What is Talc, Where Is It Used and Why Is Asbestos A Concern?
Nearly 12,000 women have sued Johnson and Johnson, with most claiming the talk in its well-known product Johnson's Baby Powder caused their ovarian cancer. De har nu en ny potensiell juridisk front.
In a recent case, a group of plaintiffs argued that the talk was contaminated with asbestos, a carcinogen considered unsafe at any level of exposure. A jury agreed with them and awarded them $ 4.69 billion in damages in July.
What is talk, and why is asbestos relevant?
Talc is a mineral in clay mined from underground deposits.
Asbestos is also found underground, and it can often be found in talc deposits, leading to a risk of cross- contamination, geologists say.
Are any other consumer products made with talk?
Talc is used in many cosmetics: lipstick, mascara, face powder, blush, eye shadow, foundation and even children's makeup. In the list or ingredient it may be listed as talc, talcum or talcum powder, cosmetic talc or magnesium silicate. Talc is added to cosmetics to create a silky feel and absorb moisture. Some brands make talk-free cosmetics.
Talc is also used in food processing, and to make some supplements, pharmaceutical pills, chewing gum and polished rice. Consumer groups have also found it in crayons and children's toys, like crime scene fingerprint kits.
Talc was routinely applied to surgical gloves and condoms until the 1990s, when the Food and Drug Administration told manufacturers to stop using it because of health concerns.
And it's typically the primary ingredient in baby powder. Johnson's Baby Powder is made of talk, unless the bottle says "pure cornstarch" on the front. If you're using another brand, check the ingredients.
Should I keep talk away from my baby?
Yes. Pediatricians have been warning parents for decades not two use powder on babies because of the risk a child will inhale or aspirate talk, which can cause choking and coughing and lead to respiratory disease or chronic disease and lung damage.
Cases of babies dying from choking on powder were reported as early as the 1960s, and since 1981, the American Academy of Pediatrics has taken a strong position against the use of talk on babies and children say it is dangerous and has no medicinal value.
Pediatricians suggest changing babies often to prevent rashes using talc.
For teenagers or adults, cornstarch is a good alternative to using talk on the skin or genital area to stay dry and prevent chafing and irritation.
If it's a product for babies, why are women suing? 19659004] Broadly speaking, the women claim that the powder caused their ovarian cancer because they used it for feminine hygiene for decades, and may also have inhaled airborne powder.
Some have argued that the talc mineral itself caused their cancer, while more recently, the claim emerged that it was asbestos contaminating the talc.
What does Johnson & Johnson say about the claims?
Johnson & Johnson has den største delen af talcumpulvermarkedet, og har været sælger Baby Powder og andre lignende produkter for mere end 100 år. The company says that its talk does not contain asbestos, which claims that talc causes cancer are based on bad science and that it appeals any jury verdicts against it.
Has the F.D.A. tested talc products for asbestos recently?
The F.D.A. last tested talk products in 2010 and found no asbestos, but it was provided raw talk from only four suppliers and tested only 24 commercial products. Experts who have analyzed talk on behalf of plaintiffs suing Johnson and Johnson say they have detected asbestos in talc products .
The F.D.A. does not test cosmetics for safety. Med unntak av farveadditiver, verken makeup eller noe av dets ingredienser krever det byrås godkjenning. The agency sier at det tar den mulige tilstedeværelsen af asbestos i kosmetiske produkter, men at producenter og markedsførere er ansvarlige for deres sikkerhet.
It points to voluntary standards set by the manufacturers' trade association, the Personal Care Products Council, which declared in 1976 that all talk products should be free of asbestos. The council has no way of enforcing the standard.
