement describing how, where and when a person was exposed to asbe...
  • Exposure HistoryAn exposure history is a detailed account of when, where, and how a person came into contact with asbestos ove...
  • Exposure ReconstructionExposure reconstruction is the process of piecing together when, where, how, and how much a person was exposed...
  • extinction angleThe extinction angle is the angle through which a mineral fiber or crystal must be rotated under a polarized-l...
  • Extra-Abdominal Metastatic DiseaseExtra-abdominal metastatic disease refers to the spread of cancer from its original site to organs or tissues...
  • Extra Cellular MatrixThe extracellular matrix (ECM) is the meshwork of proteins (such as collagen and elastin), sugars, and other m...
  • Extrapleural Pneumonectomy (EPP)Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a major surgery used to treat pleural mesothelioma in which the surgeon removes...
  • ExudateAn exudate is a protein-rich fluid that leaks out of blood vessels into a body cavity or tissue because of inf...
  • EZH2 InhibitorAn EZH2 inhibitor is a targeted cancer drug that blocks an enzyme tumor cells use to silence genes that would...

F

  • F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)FDG is a radioactive sugar (a glucose molecule tagged with a small amount of radioactive fluorine-18) that is...
  • Fact WitnessA fact witness is a person who testifies about events, conditions, or conversations they personally saw, heard...
  • Failure to WarnFailure to warn is a legal claim that a company knew (or should have known) its product was dangerous but did...
  • Fawn Colored Asbestos"Fawn colored asbestos" is a descriptive, non-technical term historically used to refer to amosite, a brown am...
  • Fear of Cancer DamagesFear of cancer damages compensate the emotional distress a person suffers from a reasonable fear of developing...
  • Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic ActThe Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) is the primary U.S. law governing the safety and labeling of f...
  • Federal Officer RemovalFederal officer removal lets a defendant move a lawsuit from state court to federal court when it was acting u...
  • Fe K-edge XANESFe K-edge XANES (X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure spectroscopy at the iron K absorption edge) is an analyt...
  • Fenton ChemistryFenton chemistry is a set of chemical reactions in which iron reacts with hydrogen peroxide to generate hydrox...
  • Fenton ReactionThe Fenton Reaction is a chemical process in which iron reacts with hydrogen peroxide to generate highly react...
  • Feres DoctrineThe Feres doctrine bars active-duty service members from suing the United States for injuries that arise from...
  • FerrihydriteFerrihydrite is a poorly crystalline iron oxyhydroxide mineral (approximate formula Fe₅HO₈·4H₂O) that forms a...
  • FerritinFerritin is a protein that stores iron inside cells and releases it when the body needs it. A blood test for f...
  • Ferro-actinoliteFerro-actinolite is an iron-rich mineral in the amphibole family, sitting at the iron-dominant end of the trem...
  • Ferromagnesian AmphiboleFerromagnesian amphiboles are a group of double-chain silicate minerals rich in iron and magnesium that includ...
  • Ferruginous BodiesFerruginous bodies are microscopic structures that form in the lungs when the body coats an inhaled fiber with...
  • Ferruginous bodyA ferruginous body is a microscopic dumbbell- or beaded-shaped structure found in lung tissue, formed when the...
  • FEV1FEV1, or forced expiratory volume in one second, is the amount of air you can forcefully blow out in the first...
  • FEV1/FVC RatioThe FEV1/FVC ratio compares how much air a person can blow out in the first second (FEV1) with the total amoun...
  • Fiber-Tissue InterfaceThe fiber-tissue interface is the microscopic boundary where an inhaled asbestos fiber comes into direct conta...
  • Fiber BurdenFiber burden is the quantity of asbestos fibers retained in a person's lung tissue or lymph nodes at a given p...
  • Fiber Burden AnalysisFiber burden analysis is a laboratory test that counts and identifies the asbestos fibers and asbestos bodies...
  • Fiber ClearanceFiber clearance is the body's process of removing inhaled fibers from the lungs, mainly by moving them up the...
  • Fiber CountingFiber counting is a laboratory method for measuring how many asbestos fibers are in a sample of air, usually c...
  • Fiber DimensionsFiber dimensions refer to the length and width (diameter) of asbestos fibers, and the ratio between them (aspe...
  • Fiber DurabilityFiber durability is how well an asbestos fiber resists breaking down or dissolving once it's in the lungs. Amp...
  • Fiber IdentificationFiber identification is the laboratory process of determining whether fibers in a sample are asbestos and, if...
  • Fiberized Bulk DensityFiberized bulk density is the weight per unit volume of an asbestos-containing material after its fibers have...
  • FiberizingFiberizing is the industrial process of breaking raw asbestos rock into the loose, fluffy individual fibers th...
  • Fiber LengthFiber length is simply how long an individual asbestos fiber is, usually measured in micrometers (millionths o...
  • Fiber MorphologyFiber morphology refers to the physical shape and dimensions of a fiber, including its length, width, aspect r...
  • Fiber PotencyFiber potency refers to how strongly a particular type of asbestos fiber causes disease compared with others,...
  • Fiber ReleaseFiber release is the escape of asbestos fibers from a material into the air, where they can be breathed in. It...
  • Fiber SeparationFiber separation is the process by which individual asbestos fibers or fiber bundles break free from an asbest...
  • Fibers per Cubic Centimeter (f/cc)Fibers per cubic centimeter is a unit that measures how many asbestos fibers are present in a given volume of...
  • Fibers Per GramFibers per gram (f/g) is a measurement of how many asbestos fibers are present in a gram of dried lung tissue,...
  • Fiber TransformationFiber transformation refers to the physical and chemical changes asbestos fibers undergo after being inhaled a...
  • Fiber TranslocationFiber translocation is the movement of inhaled asbestos fibers from where they first land in the lungs to othe...
  • Fiber YearA fiber-year (f/cc-year) is the standard unit for cumulative asbestos exposure, calculated by multiplying the...
  • Fibreboard CorporationFibreboard Corporation, earlier Fibreboard Paper Products Corporation, was a San Francisco company whose Pabco...
  • FibrilA fibril is the smallest individual fiber unit within an asbestos bundle. Asbestos minerals, especially chryso...
  • Fibril StructureThe internal arrangement of ultrafine, thread-like sub-fibers (called fibrils) that make up each visible asbes...
  • FibroblastA fibroblast is a connective-tissue cell that builds and maintains the structural scaffolding of organs by pro...
  • FibrogenicFibrogenic means capable of causing the body to lay down scar tissue (fibrosis). When a substance or injury is...
  • FibrosisFibrosis is the buildup of stiff, scar-like connective tissue inside an organ in response to repeated injury o...
  • fibrous antigoriteAntigorite is a serpentine-group mineral that usually forms in flat, platy crystals, but in some geological se...
  • Fibrous HabitA fibrous habit is a mineral's tendency to grow as fibers, crystals much longer than they are wide. All asbest...
  • Fibulin-3Fibulin-3 is a protein made by cells that helps hold tissue scaffolding together. In medicine, it is studied a...
  • FIFO Processing QueueThe FIFO processing queue is the line in which an asbestos bankruptcy trust reviews claims: first in, first ou...
  • Filter padA filter pad is a disc or sheet of porous material, historically made with asbestos fibers, used to clarify, s...
  • Fine-Needle AspirationFine-needle aspiration is a biopsy that uses a very thin needle to draw out cells from a lump, lymph node or f...
  • Finska Mineral AbFinska Mineral Ab was a Finnish mining company that operated the Paakkila and other anthophyllite asbestos min...
  • Fire DoorA fire door is a door built to resist fire for a rated time, used in stairwells, boiler rooms, corridors and b...
  • First, Melvin W.Melvin W. First (1914–2010) was an American industrial hygienist and Harvard School of Public Health professor...
  • First-line TherapyFirst-line therapy is the initial, preferred treatment a doctor recommends for a newly diagnosed disease based...
  • Fissure InvolvementFissure involvement refers to the spread of disease, most often tumor or thickened pleura, into the natural cl...
  • Fleischer-Drinker StudyThe Fleischer-Drinker Study was a 1946 industrial hygiene investigation of asbestos pipe-covering insulation w...
  • FlexibilityFlexibility is the ability of a fiber to bend repeatedly without breaking. Among asbestos minerals, flexibilit...
  • Flexitallic Gasket CompanyFlexitallic Gasket Company of Camden, New Jersey, made spiral-wound metal gaskets for pipe flanges and other i...
  • FlintkoteThe Flintkote Company was an American roofing and building-products maker that made or sold asbestos roof coat...
  • Fluffers"Fluffers" was the informal nickname for the (almost always female) workers in the London Underground who clea...
  • Fluid CytologyFluid cytology is a laboratory test in which fluid drained from a body cavity, most often the chest (pleural f...
  • Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH)FISH is a laboratory test that uses fluorescent DNA probes to detect specific genetic changes inside cells und...
  • fluoro-edeniteFluoro-edenite is a fibrous amphibole mineral, similar in structure to other asbestos-type amphiboles, that oc...
  • Fluorouracil (5-FU)Fluorouracil, known as 5-FU, is a chemotherapy drug that interferes with cancer cells' ability to make DNA and...
  • FOLFIRI (5-FU, Leucovorin, and Irinotecan)FOLFIRI is a combination chemotherapy regimen built from three drugs: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin (folin...
  • FOLFOXFOLFOX is a combination chemotherapy regimen built from three drugs: folinic acid (leucovorin), 5-fluorouracil...
  • Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company, the Detroit automaker, appears in our library as a buyer and user of asbestos: Johns-Manvi...
  • ForeseeabilityForeseeability is a legal concept that asks whether a reasonable company or person should have anticipated tha...
  • ForsteriteForsterite is a magnesium-rich silicate mineral in the olivine group, with the chemical formula Mg₂SiO₄. It is...
  • Forty-Eight Insulations, Inc.Forty-Eight Insulations, Inc., of Aurora, Illinois, made asbestos-containing insulating cements and block for...
  • Forum Non ConveniensForum non conveniens is a legal doctrine that lets a court dismiss or transfer a lawsuit when it decides anoth...
  • Foundry Sand AdditiveA foundry sand additive is any material mixed into molding or core sand at a metal-casting foundry to improve...
  • Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety ActThe Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act is a 2016 federal law that overhauled the Tox...
  • Fraudulent ConcealmentFraudulent concealment is the wrongful act of hiding important facts that someone had a duty to disclose, in o...
  • Fraudulent MisrepresentationFraudulent misrepresentation is a claim that a party made a false statement of fact that it knew was false, or...
  • Free filterabilityFree filterability refers to how readily asbestos fibers in a product or material can be released into the air...
  • Frequency, Regularity, Proximity TestThe frequency, regularity, proximity test is a standard many courts use to decide whether a plaintiff's exposu...
  • FriableFriable describes a material that can be crumbled, pulverized, or reduced to powder by hand pressure when dry....
  • Friction ProductsFriction products are parts designed to create controlled resistance, mainly vehicle brake linings, brake pads...
  • Frozen SectionA frozen section is a quick diagnosis made during surgery: the pathologist freezes a piece of tissue, cuts a t...
  • Frustrated PhagocytosisFrustrated phagocytosis is what happens when an immune cell called a macrophage tries to engulf and destroy a...
  • Frye StandardThe Frye standard is a rule some courts use to decide whether expert scientific testimony can be admitted. Und...
  • Furfuryl Alcohol ResinFurfuryl alcohol resin is a heat-curable plastic-like binder made from furfuryl alcohol, a chemical derived fr...
  • Future Claimants' RepresentativeA Future Claimants' Representative is a person appointed by the bankruptcy court to protect people who have be...
  • FVCFVC stands for Forced Vital Capacity, the total volume of air you can blow out as hard and as fast as possible...

G

  • GAF CorporationGAF Corporation, earlier General Aniline & Film Corporation, was a chemical and photographic company that took...
  • Galinpepimut-S (WT1)Galinpepimut-S is an investigational cancer vaccine that trains the immune system to recognize and attack cell...
  • Gallatin GatewayGallatin Gateway is a small unincorporated community in Gallatin County, Montana, located southwest of Bozeman...
  • Gardner LetterThe Gardner Letter is a 1935 letter from Dr. Leroy U. Gardner of the Saranac Laboratory to Raybestos-Manhattan...
  • GarlockGarlock, founded as the Garlock Packing Company of Palmyra, New York, made mechanical packings, gaskets and ga...
  • Garlock Sealing Technologies TrustThe Garlock Sealing Technologies Trust is a bankruptcy-created trust established to pay asbestos personal inju...
  • GasketA gasket is a seal placed between two joined surfaces, such as pipe flanges or engine parts, to prevent leaks...
  • GATA3GATA3 is a protein that pathologists stain for in tissue samples, using a test called immunohistochemistry. It...
  • GefcoGefco refers to General Engineering & Foundry Company, an industrial supplier whose name appears in asbestos l...
  • GemcitabineGemcitabine is an intravenous chemotherapy drug that interferes with cancer cells' ability to copy their DNA,...
  • GencorGencor (General Mining Union Corporation) was a major South African mining conglomerate that owned and operate...
  • General CausationGeneral causation is the question of whether a substance is capable of causing a particular disease in people...
  • General Electric CompanyThe General Electric Company, the American electrical manufacturer, used asbestos in wire and cable insulation...
  • General Maritime LawGeneral maritime law is the body of federal, mostly judge-made law that governs injuries and other disputes co...
  • Genetic CounselingGenetic counseling is a consultation with a trained genetic counselor or medical geneticist who explains what...
  • GenotoxicityGenotoxicity is the ability of a substance to damage the genetic material inside cells, meaning DNA and chromo...
  • Genuine Issue of Material FactA genuine issue of material fact is a real, evidence-backed disagreement about a fact that could change the ou...
  • Georgia-PacificGeorgia-Pacific, a forest products company, entered the asbestos business when it took over the Bestwall Gypsu...
  • Germ Cell TumorA germ cell tumor is a growth that arises from the cells that normally develop into eggs or sperm. These tumor...
  • Germline MutationA germline mutation is a gene change inherited from a parent, or present from conception, that is found in eve...
  • Gibson-HomansGibson-Homans was an Ohio-based maker of roof coatings, roof cements and foundation coatings, sold under names...
  • GilsoniteGilsonite is a naturally occurring solid hydrocarbon (a type of asphaltite) mined primarily in the Uintah Basi...
  • GlovebagA glovebag is a clear plastic bag with built-in gloves that is sealed around a small section of pipe or fittin...
  • GLUT1GLUT1 (Glucose Transporter 1) is a protein on the surface of cells that moves glucose (sugar) from the bloodst...
  • Glutathione (GSH)Glutathione is a small molecule (a tripeptide made of three amino acids: glutamate, cysteine, and glycine) tha...
  • GlycoproteinA glycoprotein is a protein that has sugar molecules (called glycans) attached to it. These molecules sit on t...
  • Goals of CareGoals of care are the personal priorities, values, and treatment preferences that guide medical decisions duri...
  • GoethiteGoethite is a common iron oxyhydroxide mineral (FeO(OH)) that forms a yellow-brown coating on many natural mat...
  • Goniometric MeasurementGoniometric measurement is the use of a goniometer, an instrument that measures angles, to determine the preci...
  • Gouverneur TalcGouverneur talc is industrial talc mined from the Gouverneur mining district in St. Lawrence County, in upstat...
  • Gouverneur Talc DistrictThe Gouverneur Talc District is a talc-mining region in St. Lawrence County, northern New York, that produced...
  • Government Contractor DefenseA legal defense in which a company sued for a defective product argues it should not be held liable because it...
  • Grant Wilson, Inc.Grant Wilson, Inc. was a Chicago insulation firm founded in 1930 by Grant V. Wilson, who had been a vice presi...
  • GranulomaA granuloma is a tiny, organized cluster of immune cells that forms when the body tries to wall off something...
  • Gravimetric ReductionGravimetric reduction is a lab preparation that removes most of a sample's binder or matrix before it is exami...
  • Great DykeThe Great Dyke is a long, narrow geological intrusion running roughly north-south through Zimbabwe for about 5...
  • Great Oxygenation EventThe Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) was a profound shift in Earth's atmosphere and oceans roughly 2.4 billion ye...
  • Greenschist FaciesGreenschist facies is a category of metamorphic rock formed under relatively low-temperature and low-pressure...
  • Gross NegligenceGross negligence is conduct that goes far beyond ordinary carelessness. It is an extreme departure from the st...
  • Ground-Glass OpacityA ground-glass opacity is a hazy gray area on a CT scan of the lungs, through which the blood vessels and airw...
  • Group 7 ShortsGroup 7 Shorts is a historical commercial grade designation for short-fiber chrysotile asbestos under the Queb...
  • GruneriteGrunerite is an iron-rich silicate mineral in the amphibole group. When it grows in long, thin, flexible fiber...
  • G→T TransversionA G→T transversion is a specific type of DNA mutation in which a guanine (G) base is replaced by a thymine (T)...

H

  • H-60 maskThe H-60 was an early industrial respirator mask used by workers in dusty trades, including asbestos-related i...
  • H-64 maskThe H-64 was a half-mask cartridge respirator made by Mine Safety Appliances (MSA) and widely issued from the...
  • H. H. Robertson CompanyThe H. H. Robertson Company of Pittsburgh made Asbestos Protected Metal, steel roofing and siding sheets coate...
  • H. K. Porter CompanyH. K. Porter Company, Inc. was a diversified Pittsburgh manufacturer that became a maker of asbestos textiles...
  • HabitIn mineralogy, "habit" refers to the characteristic shape or external form that a mineral takes when it crysta...
  • Hamersley RangeThe Hamersley Range is a mountain range in the Pilbara region of Western Australia that hosted the world's pri...
  • Hammer-Mill FiberizingHammer-mill fiberizing is an industrial process in which raw asbestos ore or fibrous mineral chunks are crushe...
  • Hand-cobbed fiberHand-cobbed fiber is asbestos that has been separated from its host rock by workers using hand tools (typicall...
  • Hardness (Mohs Scale)The Mohs scale is a 1-to-10 ranking that compares minerals by which one can scratch another, with talc at 1 an...
  • Haveg 41Haveg 41 was the phenolic-resin grade of Haveg, the acid-resistant asbestos-and-resin material that the Haveg...
  • Haveg 60Haveg 60 is the name of a grade of Haveg, the acid-resistant asbestos-and-resin material that the Haveg Corpor...
  • Haveg CorporationHaveg Corporation, later Haveg Industries, was a Delaware company that molded acid-resistant chemical-plant eq...
  • Havelock Asbestos MinesThe Havelock Asbestos Mines were a large chrysotile asbestos mining and milling operation in the Bulembu area...
  • Hazard RatioA hazard ratio (HR) is a number from a statistical study that compares the rate at which an event, like develo...
  • HBME-1HBME-1 (Hector Battifora Mesothelial epitope-1) is an antibody used in immunohistochemistry, a laboratory tech...
  • Healthy Worker EffectThe healthy worker effect is a bias in occupational studies: workers as a group tend to be healthier than the...
  • Hearsay ExceptionA hearsay exception is a rule that lets certain out-of-court statements be used as evidence in court, even tho...
  • Hedman Mines LimitedHedman Mines Limited was a small Canadian company that mined short-fiber chrysotile asbestos from an open pit...
  • HEG1HEG1 is a protein on the surface of mesothelial cells that pathologists can stain for in tissue samples. A spe...
  • Helsinki CriteriaThe Helsinki Criteria are an internationally recognized set of guidelines used to determine whether a person's...
  • HematiteHematite is a common iron oxide mineral (Fe₂O₃) that is the world's primary ore of iron, ranging in color from...
  • Hematogenous SpreadHematogenous spread is the movement of cancer cells from a tumor into the bloodstream, where they travel to di...
  • Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) StainHematoxylin and eosin, or H&E, is the standard stain used on almost every tissue slide. Hematoxylin colors cel...
  • HemiscrotectomyHemiscrotectomy is the surgical removal of one half of the scrotum, typically performed along with removal of...
  • HemithoraxA hemithorax is one side, either left or right, of the chest cavity. Each hemithorax contains a lung, its pleu...
  • HemoptysisHemoptysis is the coughing up of blood or blood-streaked mucus that originates from the lungs or airways. It c...
  • HemothoraxHemothorax is the buildup of blood in the pleural space, the thin gap between the lung and the chest wall. Eve...
  • HER2HER2 (Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2) is a protein found on the surface of cells that signals them t...
  • Heterologous ElementsHeterologous elements are areas inside a tumor that look like a different tissue, such as bone, cartilage or m...
  • High-Power FieldA high-power field (HPF) is the area of a microscope slide visible at the highest routine magnification, typic...
  • High-Resolution CT (HRCT)High-resolution CT (HRCT) is a specialized CT scan that produces very detailed, thin-slice images of the lungs...
  • High-Volume CenterA high-volume center is a hospital or cancer program that treats a large number of patients with a specific di...
  • High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1)HMGB1 is a protein normally found inside the nucleus of cells, where it helps organize DNA. When cells are inj...
  • Hilar Lymph NodesHilar lymph nodes are clusters of small immune-system glands located at the hilum of each lung, the central ar...
  • HilumThe hilum is the central region on the inner surface of each lung where the main bronchus, pulmonary arteries...
  • HIPECHIPEC stands for Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy. It is a procedure in which heated chemotherapy dru...
  • Hippo Signaling PathwayThe Hippo pathway is a network of proteins inside cells that controls when cells grow, divide, and die. It act...
  • Hippy MineThe Hippy Mine is a small chrysotile asbestos prospect located in the Belvidere Mountain area of northern Verm...
  • Histological SubtypeHistological subtype refers to the category a tumor is placed in based on how its cells look under a microscop...
  • HistologyHistology is the study of tissues under a microscope. A pathologist examines thin, stained slices of tissue, u...
  • Histology-AgnosticHistology-agnostic refers to medical decisions, drug approvals, or treatment approaches that are based on a tu...
  • HistopathologyHistopathology is the study of diseased tissue under a microscope to diagnose illness. A pathologist examines...
  • Hodgson-Darnton 2000Hodgson-Darnton 2000 is a landmark quantitative risk assessment published by British researchers Julian Hodgso...
  • Hollingsworth & VoseHollingsworth & Vose (H&V) is a Massachusetts-based paper and specialty fiber manufacturer founded in 1843. Fr...
  • Hollowing EffectThe hollowing effect describes the appearance of one side of the chest that has become contracted and immobile...
  • Holmes Insulations LimitedHolmes Insulations Limited was a Canadian insulation maker based in Sarnia, Ontario, formed when Holmes Blunt...
  • Homestake Gold MineThe Homestake Gold Mine was a deep underground gold mine in Lead, South Dakota, operated from 1876 until its c...
  • Homozygous DeletionA homozygous deletion is the loss of both copies of a specific gene or DNA region, one inherited from each par...
  • HoneycombingHoneycombing describes a pattern, seen on chest CT scans or in lung tissue, where destroyed and scarred lung t...
  • HornblendeHornblende is a common dark-colored mineral in the amphibole family, the same broad mineral group that include...
  • Horner SyndromeHorner syndrome is a set of signs on one side of the face: a drooping upper eyelid, a smaller pupil and less s...
  • HospiceHospice is a type of specialized care focused on comfort, dignity, and quality of life for people with a termi...
  • Host MatrixThe host matrix is the surrounding rock or geological material that contains asbestos fibers, for example, the...
  • HRTEMHRTEM stands for High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, a powerful imaging technique that uses a fo...
  • Huxley Development CorporationHuxley Development Corporation is a corporate entity that has appeared as a named defendant or successor party...
  • Hyaluronic AcidHyaluronic acid is a large sugar-based molecule (a glycosaminoglycan) that helps hold tissues together and kee...
  • HydroceleA hydrocele is a collection of fluid between the layers of the tunica vaginalis, the thin membrane surrounding...
  • HydrocelectomyHydrocelectomy is a surgical procedure to remove or drain a hydrocele, a collection of fluid that builds up ar...
  • Hydrothermal AlterationHydrothermal alteration is the change in a rock's minerals caused by hot, mineral-laden water moving through c...
  • Hydroxyl GroupA hydroxyl group is a chemical unit made of one oxygen atom bonded to one hydrogen atom (written as -OH). It i...
  • Hydroxyl RadicalThe hydroxyl radical (•OH) is one of the most reactive chemical species known in biology, an oxygen-hydrogen m...
  • Hypertrophic Pulmonary Osteoarthropathy (HPOA)HPOA is a syndrome in which the fingers and toes become clubbed, the long bones (often in the wrists, ankles,...
  • HypoxiaHypoxia is a state in which the body's tissues are not receiving enough oxygen to function normally. It can af...

I

  • Iapetus OceanThe Iapetus Ocean was an ancient sea that existed roughly 600 to 400 million years ago between the early conti...
  • IARCIARC is the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization, headquartered in Lyon, France. It is best kn...
  • IARC ClassificationThe IARC classification is a system used by the International Agency for Research on Cancer to rank how strong...
  • IASLCIASLC stands for the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, a global nonprofit organization o...
  • ICD-10 Code C45C45 is the code for mesothelioma in the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases,...
  • IdiopathicIdiopathic means a disease or condition that arises spontaneously or from an unknown cause. When doctors label...
  • Idiopathic MesotheliomaIdiopathic mesothelioma refers to a case of mesothelioma in which no clear cause, including asbestos exposure,...
  • ILO ClassificationThe ILO Classification is a standardized system for reading and grading chest X-rays for signs of pneumoconios...
  • IMIGIMIG stands for the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, a global professional organization of physician...
  • Immune-Related Adverse EventsImmune-related adverse events are side effects caused when immunotherapy drugs, such as nivolumab and ipilimum...
  • ImmunohistochemistryImmunohistochemistry (IHC) is a laboratory technique that uses antibodies tagged with a colored stain to detec...
  • ImmunotherapyImmunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps the body's own immune system find and attack cancer cel...
  • Impairment RatingAn impairment rating is a doctor's measurement of how much a disease or injury has reduced a person's body fun...
  • Inactive DocketAn inactive docket is a court program that sets aside asbestos cases filed by people who have been exposed, or...
  • IncidenceIncidence is the number of new cases of a disease that arise in a group of people over a set period, usually e...
  • IncombustibilityIncombustibility is the property of a material that will not ignite, burn, or sustain a flame when exposed to...
  • IND.227 TrialIND.227 was an international randomized phase II/III clinical trial that tested whether adding the immunothera...
  • Index FibersIndex fibers are reference asbestos fibers (well-characterized samples of known mineral type, size, and origin...
  • Indirect-Transfer MethodThe indirect-transfer method is a laboratory preparation technique used in transmission electron microscopy (T...
  • Individual ReviewIndividual review is the slower, evidence-intensive way an asbestos bankruptcy trust can evaluate a claim, loo...
  • Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS)Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is an enzyme that immune cells produce when they are activated by infec...
  • Industrial HygieneIndustrial hygiene is the professional practice of recognizing, measuring, and controlling health hazards in t...
  • Industrial Hygiene SamplingIndustrial hygiene sampling is the practice of measuring how much of a hazard, like asbestos fibers, is in the...
  • Industrial Minerals CorporationIndustrial Minerals Corporation, commonly known as IMV or Mineral Pigment Industries, was a U.S. minerals comp...
  • Industrial TalcIndustrial talc is a grade of talc mined and processed for use in manufacturing (including ceramics, paint, pa...
  • Indwelling Pleural CatheterAn indwelling pleural catheter (IPC) is a thin, flexible tube placed through the chest wall so fluid around th...
  • InflammationInflammation is the body's natural response to injury, infection, or irritation, involving immune cells, chemi...
  • Informed ConsentInformed consent is the process of being given, and understanding, the material facts, risks, benefits, and al...
  • Infrared Spectroscopy (IR)Infrared spectroscopy is a laboratory technique that identifies materials by shining infrared light through or...
  • Inguinal CanalThe inguinal canal is a short passageway in the lower abdominal wall, located in the groin, that runs from ins...
  • Inguinal HerniaAn inguinal hernia is a bulge that occurs when part of the intestine or abdominal tissue pushes through a weak...
  • InosilicatesInosilicates are a major class of silicate minerals built from chains of linked silicon-oxygen tetrahedra. Dep...
  • Insul-Coustic CorporationInsul-Coustic made coatings, mastics, adhesives and other accessories for thermal insulation, first at Maspeth...
  • InsulatorAn insulator is a tradesperson who installs and removes thermal insulation on pipes, boilers, ducts, and indus...
  • Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a form of external-beam radiation in which computer-controlled...
  • Intentional Tort ExceptionThe intentional tort exception is a narrow way around the workers' compensation exclusive remedy rule. In stat...
  • Inter-Laboratory VariabilityInter-laboratory variability refers to differences in test results when the same sample, or similar samples, a...
  • Interaortocaval Lymph NodesThe interaortocaval lymph nodes are a group of lymph nodes located deep in the back of the abdomen, in the spa...
  • InterleukinsInterleukins are signaling proteins (a type of cytokine) released by white blood cells and other cells to coor...
  • Interlocutory AppealAn interlocutory appeal is a request for a higher court to review a specific ruling made by the trial judge be...
  • International Mesothelioma ProgramThe International Mesothelioma Program (IMP) is a comprehensive clinical and research program based at Brigham...
  • International Mineralogical Association (IMA)The International Mineralogical Association is the global scientific body that officially names, defines, and...
  • InterrogatoriesInterrogatories are written questions that one side in a lawsuit sends to the other side, which must be answer...
  • InterstitialInterstitial refers to the supporting tissue and tiny spaces that lie between the functional cells of an organ...
  • Interstitial FibrosisInterstitial fibrosis is scarring of the interstitium, the thin web of tissue between the lung's air sacs wher...
  • Interstitial Lung DiseaseInterstitial lung disease (ILD) is a broad group of conditions that cause scarring and inflammation in the int...
  • Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT)Intraoperative radiation therapy is a single, concentrated dose of radiation delivered directly to a tumor bed...
  • intraperitoneal injection studyAn intraperitoneal injection study is an experimental method in which researchers inject test fibers (such as...
  • Intraperitoneal Maintenance TherapyIntraperitoneal maintenance therapy is the ongoing delivery of chemotherapy directly into the abdominal cavity...
  • IntrathoracicIntrathoracic means "inside the chest cavity," the space enclosed by the rib cage that contains the lungs, the...
  • Ipilimumab (Yervoy)Ipilimumab is an immunotherapy drug that helps the immune system attack cancer by blocking a protein on T cell...
  • Ipsilateral pleuraThe pleural lining on the same side of the chest as another structure, finding, or disease being discussed. Fo...
  • Iron AcquisitionIron acquisition is the process by which asbestos fibers attract, bind, and accumulate iron atoms on their sur...
  • Iron RangeThe Iron Range is a region in northeastern Minnesota where iron ore, primarily taconite, has been mined and pr...
  • Iron Stain (Prussian Blue)The iron stain, also called Prussian blue or Perls' stain, turns iron in tissue bright blue. Because asbestos...
  • ISO 10312ISO 10312 is an international laboratory standard that describes how to count and identify asbestos fibers in...
  • ISO 13794ISO 13794 is an international standard that specifies a method for measuring asbestos fibers in ambient (outdo...
  • ISO 22262ISO 22262 is an international standard, published in several parts, for sampling and analyzing asbestos in com...
  • IsogradeAn isograde is a line on a geological map that marks where rocks have reached the same grade, or intensity, of...

J

  • J. P. Stevens & Co.J. P. Stevens & Co. was a large American textile maker. In an account an insurer compiled in 1980, it said it...
  • Jefferson CountyJefferson County refers most often in asbestos litigation to Jefferson County, Texas, home to the heavy-indust...
  • Jeffrey MineThe Jeffrey Mine was a vast open-pit chrysotile asbestos mine located in Asbestos (now Val-des-Sources), Quebe...
  • Jenkins MineThe Jenkins Mine was a chrysotile asbestos mine located in northern Vermont, part of the Belvidere Mountain as...
  • John Crane Inc.John Crane Inc. is a manufacturer of industrial sealing products, including mechanical seals, gaskets, and pac...
  • Johns-ManvilleJohns-Manville was once the largest manufacturer and supplier of asbestos-containing products in the United St...
  • Joint and Several LiabilityA rule that lets a plaintiff collect the full amount of a damages award from any one defendant who was found l...
  • Joint CompoundJoint compound is the paste used to seal seams and cover nail heads between sheets of drywall, then sanded smo...
  • Jones ActThe Jones Act (formally the Merchant Marine Act of 1920) is a federal law that lets seamen who are injured in...
  • Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict (JNOV)A judgment notwithstanding the verdict is a ruling by the trial judge, after a jury verdict, that enters judgm...
  • JurisdictionJurisdiction is a court's legal authority to hear a case and make decisions that bind the parties. It includes...
  • Jury InstructionA jury instruction is the set of directions a judge reads to the jury before they begin deliberating, explaini...

K

  • Kaiser Gypsum CompanyKaiser Gypsum Company was a maker of gypsum wallboard products that, by its own account, made asbestos-contain...
  • Kaiser Gypsum TrustThe Kaiser Gypsum Trust is a court-supervised asbestos personal injury settlement trust created in 2021 to pay...
  • Kaplan-Meier CurveA Kaplan-Meier curve is a graph that shows the proportion of a group of patients still surviving over time aft...
  • KarainKarain is a small village in the Cappadocia region of central Turkey that became internationally known for an...
  • Karjalainen 1994Karjalainen 1994 refers to a Finnish epidemiological study led by Antti Karjalainen and colleagues that examin...
  • KayloKaylo was a brand of high-temperature calcium silicate thermal insulation made with asbestos, used widely to i...
  • Keasbey & Mattison CompanyKeasbey & Mattison Company of Ambler, Pennsylvania, dated its start to 1873 and made 85% magnesia pipe coverin...
  • Keene CorporationKeene Corporation was a company based in New York that bought the insulation maker Baldwin-Ehret-Hill in 1968...
  • Kent cigarettesKent cigarettes were a brand sold by Lorillard Tobacco Company that, from 1952 to 1956, used a filter called t...
  • Kentile FloorsKentile Floors, Inc., of Brooklyn, New York, was one of the largest American makers of asphalt and vinyl asbes...
  • Ki-67Ki-67 is a protein found in cells that are actively dividing, and pathologists measure it to gauge how fast a...
  • Kiembay CombineThe Kiembay Combine (also spelled Kiembai or Kiyembay) is a large chrysotile asbestos mining and milling compl...
  • KimberleyKimberley is a remote region in the far north of Western Australia closely associated with the nearby Wittenoo...
  • Kiviluoto 1960Kiviluoto 1960 refers to a landmark Finnish radiological study by Dr. Raimo Kiviluoto that documented pleural...
  • Klaproth, Martin HeinrichMartin Heinrich Klaproth (1743–1817) was a German chemist and one of the founders of modern analytical chemist...
  • Koppers CompanyKoppers Company, Inc., of Pittsburgh, made coal-tar products, chemicals and plastics. In asbestos history it a...
  • KRAS G12CKRAS G12C is a specific mutation in the KRAS gene in which the building block glycine is swapped for cysteine...
  • Kuruman districtThe Kuruman district is a region in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa that contains some of the world...

L

  • Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH)Lactate dehydrogenase is an enzyme found inside almost every cell in the body that helps convert sugar into en...
  • LaparotomyA laparotomy is a surgery in which a doctor makes a long incision through the abdominal wall to see and operat...
  • Laryngeal CancerLaryngeal cancer is cancer of the larynx, the voice box at the top of the windpipe. Asbestos is a recognized c...
  • LaryngoscopyLaryngoscopy is a procedure that lets a doctor look directly at the larynx (voice box) and surrounding throat...
  • Last Injurious Exposure RuleThe last injurious exposure rule is a workers' compensation rule for occupational diseases that places the who...
  • LatencyLatency is the time between when a person was first exposed to asbestos and when an asbestos-related disease b...
  • Lattice FringeA lattice fringe is the pattern of parallel lines seen in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (...
  • LDH ReleaseLDH release refers to the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an enzyme normally kept inside cells, into s...
  • Learned Intermediary DoctrineA legal rule that lets a manufacturer satisfy its duty to warn end users by warning a knowledgeable middle par...
  • Learned TreatiseA learned treatise is a published text, journal article or similar work recognized as a reliable authority in...
  • Leroy GardnerDr. Leroy U. Gardner was an American industrial pathologist who directed the Saranac Laboratory from 1927 to 1...
  • Lesion ScoreA lesion score is a numerical rating that pathologists or radiologists assign to describe how extensive or sev...
  • Letters of AdministrationLetters of administration are a court document appointing someone to manage a deceased person's estate, usuall...
  • Lewis H. BrownLewis H. Brown (1894–1951) ran Johns-Manville for more than twenty years, as president from 1929 and as chairm...
  • Libby amphibolesLibby amphiboles are a mixture of asbestiform amphibole minerals (primarily winchite, richterite, and tremolit...
  • Libby Amphibole Toxicity AssessmentThe Libby Amphibole Toxicity Assessment is the U.S. EPA's formal scientific evaluation of the health hazards p...
  • Libby MontanaLibby is a small town in Montana that was the site of a vermiculite mine contaminated with a highly toxic form...
  • Libby VermiculiteLibby vermiculite is a vermiculite ore mined near Libby, Montana, that was heavily contaminated with a toxic f...
  • Liberty ShipLiberty ships were a class of mass-produced cargo vessels built in the United States during World War II to tr...
  • LienA lien is a legal claim against money or property to secure repayment of a debt. In asbestos cases, health ins...
  • Life ExpectancyLife expectancy is an estimate of how much longer a person is likely to live, based on their age, health, and...
  • Light's CriteriaLight's criteria are a set of laboratory rules doctors use to tell what kind of fluid has built up around the...
  • Linear No-Threshold Model (LNT)The linear no-threshold model assumes that cancer risk rises in a straight line with dose, all the way down to...
  • Linum vivumLinum vivum is a Latin phrase meaning "living flax," used by Roman and later medieval writers to describe asbe...
  • Liquid BiopsyA liquid biopsy is a test that looks for traces of cancer in a body fluid, usually blood, instead of in a piec...
  • LizarditeLizardite is the most common variety of serpentine mineral, a hydrated magnesium silicate that forms platy (sh...
  • Localized Malignant MesotheliomaLocalized malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of mesothelioma that grows as a single, well-defined mass inst...
  • Lone Pine OrderA Lone Pine order is a case-management order requiring plaintiffs in a mass tort to produce basic evidence of...
  • Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA)The LHWCA is a federal workers' compensation law that pays medical care, disability benefits, and survivor ben...
  • LonrhoLonrho (London and Rhodesian Mining and Land Company) was a British multinational conglomerate that, through i...
  • Loomis 2009Loomis 2009 refers to a landmark cohort study by Dana Loomis and colleagues that examined lung cancer mortalit...
  • Loose Volume WeightLoose volume weight is the mass of a loose, uncompacted material per unit of volume, often expressed in pounds...
  • Lorillard Tobacco CompanyLorillard Tobacco Company was a major American cigarette manufacturer best known in the asbestos context for p...
  • Loss of ConsortiumLoss of consortium is a legal claim brought by the spouse (and in some states, a child or parent) of an injure...
  • Low-Dose CT ScreeningLow-dose CT screening is a yearly CT scan of the chest, using much less radiation than a standard diagnostic C...
  • Low-Molecular-Weight Iron PoolThe low-molecular-weight iron pool (also called the labile iron pool) is a small fraction of iron inside cells...
  • Low-Temperature AshingLow-temperature ashing is a laboratory technique that uses a stream of chemically reactive oxygen plasma to sl...
  • Lubbe v. Cape plcLubbe v. Cape plc was a landmark House of Lords decision in 2000 that let thousands of South African workers a...
  • Lung-RADSLung-RADS is the scoring system radiologists use to report lung cancer screening CT scans. Each scan gets a ca...
  • Lung AdenocarcinomaLung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of non-small cell lung cancer. It begins in the glandular cells th...
  • Lung CancerLung cancer is a malignant tumor that starts in the tissue of the lungs. Asbestos is a proven cause of lung ca...
  • Lung Lining FluidLung lining fluid is the thin layer of liquid between the two membranes (the pleura) covering the lungs and li...
  • Lung TransplantA lung transplant replaces one or both diseased lungs with donor lungs. It is a last-resort treatment for end-...
  • LusterLuster is the way a mineral's surface reflects light. Mineralogists describe it with terms like metallic, vitr...
  • LutoLuto was a pliable, paste-like sealing and insulating material historically used to pack joints, seams, and op...
  • LymphadenopathyLymphadenopathy means swollen or enlarged lymph nodes, the small glands that are part of the body's immune sys...
  • Lymphatic TransportLymphatic transport is the movement of fluid, immune cells, and foreign particles through the body's lymphatic...
  • LymphohistiocytoidLymphohistiocytoid mesothelioma is a rare variant of malignant mesothelioma in which the tumor is heavily infi...

M

  • M1/M2/M3 PositionsM1, M2, and M3 refer to specific cation (metal ion) sites within the crystal structure of amphibole minerals,...
  • M4 PositionThe M4 position refers to a specific atomic site within the crystal structure of amphibole minerals, including...
  • Machinist's MateA Machinist's Mate is a U.S. Navy enlisted rating responsible for operating and maintaining a ship's propulsio...
  • MacrophageA macrophage is a large white blood cell of the innate immune system that surrounds and digests foreign partic...
  • MagcobarMagcobar was the drilling-mud division of Dresser Industries, based in Houston. Union Carbide's papers show th...
  • Magnesio-arfvedsoniteMagnesio-arfvedsonite is a sodium-rich amphibole mineral, the magnesium-dominant member of the arfvedsonite se...
  • MagnesioriebeckiteMagnesioriebeckite is a sodium-bearing amphibole mineral in the riebeckite series, the magnesium-rich counterp...
  • Magnesium-Iron AmphiboleMagnesium-iron amphiboles are a family of double-chain silicate minerals whose composition is dominated by mag...
  • Maintenance and CureMaintenance and Cure is a no-fault maritime obligation requiring a shipowner or employer to pay a seaman's dai...
  • MalignantMalignant describes a tumor or disease process in which abnormal cells grow without normal limits, invade near...
  • Malignant MesotheliomaMalignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that forms in the mesothelium, the thin lining that covers the...
  • Malignant TransformationMalignant transformation is the process by which a normal cell gradually changes into a cancer cell after accu...
  • Manufacturing DefectA manufacturing defect is a flaw that occurs when a specific product comes off the production line different f...
  • Manville Stockton plantThe Manville Stockton plant was a Johns-Manville Corporation manufacturing facility in Stockton, California, t...
  • Manville TrustThe Manville Trust, formally the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust, is the trust created in Johns-Manv...
  • Manville Trust Distribution ProceduresThe Manville Trust Distribution Procedures (TDP) are the formal rules that govern how the Manville Personal In...
  • Marchand, PaulPaul Marchand was an early 20th-century French pathologist whose observations of fibrous bodies in the lungs o...
  • Maremont CorporationMaremont Corporation, through its Grizzly Brake Division, made asbestos brake linings, sold mainly as replacem...
  • Marine SheathingMarine sheathing refers to the protective layers of insulation, lagging, and cladding installed on pipes, bulk...
  • MariniteMarinite is a brand name for a family of rigid, high-density insulating boards manufactured by Johns-Manville...
  • Market Share LiabilityMarket share liability is a legal theory that lets an injured person recover damages from a group of manufactu...
  • Marra Mamba Iron FormationThe Marra Mamba Iron Formation is a banded iron formation (BIF) in the Hamersley Range of Western Australia, m...
  • MARS 2 TrialThe MARS 2 Trial (Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery 2) was a UK-based randomized clinical trial that compared e...
  • Martin LetterThe Martin Letter is a 1949 internal Johns-Manville correspondence that, along with other documents in the Sum...
  • Mashaba MineThe Mashaba (Mashava) Mine is a chrysotile asbestos mine in south-central Zimbabwe that was one of Africa's la...
  • Mass-FiberMass-fiber refers to bulk, visibly fibrous forms of asbestos that occur as compact bundles or veins of long, s...
  • Mass TortA mass tort is a type of litigation in which many individuals, sometimes thousands, bring separate but related...
  • Mastic TileMastic tile refers to floor tiles, most commonly asphalt-asbestos tile and later vinyl-asbestos tile, that wer...
  • MAT2A InhibitorA MAT2A inhibitor is a type of targeted cancer drug that blocks the enzyme methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (...
  • Material FactA material fact is a piece of information important enough that it could change how a judge or jury decides a...
  • MatsubaseMatsubase is the name of a historic chrysotile asbestos mine and surrounding deposit located in Kumamoto Prefe...
  • MD Anderson Cancer CenterThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Canc...
  • M DescriptorThe M descriptor is the part of the TNM cancer staging system that indicates whether a cancer has spread (meta...
  • Mechanical beatingMechanical beating is an industrial process in which raw asbestos fiber bundles are physically pounded, agitat...
  • Mechanism of CarcinogenesisMechanism of carcinogenesis refers to the step-by-step biological process by which a normal cell becomes cance...
  • Median Overall SurvivalMedian overall survival (mOS) is the length of time at which half of the patients in a study are still alive a...
  • Median SurvivalMedian survival is the length of time at which exactly half of a group of patients with a given disease are st...
  • Mediastinal Lymph NodesMediastinal lymph nodes are small immune-system glands located in the mediastinum, the central compartment of...
  • Mediastinal StructuresMediastinal structures are the organs and tissues that sit in the mediastinum, the central compartment of the...
  • MediastinoscopyMediastinoscopy is a surgical procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin, lighted scope through a small incisi...
  • MediastinumThe mediastinum is the central compartment of the chest, sitting between the two lungs. It holds the heart, th...
  • Medical CriteriaMedical criteria are the proof of disease that an asbestos bankruptcy trust requires before it will pay a clai...
  • Medical Criteria StatuteA medical criteria statute is a state law that requires a person bringing a nonmalignant asbestos claim, and i...
  • Medical MonitoringMedical monitoring is a remedy that pays for future diagnostic testing for people whose toxic exposure has rai...
  • Medical ThoracoscopyMedical thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure in which a doctor inserts a small camera through the ch...
  • Medicare Secondary Payer ActThe Medicare Secondary Payer Act is a federal law that makes Medicare a secondary payer when another source, s...
  • Medicare Set-AsideA Medicare set-aside is a portion of a settlement reserved to pay for future medical care related to the injur...
  • Melamine FormaldehydeMelamine formaldehyde (MF) is a hard, heat-resistant thermosetting plastic made by reacting melamine with form...
  • Membrane CellA membrane cell is one of three main technologies historically used to produce chlorine and caustic soda from...
  • Membrane Filter MethodThe membrane filter method measures airborne asbestos by pumping air through a thin filter, making the filter...
  • Memorial Sloan KetteringMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is a New York City-based cancer hospital and research institution...
  • Merchant MarineThe Merchant Marine is the fleet of commercial ships that carry cargo and passengers, and the civilian mariner...
  • MerlinMerlin is a tumor-suppressor protein produced by the NF2 gene that helps control cell growth, shape, and conta...
  • Mesabi RangeThe Mesabi Range is a large iron-ore mining district in northeastern Minnesota, the source of much of the taco...
  • Mesenchymal TumorA mesenchymal tumor is a growth that arises from the body's connective or supporting tissues, the cells that f...
  • MesenteryThe mesentery is a continuous fold of peritoneum (the thin membrane lining the abdominal cavity) that attaches...
  • MesodermThe mesoderm is the middle of the three primary tissue layers that form in the early embryo, sitting between t...
  • MESOMARK® AssayThe MESOMARK assay is a blood test that measures soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRP), proteins released...
  • Mesothelial CellsMesothelial cells are the flat, single-layer cells that line the body's internal cavities and cover the organs...
  • MesothelinMesothelin is a protein found on the surface of normal mesothelial cells (the thin lining around the lungs, ab...
  • Mesothelin-Targeted TherapyMesothelin-targeted therapy is a class of experimental cancer treatments that attack tumor cells displaying a...
  • MesotheliomaMesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that arises from the mesothelium, the thin layer of cells that lines the...
  • Mesothelioma ClusterA mesothelioma cluster is an unusually high number of mesothelioma cases occurring in a defined geographic are...
  • Mesothelioma in SituMesothelioma in situ is the earliest recognized form of mesothelioma: a single layer of malignant mesothelial...
  • Mesothelioma MisclassificationMesothelioma misclassification is when a mesothelioma is wrongly identified as another cancer (or vice versa)...
  • Mesothelioma SpecialistA mesothelioma specialist is a doctor with specific expertise in diagnosing and treating mesothelioma, a rare...
  • Mesothelioma StagingMesothelioma staging is the process of describing how far the cancer has spread, from limited disease confined...
  • MesotheliumThe mesothelium is a thin, two-layered membrane of specialized cells that lines the body's major cavities and...
  • MeT-5A CellsMeT-5A is a laboratory cell line of human mesothelial cells, the same type of cells that line the chest and ab...
  • Meta-AnalysisA meta-analysis combines the results of many separate studies on the same question into a single overall estim...
  • Metals Reserve CompanyThe Metals Reserve Company was a U.S. government-owned corporation created during World War II to procure, sto...
  • Metamorphic ProcessA metamorphic process is the geological transformation of existing rock into a new form through heat, pressure...
  • MetamorphismMetamorphism is the process by which existing rock is changed by heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids d...
  • MetasomaticMetasomatic describes a geological process in which a rock's chemical composition is changed by hot, chemicall...
  • MetastasisMetastasis is the process by which cancer cells break away from the original tumor and spread to other parts o...
  • MET exon 14 skippingMET exon 14 skipping is a mutation in the MET gene that causes a section of the gene (exon 14) to be left out...
  • Metsovo LungMetsovo Lung is a regional form of environmental asbestos-related disease first identified in residents of Met...
  • MicaMica is a group of sheet-silicate minerals, such as muscovite, biotite and phlogopite, that split into thin, f...
  • Micro-Ground AnthophylliteMicro-ground anthophyllite refers to anthophyllite asbestos that has been mechanically pulverized or milled in...
  • Micronite filterThe Micronite filter was a cigarette filter used in Kent brand cigarettes from 1952 to 1956 that contained cro...
  • MicronucleiMicronuclei are small, extra packets of DNA that form alongside a cell's main nucleus when chromosomes break o...
  • MicropapillaryMicropapillary is a microscopic growth pattern in which tumor cells form small, finger-like clusters that floa...
  • Microsatellite Instability (MSI-H)Microsatellite instability is a pattern of DNA errors in which short, repeating sequences (microsatellites) be...
  • Microvacuum SamplingMicrovacuum sampling is a way of collecting settled dust from a measured area of a surface by drawing it throu...
  • Midget ImpingerThe midget impinger was the standard instrument for measuring workplace dust from the 1930s into the 1960s. It...
  • Military Specifications (MIL-SPEC)Military specifications, or MIL-SPECs, are detailed standards the U.S. military sets for the materials and pro...
  • MillingtonMillington refers to a community in Morris County, New Jersey that hosted asbestos manufacturing operations du...
  • Million Particles per Cubic Foot (mppcf)Million particles per cubic foot (mppcf) is the unit used to report dust levels before fiber counting replaced...
  • Mineral FiberA mineral fiber is any naturally occurring or processed inorganic crystal that grows in a long, thin, thread-l...
  • Mineral FillerA mineral filler is a finely ground, naturally occurring mineral powder added to a product to increase bulk, i...
  • Mineralogical legibilityMineralogical legibility refers to how clearly and reliably the specific type of asbestos fiber found in a pat...
  • MineralogyMineralogy is the scientific study of minerals, their chemical makeup, crystal structure, physical properties,...
  • Mineral Resources Health Assessment ProgramThe Mineral Resources Health Assessment Program refers to government-led public health screening and surveilla...
  • Mirabelli 2008Mirabelli 2008 refers to a study published by Dario Mirabelli and colleagues in Occupational and Environmental...
  • MisdiagnosisMisdiagnosis occurs when a doctor identifies the wrong condition, or misses a condition a patient actually has...
  • Mismatch Repair Deficiency (dMMR)Mismatch repair deficiency is a breakdown in the cellular system that proofreads DNA after it copies itself. W...
  • Mitomycin CMitomycin C is a chemotherapy drug, originally derived from a soil bacterium, that damages cancer cells' DNA s...
  • Mitotic CountMitotic count is the number of cells actively dividing (in mitosis) that a pathologist sees when examining a t...
  • Mitotic IndexThe mitotic index is a measurement of how many cells in a tumor sample are actively dividing at the moment the...
  • Mixed-Valence IronMixed-valence iron refers to the presence of iron atoms in two different oxidation states, typically ferrous (...
  • Mixed Cellulose Ester FilterA mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filter is a thin, porous membrane made from a blend of cellulose acetate and cel...
  • Mobil Chemical CompanyMobil Chemical Company was the chemical business of the Mobil oil company. Our documents name it as the seller...
  • MOC-31MOC-31 is an antibody used in pathology laboratories to detect a protein called EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesio...
  • Modified RECIST (mRECIST)Modified RECIST (mRECIST) is the standard way of measuring whether pleural mesothelioma is shrinking, stable o...
  • Modulus of RuptureModulus of rupture (MOR) is a measurement of how much bending stress a material can withstand before it breaks...
  • Molecular ProfilingMolecular profiling is laboratory testing that examines the genes, proteins, and other molecules in a tumor to...
  • MonoclinicMonoclinic is one of the seven crystal systems used in mineralogy to classify minerals by the internal symmetr...
  • MonoclonalMonoclonal means "from a single cell origin." In medicine, it usually refers to antibodies or cell populations...
  • Monoclonal AntibodyA monoclonal antibody is a lab-made protein engineered to recognize and bind to one specific target, usually a...
  • MonokoteMonokote is a brand of spray-applied fireproofing material originally manufactured by W.R. Grace & Company and...
  • MonsantoMonsanto, a St. Louis chemical company known until the 1960s as Monsanto Chemical Company, sold Resinox phenol...
  • MontelloMontello, Inc., of Tulsa and Sand Springs, Oklahoma, sold asbestos additives for oil well drilling mud, chiefl...
  • Montgomery Ward & Co.Montgomery Ward & Co. was a Chicago mail-order and retail company. Documents in the library show it selling as...
  • Monticello II ConferenceMonticello II was a 1989 scientific conference (the second in a series held in Monticello, Minnesota) that bro...
  • Motion in LimineA motion in limine is a written request a lawyer files before trial asking the judge to decide, in advance, th...
  • MRIMRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a scan that uses a strong magnet and radio waves, not radiation, to produc...
  • Msauli AsbestosMsauli Asbestos refers to the chrysotile (white asbestos) mine and milling operation at Msauli in the Barberto...
  • MSHAMSHA stands for the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the federal agency that regulates worker safety in...
  • MTAPMTAP (methylthioadenosine phosphorylase) is a gene and its protein, normally present in most cells. In many me...
  • Mucociliary ClearanceMucociliary clearance is the lungs' natural cleaning system. Tiny hair-like structures called cilia line the a...
  • Multi-Institutional SeriesA multi-institutional series is a research study that combines patient data from several hospitals or cancer c...
  • Multicystic Mesothelioma (MCM)Multicystic mesothelioma is a rare tumor of the mesothelium, the thin lining of body cavities, that forms clus...
  • Multidisciplinary TeamA multidisciplinary team (MDT) is a group of medical specialists from different fields who meet together to re...
  • Multidistrict Litigation (MDL)Multidistrict Litigation is a federal court procedure that gathers many separate lawsuits sharing common factu...
  • Multimodal TherapyMultimodal therapy is a coordinated treatment approach that combines two or more types of cancer treatment (ty...
  • Multivariate AnalysisMultivariate analysis is a group of statistical methods that examine the effect of several variables at the sa...
  • Munro mineThe Munro Mine refers to historic chrysotile asbestos mining operations in Munro Township, in the Timmins–Math...
  • Mutational LegacyMutational legacy refers to the lasting pattern of genetic damage left in a person's cells by past exposures,...
  • MyelomaMyeloma, usually called multiple myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that lives i...
  • Myxoid StromaMyxoid stroma is a soft, gel-like background material that pathologists see between tumor cells when they exam...

N

  • National Gypsum CompanyNational Gypsum Company of Buffalo, New York, sold wallboard, plaster and other building materials under the G...
  • naturally occurring asbestos (NOA)Naturally occurring asbestos refers to asbestos minerals that exist in their original geological setting (in r...
  • Navy VeteransNavy veterans are among the occupational groups at highest risk for asbestos-related disease because of the he...
  • NecrosisNecrosis is the uncontrolled death of cells in a living tissue, usually caused by injury, lack of blood supply...
  • Needle BiopsyA needle biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure in which a doctor uses a thin, hollow needle to remove a sma...
  • NegligenceNegligence is the legal claim that someone caused harm by failing to act with the care a reasonable person or...
  • Neoadjuvant ChemotherapyNeoadjuvant chemotherapy is chemotherapy given before the main treatment, usually surgery, rather than after i...
  • Neoadjuvant TherapyNeoadjuvant therapy is treatment given before the main intervention, usually surgery, to shrink a tumor, lower...
  • NeoplasmA neoplasm is an abnormal growth of tissue caused by cells that divide and grow when they should not. Neoplasm...
  • NephrotoxicityNephrotoxicity means damage to the kidneys caused by a drug, chemical, or other substance. It can show up as r...
  • NESHAPNESHAP stands for the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, a set of federal rules issued...
  • NesosilicatesNesosilicates are a class of silicate minerals built from isolated silicon-oxygen tetrahedra (SiO₄ units) that...
  • nested case-control studyA nested case-control study is a research design in which investigators take a large group of people who are a...
  • NeutropeniaNeutropenia is a low level of neutrophils, the white blood cells that fight bacterial infection. It is a commo...
  • Never Commercially Mined DefenseThis is a legal argument that defendants raise to deny liability by claiming that a specific type of asbestos...
  • New CaledoniaNew Caledonia is a French overseas territory in the southwest Pacific known for vast deposits of ultramafic ro...
  • New IdriaNew Idria is a remote area in San Benito County, California, that hosts one of the largest natural deposits of...
  • Newport News ShipbuildingNewport News Shipbuilding is a major American shipyard located in Newport News, Virginia, that has built warsh...
  • Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)Next-Generation Sequencing is a high-speed laboratory technology that reads the DNA (and sometimes RNA) of man...
  • NF2NF2 (Neurofibromin 2) is a gene that produces a protein called merlin, which acts as a tumor suppressor, meani...
  • Nickel LateriteNickel laterite is a type of soil and weathered rock that forms when ultramafic rocks (rocks rich in iron and...
  • Nicolet IndustriesNicolet Industries was an asbestos company that by 1956 brought together the Norristown Magnesia & Asbestos Co...
  • NIOSHThe National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal research agency that studies...
  • NIOSH 7402NIOSH 7402 is a standardized laboratory method published by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safet...
  • NIOSH Method 7400NIOSH Method 7400 is a standardized laboratory procedure for counting airborne fibers collected on a filter, u...
  • NIOSH Method 7400 Method ANIOSH Method 7400 Method A is a standardized procedure for counting airborne fibers in workplace air samples u...
  • NIOSH Method 7400 Method BNIOSH Method 7400 is a standardized procedure for counting airborne fibers using phase contrast microscopy (PC...
  • NIOSH Method 9002NIOSH Method 9002 is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's method for identifying asbest...
  • NIOSH RELA NIOSH REL (Recommended Exposure Limit) is a workplace exposure level recommended by the U.S. National Instit...
  • Nivolumab (Opdivo)Nivolumab, sold under the brand name Opdivo, is an immunotherapy drug called a checkpoint inhibitor. It blocks...
  • NL IndustriesNL Industries, formerly the National Lead Company, sold Dutch Boy paint sundries, including Synko and Synkoloi...
  • No. 1 Crude"No. 1 Crude" refers to the highest commercial grade of raw, unprocessed chrysotile asbestos fiber, characteri...
  • NOAELNOAEL is the highest level of exposure to a substance at which no harmful effects are observed in a study popu...
  • Node-negativeNode-negative means that when lymph nodes were examined (either by imaging, biopsy, or after surgical removal)...
  • Non-AsbestiformNon-asbestiform describes a mineral that has the same chemistry as an asbestos mineral but grew in an ordinary...
  • Non-epithelioidNon-epithelioid is a category used by pathologists to describe mesothelioma tumors that are not the epithelioi...
  • Non-objective crocidolite"Non-objective crocidolite" is not a recognized scientific, medical, or industry term in the asbestos literatu...
  • Non-Occupational ExposureNon-occupational exposure means contact with asbestos that happens outside of a person's own job. It includes...
  • Non-Productive CoughA non-productive cough is a dry cough that does not bring up mucus, phlegm, or sputum. It is often persistent...
  • Non-Small Cell Lung CancerNon-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common category of lung cancer, including subtypes such as aden...
  • Noneconomic DamagesNoneconomic damages are money awarded to compensate for harms that don't come with a receipt or pay stub, the...
  • Nonparty FaultNonparty fault is a rule in some states that lets a jury assign a share of responsibility to people or compani...
  • North American Asbestos CorporationNorth American Asbestos Corporation was the Chicago sales company of the Cape Asbestos group of London, formed...
  • Northern Cape ProvinceThe Northern Cape is a large, sparsely populated province in South Africa that was historically home to extens...
  • No Safe Level of Exposure"No safe level of exposure" is the position of public-health agencies, including the World Health Organization...
  • NoticeIn law, "notice" means being formally informed of something, or being in a position where you should have know...
  • NTRK FusionAn NTRK fusion is a rare genetic abnormality in which one of the NTRK genes (NTRK1, NTRK2, or NTRK3) becomes f...
  • Nuclear AtypiaNuclear atypia refers to abnormal features of the nucleus of a cell (such as unusual size, shape, irregular bo...
  • Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB)NF-κB is a protein complex inside cells that acts like a master switch, turning on genes that control inflamma...
  • Nuclear Grade"Nuclear grade" describes materials made to especially strict purity and quality standards for use in nuclear...
  • Nuclear GradingNuclear grading is a system pathologists use to score how abnormal the nuclei (the control centers) of tumor c...
  • Nuclear PleomorphismNuclear pleomorphism is a microscopic feature in which the nuclei of cells vary noticeably in size, shape, and...
  • Nucleoside Analog DrugA nucleoside analog is a medication built to look almost identical to one of the natural building blocks of DN...

O

  • Obstructive Lung DiseaseObstructive lung disease is any condition that narrows the airways so air cannot be breathed out quickly, such...
  • Occupational DiseaseAn occupational disease is an illness caused by conditions or exposures at work rather than by an accident or...
  • Occupational Disease ActAn occupational disease act is a state law that provides compensation benefits for diseases caused by work, su...
  • Occupational ExposureOccupational exposure means contact with asbestos that happened because of a person's job. It covers work that...
  • Occupational Exposure HistoryAn occupational exposure history is a detailed reconstruction of the jobs a person held, the tasks they did, a...
  • Occupational HistoryAn occupational history is a detailed record of the jobs a person has held, the tasks they performed, and the...
  • Occupational Lung DiseaseOccupational lung disease is any lung condition caused or worsened by breathing harmful substances at work, su...
  • Octahedral CoordinationOctahedral coordination describes an arrangement in which a central atom (often a metal like magnesium, iron,...
  • Octahedral SiteAn octahedral site is a position within a crystal's atomic structure where a central metal atom (such as magne...
  • Odds RatioAn odds ratio (OR) is a number used in medical studies to compare how often a disease occurs in people with a...
  • OlivineOlivine is a common magnesium-iron silicate mineral that forms in ultramafic and mafic igneous rocks deep with...
  • Omental CakingOmental caking is a thick, sheet-like layer of tumor that spreads across the omentum, the apron of fatty tissu...
  • Omental InvolvementOmental involvement means that the omentum (a fatty, apron-like sheet of tissue that hangs from the stomach an...
  • OmentumThe omentum is a large, apron-like fold of fatty tissue that hangs from the stomach and drapes over the intest...
  • OncogenesisOncogenesis is the biological process by which normal cells gradually change into cancer cells through accumul...
  • Open-Cast MineAn open-cast mine (also called an open-pit or surface mine) is a type of mining operation where ore is extract...
  • Operations and Maintenance ProgramAn operations and maintenance program, or O&M program, is a set of written procedures for managing asbestos th...
  • OphioliteAn ophiolite is a slab of ancient oceanic crust and the upper mantle beneath it that has been pushed up onto a...
  • Ophiolite SerpentiniteOphiolite serpentinite is a type of rock formed when slabs of ancient oceanic crust and upper mantle are pushe...
  • OrchiectomyOrchiectomy is the surgical removal of one or both testicles along with the surrounding tissue layers (the tun...
  • OrthopneaOrthopnea is shortness of breath that occurs when lying flat and improves when sitting or standing up. People...
  • OrthorhombicOrthorhombic is one of the seven crystal systems used by mineralogists to classify how atoms are arranged insi...
  • OSHAOSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is the federal agency that sets and enforces workplac...
  • OSHA Asbestos StandardThe OSHA Asbestos Standard is the set of federal workplace rules limiting how much asbestos workers can be exp...
  • OSHA Class I–IV Asbestos WorkOSHA's construction asbestos standard sorts asbestos jobs into four classes by risk. Class I is removal of the...
  • OsteopontinOsteopontin (OPN) is a protein released by many cell types, including inflamed tissues and some tumors, that c...
  • OtotoxicityOtotoxicity is damage to the inner ear caused by certain drugs or chemicals, which can produce hearing loss, r...
  • Ovarian CancerOvarian cancer is cancer that starts in the ovaries or nearby fallopian tubes. Asbestos is a recognized cause:...
  • Ovarian Serous CarcinomaOvarian serous carcinoma is the most common type of epithelial ovarian cancer, arising from cells that resembl...
  • Overall SurvivalOverall survival, often shortened to OS, is the length of time from a chosen starting point, usually diagnosis...
  • Owens-Corning/Fibreboard TrustThe Owens-Corning/Fibreboard Trust is a court-supervised bankruptcy trust created to pay current and future as...
  • Owens-Corning FiberglasOwens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation was a major American manufacturer of insulation and building products that...
  • Owens-IllinoisOwens-Illinois (O-I) is an American glass manufacturer that, from the 1940s until the end of 1958, also made a...
  • Owens-Illinois Asbestos Personal Injury TrustThe Owens-Illinois Asbestos Personal Injury Trust is a court-supervised fund established to pay compensation t...
  • OX40 receptorOX40 is a protein found on the surface of activated immune cells called T cells. When OX40 is engaged by its p...
  • Oxidative StressOxidative stress is a harmful imbalance inside cells in which unstable molecules called reactive oxygen specie...
  • Oxygen SaturationOxygen saturation is the percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is carrying oxygen. It is usually measured...

P

  • P-ValueA p-value is a number between 0 and 1 that tells how surprising a study's result would be if there were really...
  • p53p53 is a tumor suppressor gene (and the protein it codes for) that acts as a cellular safety check, halting th...
  • Paakkila MineThe Paakkila Mine was an anthophyllite asbestos mine located in Tuusniemi, eastern Finland, that operated from...
  • Pacific Asbestos CorporationPacific Asbestos Corporation mined and milled chrysotile asbestos near Copperopolis, in Calaveras County, Cali...
  • Paco TexturesPaco Textures was a California maker of drywall joint compounds and wall and ceiling textures that Kelly-Moore...
  • Palliative CarePalliative care is specialized medical care focused on relieving the symptoms, pain, and stress of a serious i...
  • Palygorskite (Attapulgite)Palygorskite, also sold as attapulgite, is a fibrous clay mineral made of magnesium, aluminum and silica. It i...
  • PapillaePapillae are small, finger-like or nipple-shaped projections of tissue that grow outward from a surface. In pa...
  • paracentesisParacentesis is a procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin needle or small catheter through the abdominal wa...
  • Paraffin BlockA paraffin block is a small block of wax holding a piece of tissue removed during a biopsy, surgery or autopsy...
  • ParatesticularParatesticular refers to the tissues and structures located next to or surrounding the testicle, including the...
  • Paratesticular SarcomaParatesticular sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor that develops in the soft tissues surrounding the testicle, i...
  • ParenchymaParenchyma is the working tissue of an organ, the part that actually performs the organ's job, as opposed to t...
  • Parenchymal FibrosisParenchymal fibrosis is scarring of the working tissue of the lung, the alveoli (air sacs) and the thin walls...
  • Parent-company liabilityParent-company liability is the legal principle under which a corporation that owns or controls a subsidiary c...
  • Parietal-Pleural Lymphatic StomataParietal-pleural lymphatic stomata are microscopic openings in the parietal pleura, the outer lining that cove...
  • Parietal PleuraThe parietal pleura is the outer layer of the thin, two-layered membrane (pleura) that surrounds each lung. It...
  • Partial Bowel ObstructionA partial bowel obstruction is a condition in which the intestine is narrowed or compressed but not completely...
  • PartingParting is the way some mineral crystals break along flat planes of weakness that are not part of the crystal'...
  • Passaic County Medical SocietyThe Passaic County Medical Society is a county-level professional association of physicians in Passaic County,...
  • Paterson PlantThe Paterson Plant was an asbestos textile and insulation factory in Paterson, New Jersey, operated at differe...
  • PathologyPathology is the branch of medicine that diagnoses disease by examining tissues, cells, and body fluids under...
  • Pathology ReportA pathology report is the document a pathologist writes after examining tissue or fluid under a microscope to...
  • Pathology ReviewPathology review is a second, careful examination of the tissue or fluid samples taken during a biopsy, usuall...
  • Payment PercentageThe Payment Percentage is the fraction of a claim's scheduled or liquidated value that an asbestos bankruptcy...
  • PD-1/PD-L1PD-1 (Programmed Death 1) is a protein on the surface of T cells, the immune system's main cancer-fighting cel...
  • PD-L1PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1) is a protein found on the surface of some cells, including many cancer cells...
  • Pegargiminase (ADI-PEG20)Pegargiminase (ADI-PEG 20) is an investigational enzyme therapy that depletes the amino acid arginine from the...
  • Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)Pembrolizumab is an immunotherapy drug given by IV infusion that helps the immune system recognize and attack...
  • Pemetrexed (Alimta)Pemetrexed is a chemotherapy drug that blocks several enzymes cancer cells need to make DNA, slowing or stoppi...
  • Penge Grading SystemThe Penge Grading System was a quality classification scheme used at the Penge asbestos mine in the Transvaal...
  • Penge MineThe Penge Mine was a large amosite (brown asbestos) mine in the eastern Transvaal region of South Africa, oper...
  • Performance StatusPerformance status is a standardized score doctors use to describe how well a patient can carry out everyday a...
  • Perfusion EquipmentPerfusion equipment is a set of medical machines and tubing used to circulate heated chemotherapy or other tre...
  • PericardialPericardial means relating to the pericardium, the thin, two-layered sac of tissue that surrounds the heart an...
  • Pericardial EffusionPericardial effusion is the buildup of extra fluid in the pericardium, the thin two-layered sac that surrounds...
  • Pericardial MesotheliomaPericardial mesothelioma is a cancer of the pericardium, the thin sac of tissue around the heart. It is the ra...
  • PericardiectomyPericardiectomy is open-heart surgery to remove part or all of the pericardium, the tough sac surrounding the...
  • PericardiocentesisPericardiocentesis is a procedure in which a doctor uses a thin needle, often followed by a small catheter, to...
  • PericardiumThe pericardium is the thin, two-layered sac that surrounds and protects the heart. It contains a small amount...
  • PeridotitePeridotite is a dense, coarse-grained igneous rock formed deep within the Earth's upper mantle, composed mostl...
  • Perineal MigrationPerineal migration is the proposed biological pathway by which asbestos fibers travel from the perineum (the a...
  • Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI)The Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) is a scoring system surgeons use to measure how much tumor is present inside...
  • Peritoneal CavityThe peritoneal cavity is the space inside the abdomen that contains organs such as the stomach, intestines, li...
  • Peritoneal fractionPeritoneal fraction refers to the proportion of mesothelioma cases that arise in the peritoneum (the lining of...
  • Peritoneal MesotheliomaPeritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer of the peritoneum, the thin tissue lining the abdominal cavity and coverin...
  • Peritoneal Surface OncologyPeritoneal surface oncology is a specialized field of cancer medicine focused on tumors that grow on the perit...
  • PeritoneumThe peritoneum is a thin, two-layered membrane that lines the inside of the abdominal cavity and wraps around...
  • Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)A Permissible Exposure Limit, or PEL, is the maximum amount of a hazardous substance a worker can legally be e...
  • PeroxynitritePeroxynitrite is a highly reactive molecule formed inside the body when nitric oxide combines with superoxide,...
  • Personal Breathing Zone SampleA personal breathing zone sample is an air sample collected from the space near a worker's nose and mouth, usi...
  • Personal JurisdictionPersonal jurisdiction is a court's legal power over a specific defendant, its authority to require that compan...
  • Personal RepresentativeA personal representative is the person legally authorized to act on behalf of someone who has died, or their...
  • PET-CTPET-CT is an imaging test that combines a positron emission tomography (PET) scan with a computed tomography (...
  • Peter Mitchell MineThe Peter Mitchell Mine is a large open-pit taconite (iron ore) mine in northeastern Minnesota that supplies o...
  • PET ScanA PET scan (positron emission tomography) is an imaging test that shows how tissues in the body are using ener...
  • PGE2PGE2 (prostaglandin E2) is a hormone-like molecule made by the body from fatty acids. It plays a major role in...
  • PhagocytosisPhagocytosis is the process by which certain immune cells surround and swallow foreign particles, dead cells,...
  • PhagolysosomeA phagolysosome is a tiny digestive compartment inside certain immune cells (especially macrophages) that form...
  • Pharyngeal CancerPharyngeal cancer is cancer of the pharynx, the part of the throat behind the mouth and nose that leads to the...
  • PharyngoscopyPharyngoscopy is a procedure in which a doctor examines the pharynx, the part of the throat behind the mouth a...
  • phase contrast microscopy (PCM)Phase contrast microscopy is a light-microscope technique that makes transparent fibers visible by converting...
  • Phase PlateA phase plate is a small optical component inserted into the light path of a phase-contrast microscope that sh...
  • Phenolic ResinPhenolic resin (phenol-formaldehyde resin) is a synthetic thermosetting plastic made by reacting phenol with f...
  • Philip Carey Manufacturing CompanyThe Philip Carey Manufacturing Company of Lockland, outside Cincinnati, Ohio, made asbestos roofing, 85% magne...
  • PhyllosilicatesPhyllosilicates are a large family of minerals built from sheets of silicon and oxygen atoms, which is why the...
  • Piedmont BeltThe Piedmont Belt is a long band of ancient, deformed metamorphic and igneous rocks running along the eastern...
  • Pietersburg districtThe Pietersburg district is a region in the northern part of South Africa (now known as Polokwane, in Limpopo...
  • Pindus MountainsThe Pindus Mountains are a range in Greece and Albania whose serpentinite and ophiolite rocks contain natural...
  • Pipe CoveringPipe covering is insulation made to wrap around pipes to control heat and prevent condensation. For much of th...
  • PipefitterA pipefitter is a skilled tradesperson who installs, maintains, and repairs the piping systems that carry stea...
  • Pittsburgh CorningPittsburgh Corning Corporation was a joint venture between PPG Industries and Corning Glass Works that manufac...
  • Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Settlement TrustThe Pittsburgh Corning Asbestos Settlement Trust is a court-supervised trust created in 2013 to pay current an...
  • Placental Alkaline Phosphatase (PLAP)Placental alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme normally produced by the placenta during pregnancy that can also b...
  • PlaintiffThe plaintiff is the person who files a lawsuit asking a court for compensation or other relief. In an asbesto...
  • Plan of ReorganizationA plan of reorganization is the document that sets out how a company in Chapter 11 bankruptcy will pay its cre...
  • Plaque Margin EffectThe Plaque Margin Effect refers to the radiographic and pathologic observation that the edges of pleural plaqu...
  • Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF)PDGF is a family of signaling proteins that tells certain cells to grow, divide, and migrate. It plays an impo...
  • Platinum-PemetrexedPlatinum-pemetrexed is a two-drug chemotherapy combination, a platinum-based drug (usually cisplatin or carbop...
  • pleochroismPleochroism is an optical property of certain crystals that causes them to appear different colors when viewed...
  • PleomorphicPleomorphic means "having many shapes." In pathology, it describes cells that vary widely in size, shape, and...
  • PleuraThe pleura is a thin, two-layered membrane that wraps each lung and lines the inside of the chest wall, with a...
  • Pleural BiopsyA pleural biopsy is a medical procedure in which a small sample of tissue is removed from the pleura, the thin...
  • Pleural Black SpotsPleural black spots are small, dark, dot-like marks on the parietal pleura, the membrane lining the inside of...
  • Pleural CalcificationPleural calcification is the deposition of calcium within the thin membranes (the pleura) that line the lungs...
  • Pleural Calcification PrevalencePleural calcification prevalence refers to how often calcified scarring is found on the pleura (the lining aro...
  • Pleural CavityThe pleural cavity is the thin, fluid-filled space between the two layers of the pleura, the membranes that li...
  • Pleural EffusionA pleural effusion is a buildup of fluid in the thin space between the lung and the chest wall. Normally only...
  • Pleural MesotheliomaPleural mesothelioma is a cancer that develops in the thin membrane (the pleura) lining the lungs and the insi...
  • Pleural Plaque MarginThe pleural plaque margin is the outer edge or border of a pleural plaque, a localized area of thickened, fibr...
  • Pleural PlaquesPleural plaques are localized areas of thickened, often calcified fibrous tissue that form on the parietal ple...
  • Pleural ThickeningPleural thickening is scarring of the lining around the lungs (the pleura) that makes it thicker and stiffer t...
  • Pleural ThicknessPleural thickness refers to how thick the pleura, the thin membrane lining the lungs and inner chest wall, app...
  • Pleural TranslocationPleural translocation is the process by which inhaled asbestos fibers move from the small airways and lung tis...
  • Pleurectomy/Decortication (P/D)Pleurectomy/Decortication is a lung-sparing surgery for pleural mesothelioma in which the surgeon removes the...
  • PleurisyPleurisy is inflammation of the pleura, the two-layered membrane that wraps the lungs and lines the inside of...
  • Pleuritic Chest PainPleuritic chest pain is sharp, stabbing pain in the chest that gets worse when breathing in, coughing or sneez...
  • PleurodesisPleurodesis is a procedure that seals the space between the lung and the chest wall to stop fluid from buildin...
  • Pliny the ElderPliny the Elder (23–79 CE) was a Roman naturalist whose encyclopedia *Naturalis Historia* described a sickness...
  • PLM Detection LimitThe PLM (Polarized Light Microscopy) detection limit is the smallest concentration of asbestos that can reliab...
  • Pneumatosis PulmonalisA rare condition in which gas-filled cysts or air-containing spaces form within the functional tissue of the l...
  • PneumoconiosisPneumoconiosis is the general medical term for a group of lung diseases caused by inhaling mineral or metal du...
  • PneumonectomyPneumonectomy is the surgical removal of an entire lung. It is performed for cancers that cannot be treated by...
  • PneumonitisPneumonitis is inflammation of the lung tissue that is not caused by an infection. In people treated for asbes...
  • PneumothoraxA pneumothorax is air that has leaked into the space between the lung and the chest wall, causing part or all...
  • Podoplanin (D2-40)D2-40 is an antibody used in pathology that binds to a protein called podoplanin. Mesothelioma cells (especial...
  • Point CountingPoint counting is a way of measuring how much asbestos is in a bulk sample under a polarized light microscope....
  • Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM)Polarized Light Microscopy is a laboratory technique that identifies asbestos by passing polarized light throu...
  • Pollastri 2019Pollastri 2019 refers to a peer-reviewed study by Simone Pollastri and colleagues published in 2019 examining...
  • PolycrystallineA polycrystalline material is made up of many small crystal grains packed together, rather than one continuous...
  • polyfilamentousPolyfilamentous describes a fiber made up of many smaller, parallel filaments bundled together along its lengt...
  • PolymorphsIn medicine, "polymorphs" is shorthand for polymorphonuclear leukocytes, a group of white blood cells with mul...
  • PolysomeIn mineralogy, a polysome is one of a family of related minerals built from the same basic structural modules...
  • PolytypesPolytypes are different structural forms of a mineral that share the same chemical composition and the same tw...
  • Pomfret mineThe Pomfret Mine is a chrysotile asbestos mine located in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa, near the...
  • Population-Based Survival DataPopulation-based survival data are statistics describing how long groups of people diagnosed with a specific d...
  • Population Attributable Fraction (PAF)The population attributable fraction is the share of all cases of a disease in a population that would not hav...
  • Posteroanterior (PA) ViewThe posteroanterior (PA) view is the standard chest X-ray taken with the X-ray beam passing from the patient's...
  • Postmortem ArtifactA postmortem artifact is a change in tissue, cells, or sampled material that occurs after death (or during aut...
  • Powhatan Mining CompanyPowhatan Mining Company was a U.S. mining and minerals firm historically associated with the extraction and sa...
  • PPG IndustriesPPG Industries, earlier the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, is a Pittsburgh glass, paint and chemical company....
  • Pratap Anthophyllite-TremolitePratap anthophyllite-tremolite refers to a co-occurring assemblage of two amphibole minerals, anthophyllite an...
  • Pratap Commercial Co.Pratap Commercial Co. is an Indian trading firm identified in international shipping and trade records as an i...
  • Precautionary PrincipleThe precautionary principle is the idea that when an activity threatens serious or irreversible harm to people...
  • PreemptionPreemption is the principle that federal law overrides conflicting state law. When a federal statute or regula...
  • Prejudgment InterestPrejudgment interest is interest added to a damages award for the period before judgment, usually running from...
  • Premises LiabilityPremises liability is the legal rule that holds property owners and those who control a property responsible w...
  • Prepackaged BankruptcyA prepackaged bankruptcy is a Chapter 11 case in which the company negotiates its plan with key creditors and...
  • Preponderance of the EvidencePreponderance of the evidence is the standard of proof used in most civil cases, including asbestos lawsuits....
  • Presumed Asbestos-Containing Material (PACM)Presumed asbestos-containing material, or PACM, is OSHA's term for thermal system insulation and surfacing mat...
  • PrevalencePrevalence is the share of a group of people who have a disease or condition at a particular time, counting bo...
  • PrieskaPrieska is a town in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa that was a major center of crocidolite (blue a...
  • Primary Peritoneal CarcinomaPrimary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC) is a cancer that begins in the peritoneum, the thin tissue lining the abdom...
  • Prismatic CrystalA prismatic crystal is a mineral that grows in elongated, column-like shapes with flat faces running along its...
  • ProbateProbate is the court process that validates a will, appoints a person to manage a deceased person's estate, an...
  • Product IdentificationProduct identification is the evidence showing which specific asbestos-containing products a person was expose...
  • Product LiabilityProduct liability is the area of law that holds manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and retailers responsi...
  • PrognosisPrognosis is a doctor's informed estimate of how a disease is likely to progress, including expected survival,...
  • Progression-Free SurvivalProgression-Free Survival (PFS) is the length of time during and after treatment that a patient lives with the...
  • Pro Hac VicePro hac vice is a court order that lets a lawyer who is not licensed in a particular state appear in that stat...
  • Proof of ClaimA proof of claim is the form a creditor files in a bankruptcy case to state what the bankrupt company owes it...
  • Prophylactic Tract IrradiationProphylactic tract irradiation is a short course of radiation given to the skin and chest wall where a needle,...
  • Proportional mortalityProportional mortality is an epidemiological measure that compares the share of deaths from a specific cause i...
  • Protective OrderA protective order is a court order that limits how information exchanged in a lawsuit can be used or shared....
  • ProtolithA protolith is the original, unaltered rock that existed before being transformed by heat, pressure, or chemic...
  • Proton TherapyProton therapy is radiation treatment that uses beams of protons instead of X-rays. Protons release most of th...
  • Provenance AnalysisProvenance analysis is the scientific work of tracing asbestos fibers back to the geological deposit or commer...
  • Proximate CauseProximate cause is the legal requirement that a defendant's conduct be closely enough connected to a plaintiff...
  • Pseudomesotheliomatous AdenocarcinomaPseudomesotheliomatous adenocarcinoma is a lung cancer (usually adenocarcinoma) that spreads along the pleura...
  • Public Health Emergency DeclarationA Public Health Emergency Declaration is a formal action by a government agency that recognizes a serious, ong...
  • Public Law 733Public Law 733 is the common shorthand for the federal statute enacted in 1946 that authorized the U.S. Navy t...
  • Pulmonary FibrosisPulmonary fibrosis is scarring and stiffening of the lung tissue that makes breathing progressively harder. As...
  • Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) are a group of breathing tests that measure how much air your lungs can hold,...
  • Pulmonary HypertensionPulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs. In...
  • Pulmonary RehabilitationPulmonary rehabilitation is a structured, medically supervised program that combines supervised exercise, brea...
  • PulmonologyPulmonology is the medical specialty focused on the lungs, airways, and breathing. Pulmonologists diagnose and...
  • Punitive DamagesPunitive damages are money a jury awards on top of compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and s...
  • PylesvillePylesville is a small unincorporated community in Harford County, Maryland, historically associated with serpe...
  • PyroxenePyroxenes are a large family of rock-forming silicate minerals built from single chains of silicon-oxygen tetr...

Q

  • QAMA Grading SystemThe QAMA (Quality Assured Mineral Analysis) grading system is a framework used by analytical laboratories to r...
  • QAMA Group 4QAMA Group 4 refers to one of the categories within the Quality Assurance for Mineral Analysis (QAMA) program,...
  • QAMA Quebec Standard TestThe QAMA (Quebec Asbestos Mining Association) Quebec Standard Test was an industry method for measuring airbor...
  • Quality of LifeQuality of life describes a person's overall well-being: their physical comfort, ability to do daily activitie...
  • Quantitative Uncertainty BoundsQuantitative uncertainty bounds are the numerical range (usually expressed as a confidence interval, error bar...
  • Quebec Asbestos Mining AssociationThe Quebec Asbestos Mining Association (QAMA) was a trade group representing the chrysotile asbestos mining co...
  • Quebec ChrysotileQuebec chrysotile is the variety of chrysotile (white) asbestos mined from the serpentine deposits of southeas...
  • Quebec Chrysotile Contamination PathwayThe Quebec Chrysotile Contamination Pathway refers to the recognized scientific finding that chrysotile asbest...
  • Quebec Chrysotile Mining CohortThe Quebec Chrysotile Mining Cohort is a large group of workers from the chrysotile (white asbestos) mines and...
  • Quebec Standard TestThe Quebec Standard Test was a mid-20th-century air-sampling method developed in the Quebec chrysotile mining...
  • Quebec Standard Testing MachineThe Quebec Standard Testing Machine was a mechanical device developed in the Quebec chrysotile asbestos indust...
  • Quiet Revolution"Quiet Revolution" refers to the gradual, largely unpublicized shift inside the asbestos industry during the m...
  • Quigley CompanyQuigley Company was a New York maker of refractory products for steel mills, power plants and refineries, best...

R

  • R.T. Vanderbilt CompanyR.T. Vanderbilt Company (now Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC) is a Connecticut-based industrial minerals firm that mi...
  • Radical Inguinal OrchiectomyA radical inguinal orchiectomy is a surgery that removes a testicle and the entire spermatic cord through an i...
  • Radon ProgenyRadon progeny are the short-lived radioactive decay products formed when radon gas breaks down in the air. Unl...
  • Rainy Creek complexThe Rainy Creek complex is a geological formation in northwestern Montana, near Libby, that hosts an unusual a...
  • Rainy Creek OperationThe Rainy Creek Operation was the W.R. Grace & Company vermiculite mining and milling complex near Libby, Mont...
  • RaltitrexedRaltitrexed is a chemotherapy drug that blocks an enzyme called thymidylate synthase, which cancer cells need...
  • RamucirumabRamucirumab, sold as Cyramza, is an antibody drug that blocks VEGFR-2, a receptor tumors use to grow new blood...
  • rate ratioA rate ratio is a number that compares how often a disease occurs in one group versus another over a given tim...
  • Raw Material Supplier DefenseThe raw material supplier defense argues that a company supplying a basic material, such as raw asbestos fiber...
  • Raybestos-ManhattanRaybestos-Manhattan was a major American manufacturer of asbestos-containing friction products, especially bra...
  • Reactive CellsReactive cells are normal body cells (usually mesothelial cells lining the pleura or peritoneum, or immune cel...
  • Reactive Mesothelial CellsReactive mesothelial cells are normal cells lining the pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium that have become en...
  • Reactive Mesothelial HyperplasiaA benign, non-cancerous overgrowth of the mesothelial cells that line the pleura (around the lungs), peritoneu...
  • Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS)Reactive Nitrogen Species are unstable, chemically aggressive molecules built around nitrogen, most importantl...
  • Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)Reactive oxygen species are unstable, oxygen-containing molecules (including free radicals like the superoxide...
  • Recall BiasRecall bias is an error that arises when people with a disease remember or report their past exposures differe...
  • Receptor-Mediated EndocytosisReceptor-mediated endocytosis is a process by which cells pull specific molecules or particles inside themselv...
  • Reclassification ProblemThe reclassification problem refers to how mesothelioma cases that were once labeled as something else (such a...
  • Recurrence-Free SurvivalRecurrence-free survival (RFS) is the length of time after primary treatment (usually surgery, sometimes combi...
  • Redox CyclingRedox cycling is a repeating chemical reaction in which iron (or another metal) on the surface of an asbestos...
  • Refractive IndexThe refractive index is a number that describes how much light slows down and bends when it enters a material...
  • Regional MetamorphismRegional metamorphism is a geological process in which large volumes of rock deep within the Earth's crust are...
  • Regorafenib (Stivarga)Regorafenib, sold as Stivarga, is an oral targeted cancer drug known as a multikinase inhibitor. It blocks sev...
  • Regulated AsbestosRegulated asbestos refers to the specific asbestos minerals that laws and agencies officially control. In the...
  • Regulated Asbestos-Containing Material (RACM)Regulated asbestos-containing material, or RACM, is the EPA's term under the asbestos NESHAP for material that...
  • regulatory gapA regulatory gap is a period, product category, or workplace setting in which no meaningful government rules c...
  • Reinforcement EfficacyReinforcement efficacy is a measure of how effectively a fiber strengthens a surrounding material when added t...
  • Relative RiskRelative risk (RR) is the rate of a disease in a group exposed to something, such as asbestos, divided by the...
  • ReleaseA release is the document a claimant signs when settling, giving up the right to pursue claims against the set...
  • Reliance MaterialsReliance materials are the documents, data, studies and records that an expert witness reviewed or relied on i...
  • RemittiturRemittitur is a court order that reduces the amount of money a jury awarded, when the judge concludes the verd...
  • Removal to Federal CourtRemoval to federal court is the legal process by which a defendant takes a lawsuit that a plaintiff originally...
  • Request for ProductionA Request for Production (often called an "RFP") is a formal written demand sent during the discovery phase of...
  • Requests for AdmissionRequests for admission are written statements one side in a lawsuit sends to the other, asking it to admit or...
  • Res Ipsa LoquiturA legal doctrine that lets a jury infer that a defendant was negligent based on the nature of the harm itself,...
  • Respirable FiberA respirable fiber is an asbestos fiber small enough to be breathed deep into the lungs, past the body's natur...
  • Respirable FractionThe respirable fraction is the portion of airborne dust or fibers small enough to be inhaled deeply into the l...
  • RespiratorA respirator is a mask or hood that protects the wearer from breathing harmful dust, fumes or gases, either by...
  • Respite CareRespite care is short-term, temporary relief for the family members and friends who provide day-to-day care to...
  • Restrictive Lung DiseaseRestrictive lung disease is a group of conditions in which the lungs cannot fully expand, so they hold less ai...
  • Retention TImeRetention time is how long a particular substance takes to travel through an analytical instrument's separatio...
  • Rete TestisThe rete testis is a network of small interconnected tubules inside each testicle that collects sperm from the...
  • Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND)Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is a surgical procedure to remove lymph nodes located behind the abdomin...
  • RetroperitoneumThe retroperitoneum is the anatomical space located behind the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdomin...
  • Reverse BifurcationReverse bifurcation is a way of splitting a trial so that the jury decides damages first, assuming the defenda...
  • RhabdoidRhabdoid describes a distinctive appearance of tumor cells under the microscope: large, round cells with an ec...
  • richteriteRichterite is a sodium-calcium-magnesium amphibole mineral that can occur in a fibrous (asbestiform) habit. It...
  • RiebeckiteRiebeckite is a sodium-rich amphibole mineral. When it grows in long, thin, flexible fibers (the asbestiform h...
  • Rigden methodThe Rigden method is a laboratory technique for measuring the specific surface area of fine powders by determi...
  • RodingiteRodingite is a calcium-rich rock, often containing garnet, diopside and similar minerals, that forms when flui...
  • Roemer DepositionThe Roemer Deposition refers to the 1984 sworn testimony of Charles H. Roemer, a former Unarco executive, who...
  • RoentgenThe Roentgen (symbol R) is an older unit measuring exposure to X-ray or gamma radiation, defined by how much e...
  • Rom 2001"Rom 2001" refers to a peer-reviewed publication by Dr. William N. Rom and colleagues in 2001 examining asbest...
  • Roof Felt Surface SprinkleRoof felt surface sprinkle refers to the granular mineral material applied to the top surface of asphalt-satur...
  • Roofing FeltRoofing felt is a mat-like material laid down as a base layer under shingles and other roof coverings. For dec...
  • ROS1ROS1 is a gene that makes a protein called a receptor tyrosine kinase, which helps control how cells grow and...
  • Rounded AtelectasisRounded atelectasis is a benign, rounded area of collapsed lung that forms next to thickened pleura, the linin...
  • Rule 401Rule 401 of the Federal Rules of Evidence sets the basic test for whether evidence is "relevant" and can be co...
  • Rule 702Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence is the rule that decides whether an expert witness can testify in fe...
  • Rule 703Rule 703 is a Federal Rule of Evidence that lets an expert witness form opinions based on facts or data that t...
  • Ryder IndustriesRyder Industries, Inc. was a Dallas, Texas maker of insulating and finishing cements sold under names such as...

S

  • S-100S-100 is a family of proteins detected by immunohistochemistry staining of tissue samples. Certain tumors like...
  • S.S. IowaThe S.S. Iowa refers to U.S. ships bearing the name Iowa, most notably the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) and mer...
  • S.S. Morro CastleThe S.S. Morro Castle was an American ocean liner that caught fire off the New Jersey coast on September 8, 19...
  • Sabourin, IvanIvan Sabourin was a Canadian lawyer and longtime corporate secretary and legal counsel for the Canadian Johns-...
  • Sall MountainSall Mountain is a chrysotile asbestos deposit and historic mining site located near Sall Mountain in White Co...
  • Sall Mountain CompanyThe Sall Mountain Company was a Chicago asbestos manufacturer, organized in 1899, that made asbestos paper, mi...
  • Saranac LaboratoryThe Saranac Laboratory was a research facility in Saranac Lake, New York, that conducted some of the earliest...
  • SarcomaSarcoma is a broad category of cancers that arise from connective or supporting tissues of the body, including...
  • SarcomatoidSarcomatoid is a histologic subtype of mesothelioma in which the tumor cells are long and spindle-shaped, rese...
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)Scanning Electron Microscopy is a laboratory imaging technique that uses a focused beam of electrons, rather t...
  • Scheduled ValueA scheduled value is the fixed dollar amount that an asbestos bankruptcy trust assigns to a particular disease...
  • Schepers, GerritGerrit W. H. Schepers (1913–2008) was a South African–born pathologist who became one of the earliest scientif...
  • Schepers ReportThe Schepers Report refers to the findings and warnings issued by Dr. Gerrit W.H. Schepers, a pathologist who...
  • Scintilla of EvidenceA scintilla of evidence is the tiniest spark of proof, barely more than a suspicion. Historically, some courts...
  • Sears, Roebuck and Co.Sears, Roebuck and Co. of Chicago was a mail-order and retail company. In our library it appears as a seller,...
  • Second-Line TherapySecond-line therapy is the treatment given when the first treatment, called first-line therapy, stops working...
  • Second OpinionA second opinion is a review of your diagnosis or treatment plan by another qualified doctor, independent of t...
  • Section 524(g) TrustA Section 524(g) trust is a special bankruptcy trust that a company creates to take over all its asbestos liab...
  • Sedimentary ProcessSedimentary processes are the natural steps by which rock fragments, mineral grains, and chemical residues are...
  • SEERSEER is a U.S. National Cancer Institute program that collects and publishes cancer incidence, treatment, and...
  • Seidman 1979 StudyThe Seidman 1979 Study is a landmark epidemiological investigation by Dr. Herbert Seidman and colleagues that...
  • SekukunilandSekhukhuneland (sometimes spelled Sekukuniland) is a mountainous region in northeastern South Africa that was...
  • Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED)Selected Area Electron Diffraction is a technique used inside a transmission electron microscope to identify t...
  • Selection BiasSelection bias is a distortion in a study's results caused by how people were chosen for it, or by who dropped...
  • Selikoff StudiesThe Selikoff studies are the research on asbestos insulation workers led by Dr. Irving J. Selikoff of Mount Si...
  • Separate Disease RuleThe separate disease rule says that a person who has a nonmalignant asbestos disease, such as pleural plaques...
  • Sepco CorporationSepco Corporation, of Pelham, Alabama, made and sold gaskets and packing for industrial equipment, and for a t...
  • SepioliteSepiolite is a fibrous magnesium silicate clay mineral, related to palygorskite. It is used in absorbents, pet...
  • SequelaA sequela is a health condition that develops as a direct consequence of an earlier disease, injury, or exposu...
  • Serosal SurfaceA serosal surface is the smooth, moist outer lining that covers certain internal body cavities and the organs...
  • Serous CavitiesSerous cavities are the thin, fluid-filled spaces inside the body that surround certain organs, allowing them...
  • Serous FluidSerous fluid is the thin, pale-yellow, watery liquid produced inside the smooth-lined cavities surrounding the...
  • Serous Papillary CarcinomaSerous papillary carcinoma is a type of cancer that arises from epithelial cells lining body cavities or organ...
  • Serpentine GroupThe serpentine group is a family of magnesium silicate minerals that form in curled, sheet-like layers. It inc...
  • SerpentiniteSerpentinite is a metamorphic rock made up mostly of serpentine-group minerals (such as chrysotile, antigorite...
  • SerpentinizationSerpentinization is a geological process in which water reacts with iron- and magnesium-rich rocks deep in the...
  • Service of ProcessService of process is the formal delivery of the complaint and a summons to each defendant, giving official no...
  • Settled DustSettled dust is dust that has fallen out of the air and collected on floors, ledges, furniture, clothing or eq...
  • Settlement CreditA settlement credit is a reduction of a jury verdict to account for money the plaintiff already received from...
  • Shabani MineThe Shabani Mine (now Zvishavane Mine) is a large chrysotile asbestos mine in southern Zimbabwe that, together...
  • Shipyard ExposureShipyard exposure refers to asbestos exposure that occurred while building, repairing, or dismantling ships. F...
  • Short-Term ExposureShort-term exposure refers to asbestos contact lasting a brief period (sometimes only days, weeks, or a few mo...
  • Sierra Nevada FoothillsThe Sierra Nevada Foothills are the lower-elevation flanks of California's Sierra Nevada range, a geologic bel...
  • Signal TumorA signal tumor (or sentinel tumor) is a cancer so strongly tied to one specific exposure that its diagnosis it...
  • Sign of ElongationThe sign of elongation is an optical property of a fiber seen under a polarized light microscope with a compen...
  • SilicateSilicates, or silicate minerals, are the largest group of minerals on Earth, built around a chemical unit of o...
  • Silica TetrahedronThe silica tetrahedron is the basic building block of nearly all silicate minerals, including every type of as...
  • SilicosisSilicosis is a progressive scarring lung disease caused by inhaling fine particles of crystalline silica, the...
  • Simulated Body FluidSimulated body fluid (SBF) is a laboratory solution formulated to mimic the chemistry of human extracellular f...
  • Single CrystalA single crystal is a piece of mineral in which the atomic lattice continues unbroken from one end to the othe...
  • Single Disease RuleThe single disease rule treats all of a person's asbestos-related conditions as one injury, so one lawsuit mus...
  • Six-Minute Walk TestThe six-minute walk test measures how far a person can walk on a flat indoor course in six minutes, usually wh...
  • SkarnA skarn is a rock made of calcium-rich silicate minerals, such as garnet, diopside, wollastonite and tremolite...
  • Sleggs, C.A.Christopher A. Sleggs was a British-trained thoracic physician who, while working at the West End Hospital in...
  • Slip-FiberSlip-fiber is a form of asbestos that occurs as loose, parallel bundles of fibers lining slip planes or fault...
  • Small Bowel MesenteryThe small bowel mesentery is a fan-shaped fold of peritoneum that anchors the jejunum and ileum to the back wa...
  • Small Cell Lung CancerSmall cell lung cancer is a fast-growing type of lung cancer made up of small, tightly packed neuroendocrine c...
  • Smoking DefenseThe smoking defense is the argument that a plaintiff's lung disease was caused by cigarette smoking rather tha...
  • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal program that pays monthly benefits to people who have...
  • Société Nationale de l'AmianteThe Société Nationale de l'Amiante (SNA) was a Quebec provincial Crown corporation created in 1978 to acquire...
  • Soda TremoliteSoda tremolite is an informal name for a sodium-rich variant of tremolite, an amphibole mineral that can occur...
  • Sodic AmphiboleSodic amphiboles are a chemical subgroup of the amphibole mineral family in which sodium is a dominant element...
  • Sodium Hypochlorite DigestionSodium hypochlorite digestion is a laboratory technique that uses concentrated bleach to dissolve lung or othe...
  • Solid Architectural PatternThe solid architectural pattern is one of the ways mesothelioma cells can be arranged when a pathologist looks...
  • Solid SolutionA solid solution is a mineral in which different chemical elements can substitute for one another within the s...
  • Solitary Fibrous TumorA solitary fibrous tumor is an uncommon, usually benign growth that often arises from the pleura, the lining o...
  • Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides (SMRP)Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptides (SMRP) are protein fragments shed into the bloodstream by cells that produ...
  • Somatic MutationA somatic mutation is a change in the DNA of a body cell that happens during a person's lifetime, rather than...
  • Sophisticated User DoctrineThe sophisticated user doctrine (or defense) is an argument used by asbestos defendants (usually product manuf...
  • Sorafenib (Nexavar)Sorafenib, sold under the brand name Nexavar, is an oral targeted therapy known as a multi-kinase inhibitor. I...
  • Sorel CementSorel cement is a hard, fast-setting cement made by combining magnesium oxide powder with a magnesium chloride...
  • Sorel Cement FlooringSorel cement flooring is a type of industrial and commercial floor topping made from magnesium oxychloride cem...
  • SorosilicatesSorosilicates are a class of silicate minerals whose basic building block is a pair of silicon-oxygen tetrahed...
  • Southern AnatoliaSouthern Anatolia is a region of south-central Turkey notable in asbestos science because several rural villag...
  • Southern Asbestos CompanySouthern Asbestos Company of Charlotte, North Carolina, made asbestos textiles: cloth, yarn, tape, tubing and...
  • Sovereign ImmunitySovereign immunity is a legal doctrine that protects federal, state, and certain other government entities fro...
  • Specific CausationSpecific causation is the question of whether a particular person's asbestos exposure actually caused that per...
  • Specific GravitySpecific gravity is the ratio of a material's density to the density of water. It is a dimensionless number th...
  • Specimen TypeSpecimen type refers to the kind of tissue or fluid sample collected from a patient for laboratory analysis. I...
  • Spermatic CordThe spermatic cord is a bundle of structures that runs from the lower abdomen through the groin into the scrot...
  • SpermatoceleA spermatocele is a benign, fluid-filled cyst that develops in the epididymis, the coiled tube behind the test...
  • Spindle CellA spindle cell is a long, thin, tapered cell that looks elongated and pointed under the microscope, somewhat l...
  • SpinnabilitySpinnability is the physical property that allows certain asbestos fibers (chiefly long, flexible chrysotile a...
  • SpirogramA spirogram is the graph or tracing produced during a breathing test (spirometry) that shows how much air you...
  • SpirometrySpirometry is a common breathing test that measures how much air you can move in and out of your lungs and how...
  • SpoliationSpoliation is the destruction, loss or significant alteration of evidence that should have been preserved for...
  • Spray-Applied FireproofingSpray-applied fireproofing is a soft, fibrous insulating material sprayed onto steel beams and decking to slow...
  • Spray Boy"Spray boy" is an informal occupational term for a worker, often young and entry-level, whose job was to apply...
  • SputumSputum is the thick mucus produced deep in the lungs and airways that is brought up by coughing. It is differe...
  • Squamous CellA squamous cell is a flat, thin cell that forms protective linings in the body, including the outer skin and t...
  • Squamous Cell CarcinomaSquamous cell carcinoma is a type of cancer that begins in the flat, thin squamous cells that line many surfac...
  • Stacking FaultA stacking fault is a defect in the orderly layering of atomic planes within a crystal, where one layer is shi...
  • Stage GroupingStage grouping is the process of combining several individual cancer measurements — most often tumor size and...
  • Stage IAStage IA is the earliest formal stage of pleural mesothelioma under the TNM staging system. It describes a tum...
  • StagingStaging is the process doctors use to describe how far a cancer has spread in the body at the time of diagnosi...
  • Standard Asbestos Manufacturing & Insulating CompanyStandard Asbestos Manufacturing & Insulating Company was a Kansas City, Missouri, insulation maker whose produ...
  • Standardized Incidence Ratio (SIR)A standardized incidence ratio compares the number of new cancer cases actually seen in a group, such as a coh...
  • standardized mortality ratio (SMR)A standardized mortality ratio (SMR) compares the number of deaths actually observed in a group of people (suc...
  • Standard Oil Company of CaliforniaStandard Oil Company of California, the San Francisco oil company that sold under the Chevron name, bought asb...
  • StandingStanding is the legal right to bring a lawsuit. To have standing, you must show that you personally suffered a...
  • Stanton-style Intrapleural ChallengeA laboratory experiment in which fibers (asbestos or other mineral fibers) are surgically implanted directly o...
  • Stanton FibersStanton fibers are long, thin asbestos (or other mineral) fibers that fall within the size range identified by...
  • Stanton HypothesisThe Stanton Hypothesis proposes that the cancer-causing potential of asbestos and other mineral fibers depends...
  • State-of-the-Art DefenseThe state-of-the-art defense is a manufacturer's argument that it should not be blamed for failing to warn abo...
  • State of the Art EvidenceState-of-the-art evidence is proof about what a company knew, or what the broader scientific and industrial co...
  • Statistical SignificanceA result is called statistically significant when it would be unlikely to arise by chance alone if there were...
  • Statute of LimitationA statute of limitation is a law that sets a deadline for filing a lawsuit after an injury occurs. If you miss...
  • Statute of ReposeA statute of repose is a strict deadline that cuts off the right to sue a defendant a set number of years afte...
  • Stayner 1996Stayner 1996 refers to an influential review paper by Leslie Stayner and colleagues at the U.S. National Insti...
  • STEMSTEM stands for Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (or Microscopy), a high-powered imaging technique th...
  • Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivers a very high, precisely aimed dose of radiation to a small...
  • Stomach CancerStomach cancer, or gastric cancer, is cancer of the lining of the stomach. Some studies of heavily exposed wor...
  • Strategic materialA strategic material is a substance the government considers essential to national defense and industrial capa...
  • Strategic Materials StockpileA strategic stockpile (in the United States, the Strategic Materials Stockpile, later the National Defense Sto...
  • Stress Corrosion CrackingStress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a type of material failure in which metal develops cracks because it is exp...
  • Strict LiabilityStrict liability is a legal rule that holds a manufacturer or seller responsible for harm caused by its produc...
  • Structure CountingStructure counting is the laboratory practice of identifying and tallying individual asbestos "structures" (fi...
  • Sub-calcic ActinoliteSub-calcic actinolite is a variant of the amphibole mineral actinolite in which the calcium content is lower t...
  • Subject Matter JurisdictionSubject matter jurisdiction is a court's legal power to decide a particular type of case. If a court lacks thi...
  • Subpleural Curvilinear LineA subpleural curvilinear line is a thin curved line seen on high-resolution CT within about a centimeter of th...
  • SubpoenaA subpoena is a formal legal order requiring someone to give testimony or produce documents. One type compels...
  • SubrogationSubrogation is the legal process by which one party (usually a health insurer, Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, or...
  • Substantial Factor TestThe Substantial Factor Test is a legal rule for deciding whether a particular asbestos exposure helped cause a...
  • Successor LiabilitySuccessor liability is a legal doctrine that can hold a company responsible for the debts and injuries caused...
  • Sugarbaker ProcedureThe Sugarbaker Procedure is an aggressive multi-step surgery for pleural mesothelioma, most commonly referring...
  • Summary JudgmentSummary judgment is a court ruling that decides all or part of a case without a trial because, after reviewing...
  • Sumner Simpson PapersThe Sumner Simpson Papers are a collection of internal corporate correspondence from the 1930s and 1940s betwe...
  • Sunitinib (Sutent)Sunitinib is an oral targeted cancer drug known as a multi-kinase inhibitor. It blocks several proteins (inclu...
  • SuperfundSuperfund is the common name for the federal program created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Comp...
  • Supergene AlterationSupergene alteration is the chemical and mineralogical change that happens to rocks and minerals near the Eart...
  • Superior Vena Cava SyndromeSuperior vena cava syndrome is a blockage of the large vein that carries blood from the head, neck and arms ba...
  • SuperoxideSuperoxide is a highly reactive form of oxygen (chemical formula O₂⁻) that carries an extra electron, making i...
  • Superseding CauseA superseding cause is an event or act by someone else, occurring after a defendant's conduct, that is so unex...
  • Supplemental OxygenSupplemental oxygen is extra oxygen breathed through nasal tubing or a mask, from a concentrator or tank, when...
  • Surface Area Dose MetricA way of measuring asbestos exposure based on the total surface area of fibers reaching the lungs, rather than...
  • Surface ReactivitySurface reactivity describes how chemically active the outer surface of an asbestos fiber is once it's inside...
  • Surfacing MaterialSurfacing material is the regulatory term for material sprayed, troweled or otherwise applied to ceilings, wal...
  • Surgical CandidacySurgical candidacy is the medical determination of whether a patient is healthy enough, and whether their dise...
  • Surgical ResectionSurgical resection is the removal of diseased tissue, a tumor, or an affected organ through an operation. In a...
  • Survival ActionA survival action is a lawsuit brought by the estate of someone who has died, continuing the legal claims that...
  • Survivor DamagesSurvivor damages are money awarded to a deceased person's family members or estate after a death caused by asb...
  • Susa ValleyThe Susa Valley (Val di Susa) is an alpine valley in Piedmont, Italy, west of Turin, containing extensive serp...
  • Suzuki EMPsSuzuki EMPs refers to electron microprobe and electron microscopy protocols developed by Dr. Yasunosuke Suzuki...
  • SV40Simian Virus 40 (SV40) is a polyomavirus originally found in monkeys that contaminated some early polio vaccin...
  • Synchrotron X-ray MicroscopySynchrotron X-ray microscopy is a high-resolution imaging technique that uses the intensely bright X-rays prod...
  • Synergistic EffectA synergistic effect is when two exposures acting together cause far more harm than the sum of each acting alo...
  • Synovial SarcomaSynovial sarcoma is a rare cancer of soft tissue that can occasionally arise in the pleura or chest wall. Unde...
  • Systematic ReviewA systematic review is a structured summary of all the research on a defined question, using a written plan to...
  • Systemic TherapySystemic therapy refers to any cancer treatment that travels through the bloodstream to reach cells throughout...
  • SäulenspathSäulenspath is an archaic German mineralogical name meaning "column spar," historically used in 18th- and 19th...

T

  • T-siteA T-site (tetrahedral site) is a position within a silicate mineral's crystal structure where a small cation (...
  • Taconic OrogenyThe Taconic Orogeny was a mountain-building event that occurred roughly 450 to 440 million years ago along wha...
  • TaconiteTaconite is a hard, low-grade iron ore rock found in large deposits, most famously in the Lake Superior region...
  • TailingsTailings are the leftover crushed rock, dust, and processing residue produced after a target mineral has been...
  • Take-home ExposureTake-home exposure refers to asbestos fibers brought into the home on a worker's clothing, hair, skin, shoes,...
  • TalcTalc is a soft mineral made of magnesium, silicon, and oxygen, used in products like baby powder, cosmetics, p...
  • Talc ContaminationTalc contamination refers to the presence of asbestos fibers in talc, a soft mineral used in cosmetics, powder...
  • Talc LitigationTalc litigation refers to civil lawsuits against producers and sellers of talc-based products, especially cosm...
  • Talc Migration PathwayA talc migration pathway is the route by which talc particles, and any asbestos fibers contaminating that talc...
  • Talc PleurodesisTalc pleurodesis is a medical procedure used to prevent fluid from repeatedly building up in the space between...
  • Targeted TherapyTargeted therapy is cancer treatment that acts on specific molecules or genetic changes that help a tumor grow...
  • TectosilicatesTectosilicates are a major class of silicate minerals in which silicon-oxygen tetrahedra are linked in a three...
  • TEM/EDSTEM/EDS stands for Transmission Electron Microscopy combined with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. It is...
  • Tensile StrengthTensile strength is the maximum pulling force a material can withstand before it stretches apart or breaks. It...
  • Testicular MesotheliomaTesticular mesothelioma is an extremely rare cancer that arises from the tunica vaginalis, the thin mesothelia...
  • Testicular TorsionTesticular torsion is a urological emergency in which the spermatic cord twists, cutting off blood flow to the...
  • Tetrahedral SiteA tetrahedral site is a position in a crystal structure where one atom is surrounded by four other atoms arran...
  • Texas Refinery Corp.Texas Refinery Corp. was a Fort Worth, Texas, maker of roof coatings that bought asbestos fiber for its asphal...
  • Texas Two-StepThe Texas Two-Step is a bankruptcy strategy in which a solvent company uses a Texas "divisive merger" law to s...
  • The Celotex CorporationThe Celotex Corporation, a Chicago company in the 1930s, made insulating board from sugar-cane fiber and Cemes...
  • The Marley Tile Company LimitedThe Marley Tile Company Limited, of Sevenoaks, Kent, England, launched Marleydek, a vinyl roofing sheet with a...
  • Thermal PrecipitatorA thermal precipitator is a dust-sampling instrument that draws air slowly past a heated wire. The heat pushes...
  • Thermal StabilityThermal stability is a material's ability to keep its structure and chemical makeup intact when heated. Asbest...
  • Thermal System Insulation (TSI)Thermal system insulation is the regulatory name for insulation on pipes, fittings, boilers, tanks, ducts and...
  • Thermo Electric Co., Inc.Thermo Electric Co., Inc., of Saddle River Township, New Jersey, made thermocouple wire, extension wire and ca...
  • Thermogravimetric AnalysisThermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is a laboratory method that measures how a material's weight changes as it's...
  • The Ruberoid CompanyThe Ruberoid Company was a roofing and building-materials maker that also mined asbestos, running the Belvider...
  • Thetford MinesThetford Mines is a city in Quebec, Canada, that was one of the largest chrysotile asbestos mining regions in...
  • Third-Party ComplaintA third-party complaint is a pleading in which a defendant brings a new party into a lawsuit, claiming that th...
  • Third-Party ReleaseA third-party release is a provision in a bankruptcy plan that wipes out claims against companies or people wh...
  • ThoracentesisThoracentesis is a bedside or outpatient procedure in which a doctor inserts a thin needle through the chest w...
  • Thoracic SpecialistA thoracic specialist is a physician with advanced training in diseases of the chest, including the lungs, ple...
  • Thoracic SurgeryThoracic surgery is the surgical specialty that operates on organs and structures inside the chest, including...
  • Thoracoscopic BiopsyA thoracoscopic biopsy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which a thin camera is inserted through s...
  • ThoracoscopyThoracoscopy is a procedure in which a surgeon inserts a small camera through a tiny incision in the chest wal...
  • ThoracotomyA major surgery in which the surgeon makes an incision through the chest wall, usually between the ribs, to re...
  • ThoraxThe thorax is the part of the body between the neck and the abdomen, enclosed by the rib cage, breastbone, and...
  • Threshold Limit Value (TLV)A threshold limit value (TLV) is a recommended ceiling on how much of an airborne substance a worker may breat...
  • Thyroid Transcription Factor-1 (TTF-1)TTF-1 is a protein found inside the nuclei of cells in the thyroid gland and in certain lung cells. Pathologis...
  • Time & Life BuildingThe Time & Life Building is a Manhattan skyscraper at 1271 Avenue of the Americas in Rockefeller Center, compl...
  • Time-Weighted Average (TWA)A time-weighted average is a worker's average exposure over a set period, usually an 8-hour shift, with each c...
  • Tiny RowlandRoland Walter "Tiny" Rowland (1917–1998) was a British businessman and longtime chief executive of Lonrho Plc,...
  • Tissue DigestionTissue digestion is a laboratory technique in which a small sample of lung or other tissue is chemically disso...
  • Tissue MicroenvironmentThe tissue microenvironment is the local biological setting that surrounds cells in an organ, including nearby...
  • TNM ClassificationTNM is the international system doctors use to describe how far a cancer has spread. It combines three letters...
  • TNM StagingTNM staging is a standardized system for describing how far a cancer has spread, using three factors: T for th...
  • TollingTolling is the pausing or extending of a statute of limitations or other filing deadline. A deadline may be to...
  • TortA tort is a civil wrong, an act or failure to act that harms another person and gives the injured person the r...
  • Total Lung Capacity (TLC)Total Lung Capacity is the maximum volume of air the lungs can hold after taking the deepest possible breath i...
  • Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is a U.S. federal law, passed in 1976, that gives the Environmental Pr...
  • Tpa (tonnes per annum)Tpa is an abbreviation meaning "tonnes per annum," or metric tons per year. It is a unit of measurement common...
  • TrabecularTrabecular describes a pattern of tissue made up of small bands, cords, or interconnecting strands called trab...
  • Tract MetastasisA tract metastasis is tumor that grows along the path made by a needle, chest drain, catheter or surgical port...
  • Trans-scrotal ApproachThe trans-scrotal approach is a surgical technique in which a testicular or paratesticular mass is removed thr...
  • Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β)TGF-β is a signaling protein (cytokine) that tells cells when to grow, when to stop, when to specialize, and w...
  • TransiteTransite is a brand name for asbestos-cement products, a hard, durable material made by mixing asbestos fibers...
  • Transitional FibersTransitional fibers are mineral particles whose chemistry, crystal structure, or shape falls between a non-asb...
  • Transitional MesotheliomaTransitional mesothelioma is a histologic pattern of malignant mesothelioma in which the tumor cells show feat...
  • Transitional Tremolite-Anthophyllite-Talc MineralogyThis phrase describes rock and mineral assemblages in which tremolite, anthophyllite, and talc occur together,...
  • TranslocationTranslocation is the movement of inhaled asbestos fibers from the lung airways to other tissues, including the...
  • Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)Transmission Electron Microscopy is a laboratory technique that passes a beam of electrons through an extremel...
  • TransvaalThe Transvaal is a historical region in northeastern South Africa that contained some of the world's most prod...
  • Transvaal Consolidated Land & Exploration (TCL)TCL refers to Transvaal Consolidated Land and Exploration Company, a South African mining group that operated...
  • Trapped LungTrapped lung is a lung that cannot fully re-expand after fluid is drained from around it, because a stiff laye...
  • TrastuzumabTrastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody drug (brand name Herceptin) that targets cells overexpressing the HER2 pr...
  • Treating PhysicianA treating physician is a doctor who cares for a patient for medical reasons, as opposed to an expert hired fo...
  • Treble DamagesTreble damages are a court-ordered award that multiplies the plaintiff's actual (compensatory) damages by thre...
  • TremelimumabTremelimumab is an immunotherapy drug that blocks CTLA-4, a brake on the immune system's T cells, in the same...
  • TremoliteTremolite is a calcium-magnesium silicate mineral in the amphibole family that can grow in two forms: a non-fi...
  • Tremolite-Actinolite SeriesThe tremolite-actinolite series is a continuous group of calcium-magnesium-iron amphibole minerals in which ir...
  • Tremolite-Not-Chrysotile DefenseThis is a legal argument used by defendants who sold or used chrysotile (white) asbestos products. They argue...
  • Tremolite ContaminationTremolite contamination refers to the unintentional presence of tremolite asbestos fibers in a mineral product...
  • TriacetinTriacetin (glycerol triacetate) is a clear, odorless liquid ester of glycerin and acetic acid. In the cigarett...
  • Trial PreferenceA trial preference is a court order that moves a case to the front of the trial calendar so it is heard sooner...
  • Tributer SystemThe tributer system was a labor arrangement used in some asbestos and other mineral mines in which small teams...
  • Trimodality TherapyTrimodality therapy is a treatment approach for mesothelioma that combines three types of treatment: surgery,...
  • Troodos MassifThe Troodos Massif is a large mountainous geological formation in central Cyprus that represents one of the wo...
  • Trust Advisory CommitteeA Trust Advisory Committee is a small group, usually made up of asbestos plaintiffs' lawyers, that represents...
  • Trust Distribution ProceduresTrust Distribution Procedures, often called TDPs, are the written rules an asbestos bankruptcy trust uses to r...
  • TSCA Part 1TSCA Part 1 refers to the first phase of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's risk evaluation of asbesto...
  • TSCA Part 2TSCA Part 2 refers to the second phase of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's risk evaluation of asbest...
  • TSCA Risk EvaluationA TSCA Risk Evaluation is a formal scientific and regulatory review conducted by the U.S. EPA under the Toxic...
  • TSCA section 6TSCA Section 6 is the part of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act that gives the EPA authority to regulat...
  • Tuberculous pleurisyTuberculous pleurisy is inflammation of the pleura (the thin lining around the lungs) caused by infection with...
  • TubuleA tubule is a very small tube-shaped structure in the body, such as those in the kidneys that filter waste or...
  • TubulopapillaryTubulopapillary describes a tissue growth pattern under the microscope in which tumor cells form small tubes (...
  • Tumor-Infiltrating LymphocytesTumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are white blood cells of the immune system, mostly T cells, that have moved out...
  • Tumor BoardA tumor board is a regular meeting of cancer specialists from different fields (including surgeons, medical on...
  • Tumor BurdenTumor burden is the total amount of cancer in a person's body at a given point in time. It reflects the size,...
  • TumorigenesisTumorigenesis is the step-by-step biological process by which normal cells accumulate genetic and molecular da...
  • Tumor MarkerA tumor marker is a substance, often a protein, that can be measured in blood, other fluids, or tissue and may...
  • Tumor MicroenvironmentThe tumor microenvironment is the surrounding tissue, blood vessels, immune cells, and signaling molecules tha...
  • Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB)Tumor Mutational Burden is a measurement of how many genetic mutations are present in the DNA of a cancer's ce...
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α)TNF-α is a signaling protein (a cytokine) released by immune cells, especially macrophages, that drives inflam...
  • Tumor Suppressor GeneA tumor suppressor gene is a normal gene that helps protect cells from becoming cancerous by controlling cell...
  • Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields)Tumor Treating Fields is a non-invasive cancer therapy that delivers low-intensity, alternating electric field...
  • Tunica VaginalisThe tunica vaginalis is a thin, two-layered sac of mesothelial tissue that surrounds each testicle inside the...
  • Turner & NewallTurner & Newall (T&N) was a major British asbestos manufacturing company that became one of the largest asbest...
  • Turner Brothers Asbestos CompanyTurner Brothers Asbestos Company of Rochdale, England, began with packings in the 1870s and became a leading m...
  • Turners Asbestos Cement Co.Turners Asbestos Cement Co. (TAC) was the asbestos-cement company of the British asbestos group Turner & Newal...
  • Twinned CrystalA twinned crystal is a single mineral specimen in which two or more crystal segments have grown together in a...
  • Type LocalityA type locality is the specific geographic place where a mineral was first formally identified and described i...
  • Tyrosine Kinase InhibitorA tyrosine kinase inhibitor, or TKI, is a type of targeted cancer drug that blocks specific enzymes (tyrosine...
  • Tyrosine NitrationTyrosine nitration is a chemical change to proteins in which a nitro group is added to the amino acid tyrosine...

U

  • U.S. Bureau of MinesThe U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) was a federal scientific agency that studied mining, mineral processing, and m...
  • U.S. Maritime CommissionThe U.S. Maritime Commission was a federal agency created in 1936 to rebuild the American merchant marine and...
  • U.S. SteelU.S. Steel, long the country's largest steelmaker, appears in our library mainly as a place where asbestos was...
  • UICCUICC stands for the Union for International Cancer Control, a Geneva-based nongovernmental organization founde...
  • Ultramafic ProtolithAn ultramafic protolith is the original iron- and magnesium-rich parent rock (such as peridotite or dunite) th...
  • Ultramafic RocksUltramafic rocks are igneous or metamorphic rocks with very low silica content (less than about 45%) and very...
  • UltrasoundUltrasound is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce real-time images...
  • Umbilical HerniaAn umbilical hernia is a bulge of abdominal tissue, often fat or a loop of intestine, that pushes through a we...
  • UnarcoUnarco (Union Asbestos and Rubber Company) was a U.S. manufacturer that produced asbestos insulation, textiles...
  • UnibestosUnibestos was a brand of high-temperature pipe and block insulation manufactured primarily with amosite (brown...
  • Unimpaired ClaimantAn unimpaired claimant is a person who has been exposed to asbestos, and may show markers of exposure such as...
  • Union CarbideUnion Carbide Corporation was a large American chemical company that mined and sold chrysotile asbestos from i...
  • United States Asbestos CompanyThe United States Asbestos Company was an asbestos textile maker founded in 1906 at Manheim, Pennsylvania, whi...
  • United States Gypsum CompanyUnited States Gypsum, the Chicago maker of Sheetrock and Red Top plaster, used asbestos in joint compounds, ac...
  • United States Rubber CompanyThe United States Rubber Company, renamed Uniroyal in 1967, was a large maker of tires and rubber goods whose...
  • UnresectableUnresectable means a tumor cannot be completely removed with surgery. This may be because the cancer has sprea...
  • Unresectable Pleural MesotheliomaUnresectable pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs (pleura) that cannot be completely re...
  • UnseaworthinessUnseaworthiness is a claim that lets a seaman recover from a vessel's owner when the ship, its equipment or it...
  • UralasbestUralasbest (the Uralasbest Combine) is a Russian industrial complex in the town of Asbest, in the Ural Mountai...
  • Ural OrogenyThe Ural Orogeny is the prolonged mountain-building event, occurring roughly 320 to 240 million years ago, tha...
  • Urea FormaldehydeUrea formaldehyde is a hard, heat-resistant synthetic resin made by reacting urea with formaldehyde. It was wi...
  • USG Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement TrustThe USG Asbestos Personal Injury Settlement Trust is a court-supervised compensation fund created by United St...
  • USGS Minerals YearbookThe USGS Minerals Yearbook is an annual publication of the United States Geological Survey that documents the...

V

  • VA Disability CompensationVA disability compensation is a tax-free monthly payment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to veter...
  • Val-des-SourcesVal-des-Sources is a town in the Estrie region of Quebec, Canada, that was known as Asbestos from its founding...
  • Val TremolaVal Tremola is a steep alpine valley in the Swiss canton of Ticino, on the southern approach to the Gotthard P...
  • Vandiver BrownVandiver Brown was the chief in-house attorney for Johns-Manville Corporation from the 1930s until 1952, a per...
  • Vandiver Brown CommunicationsVandiver Brown Communications are letters, memos, and other written exchanges involving Vandiver Brown, who se...
  • VEGF inhibitorsVEGF inhibitors are drugs that block vascular endothelial growth factor, a signaling protein tumors use to gro...
  • VenueVenue is the specific court, usually a particular county or judicial district, where a lawsuit is filed and tr...
  • vermiculiteVermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that expands dramatically when heated, producing a lightweight, f...
  • Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS)VATS is a minimally invasive chest surgery in which a surgeon makes a few small incisions between the ribs and...
  • Vimasco CorporationVimasco Corporation of Nitro, West Virginia made mastics, coatings, sealers and adhesives used over industrial...
  • VinorelbineVinorelbine is a chemotherapy drug given by IV infusion or as an oral capsule, used to treat non-small cell lu...
  • Vinyl-Asbestos TileVinyl-asbestos tile (VAT) is a type of resilient floor tile manufactured from polyvinyl chloride resin, plasti...
  • Visceral PleuraThe visceral pleura is the thin, slippery membrane that wraps directly around each lung and dips into the fiss...
  • Visual Area EstimationVisual area estimation is the way most labs report how much asbestos is in a bulk sample: the analyst looks at...
  • VitreousVitreous means glass-like, describing a material with the appearance, luster, or non-crystalline structure of...
  • VitronectinVitronectin is a protein found in blood and in the matrix between cells that helps cells stick to surfaces, su...
  • Vitronectin-Mediated EndocytosisVitronectin-mediated endocytosis is a cellular process in which asbestos fibers become coated with a blood and...
  • Voir DireVoir dire is the pretrial process in which prospective jurors are questioned by the attorneys and/or judge to...
  • von Kobell, FranzFranz von Kobell (1803–1882) was a German mineralogist at the University of Munich who described and named sev...
  • Vorwald, ArthurDr. Arthur J. Vorwald (1905–1974) was an American pathologist who directed the Saranac Laboratory in New York...
  • Vorwald LettersThe Vorwald Letters are a collection of correspondence between Dr. Arthur J. Vorwald, an industrial medicine r...

W

  • W.R. GraceW.R. Grace & Co. is a specialty chemicals and materials company that, from 1963 to 1990, owned and operated a...
  • Wagner 1960 StudyThe Wagner 1960 study was a landmark medical report that established the link between asbestos exposure and ma...
  • Walton-Beckett graticuleThe Walton-Beckett graticule is a small circular grid etched onto a glass disk that fits inside the eyepiece o...
  • Wandrag mineWandrag Mine was a chrysotile (white asbestos) mine located in the Barberton region of Mpumalanga (formerly th...
  • Wards of the admiralty"Wards of the Admiralty" is a long-standing legal doctrine recognizing that seamen, because they historically...
  • War Production BoardThe War Production Board (WPB) was a U.S. federal agency created in 1942 to direct industrial output during Wo...
  • Washington Naval TreatyThe Washington Naval Treaty was a 1922 arms-limitation agreement among the United States, United Kingdom, Japa...
  • Watchful WaitingWatchful waiting is a medical management approach in which a doctor monitors a patient's condition with regula...
  • Welding Rod CoatingA welding rod coating (or flux coating) is the outer layer surrounding the metal core of a stick-welding elect...
  • Well-Differentiated"Well-differentiated" describes cancer cells that, when viewed under a microscope, still look and behave a lot...
  • Well-Differentiated Papillary MesotheliomaWell-differentiated papillary mesothelioma (WDPM) is a rare tumor that grows from the lining (mesothelium) of...
  • Welten 2022Welten 2022 refers to a Dutch occupational epidemiology study that provided updated risk estimates for mesothe...
  • Westinghouse Electric CorporationWestinghouse Electric Corporation of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was one of the country's largest makers of...
  • Wheeler Protective Apparel, Inc.Wheeler Protective Apparel, Inc., of Chicago made safety clothing, including gloves, mittens, aprons, leggings...
  • WhitewashIn the context of asbestos science, "whitewash" refers to the deliberate effort by industry-funded researchers...
  • Whittaker, Clark & DanielsWhittaker, Clark & Daniels was a New York mineral and pigment supplier, later based in New Jersey, that for fo...
  • WHO ClassificationThe WHO Classification is the World Health Organization's official system for naming and categorizing tumors b...
  • WHO Counting ConventionThe WHO Counting Convention is a standardized rule, established by the World Health Organization, for deciding...
  • Wilms Tumor 1 (WT-1)WT-1 is a gene that produces a protein involved in normal cell growth and development. In mesothelioma diagnos...
  • winchiteWinchite is a sodium-calcium-magnesium amphibole mineral that, when it grows in long, thin, separable fibers,...
  • Wipe SamplingWipe sampling collects settled dust by wiping a measured area of a surface with a moistened wipe, which is the...
  • WittenoomWittenoom is a former mining town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia where blue asbestos (crocidolite)...
  • WollastoniteWollastonite is a white calcium silicate mineral that often forms long, needle-shaped crystals. It has been us...
  • Woodsreef MineThe Woodsreef Mine is a former chrysotile (white asbestos) mine and mill located near Barraba in New South Wal...
  • Workers’ CompensationWorkers' compensation is a state-run insurance system that pays medical bills and partial wage replacement to...
  • Work HistoryA work history is a detailed record of the jobs a person held over their lifetime, including employers, job ti...
  • Work Practice SimulationA work practice simulation is a study in which people reproduce a task, such as sanding joint compound, cuttin...
  • Work Product DoctrineThe work product doctrine protects documents and materials prepared by or for a party or its lawyer in anticip...
  • Writ of MandamusA writ of mandamus is an order from a higher court directing a lower court or a government official to perform...
  • Wrongful DeathA wrongful death claim is a civil lawsuit brought by the surviving family members or estate of a person whose...

X

  • X-Ray Diffraction (XRD)X-Ray Diffraction is a laboratory technique that identifies minerals by measuring how X-rays bounce off the re...

Y

  • Yancey CountyYancey County is a rural county in the mountains of western North Carolina that contained one of the largest c...

Z

  • ZeoliteZeolites are a large family of microporous aluminosilicate minerals with a rigid framework of channels and cav...
  • Zimbabwe CratonThe Zimbabwe Craton is an ancient, stable block of continental crust in southern Africa containing rocks more...
  • Zoned Alkaline-Ultramafic IntrusionA zoned alkaline-ultramafic intrusion is a deep igneous rock body, roughly circular in shape, formed when alka...
  • ZonoliteZonolite was the brand name for a vermiculite-based attic insulation sold in millions of American homes from t...

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