Health Effects of Environmental Asbestos Exposure

Health implications of environmental exposure to asbestos.

The health impact of environmental pollution resulting from the industrial use of asbestos can be assessed in three ways. First, there are the direct epidemiological surveys. These indicate that domestic exposure has been responsible for cases of mesothelioma and possibly lung cancer and radiological changes in family contacts of asbestos workers. Exposure in the neighborhood of crocidolite min...

Effects on health of exposure to asbestos

Environmental asbestos exposure sources in Korea

BACKGROUND Because of the long asbestos-related disease latencies (10-50 years), detection, diagnosis, and epidemiologic studies require asbestos exposure history. However, environmental asbestos exposure source (EAES) data are lacking. OBJECTIVES To survey the available data for past EAES and supplement these data with interviews. METHODS We constructed an EAES database using a literature ...

Environmental exposure to Libby Asbestos and mesotheliomas.

BACKGROUND Thirty-one cases of mesothelioma resulting from exposure to Libby Asbestos have been identified from Libby, Montana. Eleven cases not previously reported are the subject of this report. METHODS These cases are in non-occupationally exposed people, appearing to have resulted from exposure to contamination of the community, the surrounding forested area, and areas in proximity to the...

Asbestos: mining exposure, health effects and policy implications

The purpose of this paper is to review research in the health effects and risks associated with exposure to asbestos and then to use this scientific evidence to analyze the implications of Canada's current policy on the use, manufacturing and export of asbestos. The review begins with a brief historical introduction to asbestos, and then moves on to look at the risks associated with asbestos ex...