Basics

New!  Common dust masks and respirators

Frequently Asked Questions

U.S. Government research on fiberglass's effects on human DNA. Damage to DNA, the building blocks of human life, is thought to be a first step toward cancer. This research shows fiberglass has the capacity to damage human DNA.

"Keeping Warm and Staying Healthy," by the Natural Resources Defense Council compares the merits and hazards of the leading types of home insulation used in the United States. FIN has summarized the report. We also sell it through the mail.

The fiberglass manufacturing plant in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada was one of the dirtiest. An epidemiological study in the mid 1980s showed Sarnia fiberglass workers' lung cancer rate to be roughly double that of the general population. The plant closed in 1991, but the workers are still sick. The Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) has been helping former Owens Corning Fiberglas workers from Sarnia with workers' compensation claims. OHCOW wrote a report about its experiences and the knowledge gleaned from these workers.

Li Fellers contacted us in 1994, while working for ABC television's 20/20. A determined researcher, Li gathered leads and went to work. Less than a year later, she claimed to have found, among other things, a "smoking gun."  ABC television refused to produce her story. In 1996, Fellers surfaced at the Washington Post, where she teamed up with writer Peter Perl to finally tell her story. It ran on June 22, 1997. 

John Bowers of the Healthy House Institute has written an extensive article about the hazards of fiberglass.  He cites case studies and other interesting statistics.  Read it here.

In June, 1994, the Seventh Annual Report on Carcinogens was approved by the U.S. government.  This document listed glass fibers of respirable size as a substance "reasonably anticipated to cause cancer in humans." The fiberglass industry had lost a highly visible battle over their product.  But that does not mean the war is over; far from it.  The Ninth Annual Report on Carcinogens was just released; read what it has to say about fiberglass.

OSHA names mineral fibers a health hazard priority. Synthetic mineral fibers are one of 18 groups of substances picked by OSHA as a priority for action. Robert Horowitz of Victims of Fiberglass nominated mineral fibers for the priority list in 1994.

If you or someone you loved was injured by a dangerous product, you'd be angry. How would you feel to learn others had been injured, had won settlements for their injury, and that the settlements were covered up? How mad would you be to learn such secrecy agreements are perfectly legal? FIN thinks secrecy agreements ought to be outlawed. Read why.

Worried that your house may be contaminated with fiberglass?  Find out for sure.

Know that your house is contaminated with fiberglass, but can't afford an expensive cleaning by an environmental company?  Here's what you need to do.

Need some tips on how to heal your body after a fiberglass exposure?  These common-sense approaches are inexpensive and natural, and may help.

A discussion of total dust control which followed a work stoppage at a large Toronto construction project.

Who is most likely to be injured by fiberglass exposure? Can you be exposed at home? What stops victims from coming forward? How do I know if I may be suffering from fiberglass-related maladies? Bob Horowitz, Chairman of the Victims of Fiberglass non-profit corporation, lectured on these questions in Germany in 1995. Read his lecture.

Environmental Research Foundation

ERF is a non-profit organization which produces Rachel's Health and Environment Weekly.  ERF is one of the world's best sources for information on pollution and its effects on people and the environment.  Pertinent Rachel's issues include:

• #444 - A Carcinogen That's Everywhere, 06-01-95

• #367 - Donna Shalala, Secretary Of HHS, Bends The Rules For The Fiber Glass Industry, 12-09-93

• #74 - New Air Pollution From Landfills: Asbestos And Fiberglass Hazards, 04-25-88

You can search ERF's database of back-issues for authoritative, fully cited articles about almost any environmental health subject.