Talc Tales: 2. Never 100% clean

How They Made Us Doubt Everything

In the 1970s, a scientist discovers asbestos fibres in talcum powder. After Mineralogist Arthur Langer discovered asbestos fibres in the lungs of normal people in New York, he set out to investigate the source. How could people just going about their daily lives, not working directly with asbestos products, have been exposed? He started testing talcum powders and was surprised to find many products contained asbestos fibres. His findings made a splash in the newspapers, but how would industry respond?

Arthur’s work put him on a list of ‘antagonistic personalities’, carrying out an ‘attack on talc’ at Johnson and Johnson headquarters – a major producer of talcum powder at the time. But internal company memos now reveal that Johnson and Johnson had been testing their talc supply for asbestos fibres in the early 1970s and they had been finding it as well. In the words of one internal memo: ‘It should be cautioned, however, that no final product will ever be made, which will be totally free from respirable particles. We’re talking about a significant reduction, but not a 100% clean-up.’

Presenter and Producer: Phoebe Keane Sound mix: James Beard Series Editor: Matt Willis