Asbestos Exposure Brooklyn
Home to approximately 2.5 million residents, Brooklyn holds the title of the most populous borough in the state of New York and the second most populated in the country. Filled with high rise apartments and condos, this eclectic borough boasts a unique architectural and cultural identity and is full of ethnic neighborhoods, each with their own personality.
Jobs in Brooklyn were traditionally concentrated mostly in manufacturing, but business experts note that since the late 1970s, the borough has made a transition from a manufacturing-based to a service-based economy. Prior to that, however, many of the people who lived in Brooklyn worked in manufacturing, including furniture, pharmaceutical, food product, and fabricated metal plants. In addition, shipbuilding was a major Brooklyn industry for many, many years.
Many of these industries made use of asbestos in their factories and yards, and for decades their employees were readily exposed to this toxic mineral, which was used as an insulator because of its excellent heat- and fire-resistant properties. Hence, many individuals who lived and/or worked in Brooklyn were later diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases, including lung scarring, asbestosis, or mesothelioma cancer.
Shipyards
One of the locations that posed the highest risk for asbestos exposure was the very prolific Brooklyn Navy Yard, which was founded in 1801. Producer of the first steam powered war ship, this busy yard employed some 16,000 people during World War I and in excess of 70,000 workers during the World War II years, including many women. During this era, the Brooklyn Navy Yard was one of the top producers of war-time ships, with employees staffing the yard 24 hours a day in order to build ships, many of which would eventually became famous during the 2nd World War, including the USS Arizona, Iowa, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oriskany, and Bon Homme Richard.
Other shipyards were also located in Brooklyn for many years, including Todds Brooklyn, which employed about 2,000 workers during World War II when the facility performed conversions of civilian vessels for naval purposes and performed repair on damaged craft.
From just prior to World War II until the mid 1970s, the U.S. military made extensive use of asbestos in their ships. Because of its stellar insulating abilities, the material was used literally all over the ship, from the boiler room to the galley. Those who worked aboard the ship as insulators, steamfitters, pipefitters, electricians, or welders were undoubtedly exposed regularly to the mineral as were others who may not have even worked directly with asbestos. There are even cases of secondhand exposure among shipyard office workers who inhaled asbestos from the clothes of co-workers or via particles that regularly circulated through the air. Those who repaired military ships were also subject to exposure from damaged asbestos.
Housing and Schools
Brooklyn is full of old high-rise apartments and other weathered homes that probably contain asbestos insulation. Any repairs or renovations to these older homes could potentially result in asbestos exposure if not carried out properly. In addition, low-income renters may be living in apartments where damaged asbestos continues to be a hazard.
Also, many of the public schools in Brooklyn were built during the Depression or during the population boom that occurred from the post World War II years through the 1970s. During this time, the use of asbestos extended to the schools, where floor and ceiling tiles, stage curtains, walls, and boiler rooms may have contained asbestos. While many schools have been renovated, others may continue to pose a concern.