Documentary Podcast Series

Asbestos: A Conspiracy 4,500 Years in the Making

52 episodes tracing the complete history of asbestos — from 4700 BCE Finnish pottery to the 2024 EPA ban. How corporations suppressed evidence of deadly hazards while workers and families died.

16 episodes available · New episodes every Monday · Season 1: 2025–2026

What This Series Covers

In 1918, insurance companies refused to cover asbestos workers. They considered the risk too obvious to bet money on. Over the next 55 years, corporations marketed asbestos as a "magic mineral," put it in 3,000+ consumer products, got it written into building codes, and buried every study showing it killed people. Peak U.S. consumption hit 803,000 metric tons in 1973 — the same year the EPA finally banned spray-applied asbestos. By then, tens of millions had been exposed. This podcast tells the full story, from the first known use 4,700 years ago to the EPA's 2024 comprehensive ban, using court documents, corporate memos, and medical records the industry tried to destroy.

52

Episodes tracing 4,500 years of asbestos history

~3,000

Americans diagnosed with mesothelioma every year

$30B+

Available in asbestos trust funds for victims

Episode Guide

The series is organized into story arcs that follow the chronological history of asbestos — from ancient wonder material to corporate cover-up to modern reckoning.

Arc 1: The Ancient World

4700 BCE – 100 CE

Discovery, wonder, and early uses of asbestos — from 4700 BCE Finnish pottery to the fall of Rome

Arc 2: Medieval and Renaissance

1165 – 1720s

Royal tablecloths, salamander myths, and Marco Polo — how asbestos became legend

Arc 3: The Industrial Revolution

1858 – 1973

Mines, factories, brake pads, and consumer products — asbestos goes from curiosity to industry

Arc 4: The Warnings Ignored

1898 – 1935

Doctors documented the deaths. Insurers refused coverage. Corporations buried the evidence.

EP15 The Body Count Begins
EP16 The Doctors Who Knew
EP17 Asbestosis Gets a Name
EP19 Two Prosecutions

Arc 5: The Conspiracy Begins

1930 – 1943

Corporate cover-up at industrial scale — suppressed studies, secret memos, buried science

EP20 Less Said About Asbestos
EP21 Asbestos Textile Institute
EP22 The Saranac Coverup
EP23 Animal Studies They Buried
EP24 The Paper Trail

Arc 6: The War Effort

1939 – 1960s

WWII shipyards, mass exposure, and the generation that built the fleet — then got sick

EP00S Magic Mineral at War (Special)
EP25 The Navy Comes Calling
EP26 The Shipyards Never Sleep
EP27 Women of the Shipyards
EP28 Wartime Production, Peacetime Deaths
EP29 The Shipyard Generation

Arc 7: The Reckoning

1963 – 1978

The truth emerges — whistleblowers, document discovery, and the fight for justice

EP30 Selikoff's Warning
EP31 The Invisible Enemy Within

More to Come

The series continues through 10 story arcs plus an epilogue, covering the legal reckoning, 9/11 aftermath, ongoing modern exposure, and geographic profiles of the places that made us sick. Episodes 32–52 are in development.

Arc 8: Legal Reckoning (1982 – 2001)
Arc 9: The Ongoing Cover-Up (2001 – Present)
Arc 10: Places That Made Us Sick
Epilogue: Where We Stand

About This Series

Asbestos: A Conspiracy 4,500 Years in the Making is produced by Danziger & De Llano, LLP, a nationwide mesothelioma law firm with over 30 years of experience and nearly $2 billion recovered for asbestos victims. The series uses court documents, corporate memos, medical journals, and insurance records to tell the story the asbestos industry spent decades trying to suppress.

New episodes release every Monday. The series runs 52 episodes across Season 1 (December 2025 through December 2026), plus a special preview episode.

Our companion podcast, MESO: The Mesothelioma Podcast, covers patient advocacy, treatment options, and survivor stories for those currently facing a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Asbestos Conspiracy podcast about?

This is a 52-episode documentary series tracing the complete history of asbestos from 4700 BCE Finnish pottery to the 2024 EPA ban. The series reveals how corporations knew asbestos was deadly, suppressed the evidence, and continued selling products that killed workers and families — the largest corporate cover-up in history.

How many episodes are in the Asbestos podcast?

The series includes 52 episodes plus a special preview episode, organized into 10 story arcs spanning from the ancient world through the modern era. New episodes release weekly on Mondays throughout 2026.

Where can I listen to the Asbestos podcast?

The podcast is available on all major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, Podcast Index, Podchaser, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and Player FM.

Who produces the Asbestos Conspiracy podcast?

The podcast is produced by Danziger & De Llano, LLP, a nationwide mesothelioma law firm with over 30 years of experience and nearly $2 billion recovered for asbestos victims.

Can people still get mesothelioma from asbestos exposure?

Yes. Approximately 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. The disease has a latency period of 20-50 years, meaning people exposed decades ago in homes, workplaces, or military service are still being diagnosed today. Over $30 billion is available in asbestos trust funds for victims.

Were You or a Loved One Exposed to Asbestos?

If the history in this podcast sounds familiar — if you worked in a shipyard, factory, or construction site, or lived in a home with asbestos products — you may be entitled to compensation. Over $30 billion is available in asbestos trust funds.

Or visit dandell.com for more information.