Maryland Asbestos Resources

Asbestos in Maryland

Maryland has a mix of industries that is similar to its New England neighbor states to the north.  It is a waterfront state (home to the U.S. Naval Academy) with several shipyards that were in operation as far back as the nineteenth century.  The state has a dense population, which means it has a large number of power plants providing electricity.   Maryland was industrialized fairly early on, when railroads were the principal method of interstate shipment.  All of these industries are known for the use of asbestos for processing equipment; that turned out to mean high rates of exposure to hazardous asbestos fibers for Maryland's workers.

Inhaling asbestos fibers can lead to scarring of the lungs, a condition called asbestosis that causes shortness of breath and chest pain.  It can also cause malignant mesothelioma, a form of cancer that affects the outer lining of the lungs and often spreads from there.  One of the unusual properties of mesothelioma is that it often takes decades for those asbestos fibers to work their way into the membranes that develop cancer, so the symptoms of the disease often do not appear until decades after the initial exposure to asbestos occurred.

In Maryland, many of the industries that populate the state's waterfronts and urban areas were built up when asbestos was still in use as insulation and as a component in many industrial and consumer products.  Houses built in Maryland before 1975 probably have asbestos insulation in the walls, may have asbestos roofing and inside may have ceiling tiles or flooring containing asbestos.

The state's steel mills, oil refineries, chemical companies and many older commercial buildings all have or had the capacity to cause hazardous asbestos exposure.  The Maryland businesses and jobsites listed below are all believed to be potential asbestos exposure locations.  The reason that there are so many hospitals and commercial business structures is that they were built more that thirty five years ago.  If you were employed at one of these sites you should talk with your doctor about the impact of asbestos exposure, no matter how long ago it was.  If you are a victim of asbestos exposure, an experienced attorney can get you the compensation to which you are entitled.

Mortality in Maryland Caused by Asbestos

Maryland has a high number of asbestos related deaths in relation to its size and population. A study of recorded deaths caused by asbestos exposure from 1979 to 2000 shows that during that period Maryland had 633 deaths due to asbestosis.  The mesothelioma fatality total was somewhere between 453 and 747.  The range is due to the fact that some deaths were probably recorded as cancer of the lungs or some other more common affliction when the primary cancer source was mesothelioma.

In 1999 the federal government began tracking mesothelioma deaths.  Their figures show that 320 Maryland residents died of mesothelioma cancer between 1999 and the end of 2004.  While many of the jobsites that once contained asbestos may have been cleaned up or closed, clearly mesothelioma is continuing to claim lives.

Cancer treatment in Maryland

The National Cancer Institute has declared sixty four prominent medical facilities to be cancer control centers; forty one of those sites are designated "comprehensive" control sites, which means that they are engaged in both research and treatment.  Maryland has two of them, including the top-flight Johns Hopkins University health center.

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Care Center
Johns Hopkins University
401 North Broadway
The Weinberg Building, Suite 1100
Baltimore, Maryland 21231
Tel: (410) 955-8822
Fax: (410) 955-6787

Greenebaum Cancer Center
University of Maryland
22 South Greene Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Tel: (410) 328-7904
Fax: (410) 328-3018