01. Asbestos Use in Zonolite Insulation
Why Was Asbestos Used in Zonolite Insulation?
Zonolite is a brand name of loose-fill vermiculite attic insulation sold from the 1940s to the 1980s. The vermiculite used in Zonolite attic insulation came from a mine in利比，蒙大拿州。利比矿被污染颤音石棉。As a result, Zonolite attic insulation likely containsasbestos。
Vermiculite insulation is typically a silver-gold or gray-brown color. The insulation particles are approximately the size of pebbles and designed to be poured onto an attic floor.
Zonolite绝缘材料很受欢迎，因为它轻巧且耐火。在美国，该产品用于隔离数以百万计的家庭。
石棉Zonolite绝缘历史
- 其他名称: Vermiculite insulation
- 制造年：1940 - 1984
- Places Used: Attics
- 石棉Use Banned： 不
- Noteworthy Brands:W.R.恩典，Zonolite
Zonolite公司是第一个生产Zonolite绝缘的公司。1963年，W.R. Grace＆Company购买了Zonolite Company并将隔热产品出售到1984年。
During the 1980s,asbestos laws regulated asbestos usein the United States. Although Zonolite Attic Insulation is no longer manufactured, it may still be present in many homes.
Dangers of Vermiculite Insulation
ver虫本身并不危险。但是，在美国，大多数ver虫都被石棉污染。美国大约80％的ver石在蒙大拿州的利比开采。环境保护署（EPA）说，房主应假设所有果蝇隔热材料可能被石棉污染。
In a 2012 study, researchers tested vermiculite attic insulation in 40 homes. Amphibole asbestos was present in all the insulation samples.
Zonolite attic insulation is friable and may be a health risk. The EPA recommends Zonolite insulation should only be removed by an asbestos abatement professional. To further prevent exposure, homeowners should avoid going into their attics or storing items in their attics. This could disturb the asbestos insulation.
如果asbestos-containing materials被不当去除，附近的个体可能会暴露于石棉纤维。吸入或摄入石棉灰尘可能会导致asbestosis,肺癌or万博专业版。
02. List of Asbestos Zonolite Products
Zonolite Products Made by W.R. Grace
从1963年到1990年，W.R. Grace生产了各种Zonolite品牌产品。一些产品也由Zonolite Company在1963年之前生产。尽管Zonolite的隔热层仍然是石棉的主要暴露问题，但其他Zonolite品牌产品也被发现含有石棉。W.R. Grace生产的Zonolite产品包括：
| Product Name | 开始年 | 结束年 |
|---|---|---|
| Ari-Zonolite板纹理 | 1961年 | 1964年 |
| Zonolite Acoustical Plaster | 1945 | 1972年 |
| Zonolite绝缘Cement | 1945 | 1972年 |
| Zonolite Mono-Kote (MK-3) | 1959年 | 1973年 |
| Zonolite Spra-Insulation | 1960年 | 1973年 |
| Zonolite Spra-Tex | 1955年 | 1972年 |
| Perltex Super-40 | 1966年 | 1973年 |
这些产品是用石棉污染的ver石制成的。与Zonolite产品接触的个人可能会冒险asbestos exposure。
03. Zonolite绝缘和石棉暴露
谁有扎诺醇绝缘的石棉暴露的风险？
在房屋翻新或拆除期间，承包商和其他建筑工人可能会风险暴露于Zonolite阁楼绝缘。如今，绝缘产品可能仍然存在于数百万套房屋中。这也使房主有曝光的风险。
Former W.R. Grace employees may have also experienced exposure. People who mined the vermiculite for the production of Zonolite insulation also risked exposure. The vermiculite mines in Libby to produce these products led to widespread contamination.
The EPA started cleaning up the Libby asbestos site in 1999 and completed cleanup in 2018. However, Libby residents and workers continue to be diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases because of the long潜伏期。
从暴露于Zonolite绝缘的石棉疾病的人可能有资格提起诉讼。
04. Asbestos Lawsuits
石棉Lawsuits, Settlements & Other Compensation
Thousands of asbestos victims have filed lawsuits against W.R. Grace after exposure to Zonolite insulation. In 2001, W.R. Grace filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Until the company’s bankruptcy filing, it had faced more than 65,000asbestos-related lawsuits涉及近130,000名原告。
作为W.R. Grace的破产程序的一部分，该公司建立了两个信托基金:
- W.R. Grace＆Company人身伤害信托：创建是为了补偿患有间皮瘤或其他石棉疾病的当前和未来石棉受害者。万博专业版
- Zonolite阁楼绝缘信托：为房主去除Zonolite阁楼绝缘材料的部分覆盖封装或减排成本。该信托可能会偿还索赔人的减少成本的55％。
W.R.恩典beganaccepting trust fund claims in 2014。那些暴露于Zonolite绝缘的人，后来发展石棉疾病的人可能会提出信托基金索赔。
Together, the trusts are funded with more than $4 billion. Both trusts use a payment percentage to pay out eligible claimants. This ensures the trusts can maintain funds for future claimants.
The payout percentage for the personal injury trust is currently 35%. Compensation amounts will vary based on various factors. For instance, the claimant’s age, diagnosis and exposure history, as well as the law firm’s settlement history, can impact the award.
经济补偿from an asbestos trust fund claim may help patients and their loved onespay for treatmentand other expenses.
