Arthur L Frank1, T K Joshi2. 1. Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: alf26@drexel.edu. 2. Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Asbestos continues to be used in large quantities around the world and to be an important commodity in global trade. OBJECTIVE: To assess and quantify current global patterns of asbestos production, export and use; to examine global patterns of asbestos-related disease; and to examine barriers to an asbestos ban. METHOD: Review of the biomedical literature describing patterns of asbestos exposure and disease; review of documents from national governments, UN agencies, and NGOs on asbestos production and use. FINDINGS: Despite widespread knowledge of the hazards of asbestos and bans on any use of asbestos in more than 50 countries, an estimated 2 million tons of asbestos continue to be used around the world each year. Although this amount is significantly less than peak annual consumption of nearly 5 million tons two decades ago, significant amounts of asbestos are still used in India, China, Russia, and some developing countries. This use of asbestos is responsible for disease today and will cause still more asbestos-related disease in the years ahead. Real and artificially manufactured controversies regarding asbestos such as arguments about the relative hazards of different asbestos fiber types and fiber sizes have impeded bans on asbestos. CONCLUSIONS: All forms of asbestos pose grave dangers to human health. All are proven human carcinogens. There is no continued justification for the use of asbestos. Its production and use should be banned worldwide.
BACKGROUND:Asbestos continues to be used in large quantities around the world and to be an important commodity in global trade. OBJECTIVE: To assess and quantify current global patterns of asbestos production, export and use; to examine global patterns of asbestos-related disease; and to examine barriers to an asbestos ban. METHOD: Review of the biomedical literature describing patterns of asbestos exposure and disease; review of documents from national governments, UN agencies, and NGOs on asbestos production and use. FINDINGS: Despite widespread knowledge of the hazards of asbestos and bans on any use of asbestos in more than 50 countries, an estimated 2 million tons of asbestos continue to be used around the world each year. Although this amount is significantly less than peak annual consumption of nearly 5 million tons two decades ago, significant amounts of asbestos are still used in India, China, Russia, and some developing countries. This use of asbestos is responsible for disease today and will cause still more asbestos-related disease in the years ahead. Real and artificially manufactured controversies regarding asbestos such as arguments about the relative hazards of different asbestos fiber types and fiber sizes have impeded bans on asbestos. CONCLUSIONS: All forms of asbestos pose grave dangers to human health. All are proven human carcinogens. There is no continued justification for the use of asbestos. Its production and use should be banned worldwide.
Authors: Miroslav Klán; Petra Pokorná; David Havlíček; Ondřej Vik; Martin Racek; Jiří Plocek; Jan Hovorka Journal: Environ Sci Pollut Res Int Date: 2018-08-30 Impact factor: 4.223
Authors: Clementina Mesaros; Andrew J Worth; Nathaniel W Snyder; Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou; Anil Vachani; Steven M Albelda; Ian A Blair Journal: Bioanalysis Date: 2015 Impact factor: 2.681
Authors: Raphael Bueno; Eric W Stawiski; Leonard D Goldstein; Steffen Durinck; Assunta De Rienzo; Zora Modrusan; Florian Gnad; Thong T Nguyen; Bijay S Jaiswal; Lucian R Chirieac; Daniele Sciaranghella; Nhien Dao; Corinne E Gustafson; Kiara J Munir; Jason A Hackney; Amitabha Chaudhuri; Ravi Gupta; Joseph Guillory; Karen Toy; Connie Ha; Ying-Jiun Chen; Jeremy Stinson; Subhra Chaudhuri; Na Zhang; Thomas D Wu; David J Sugarbaker; Frederic J de Sauvage; William G Richards; Somasekar Seshagiri Journal: Nat Genet Date: 2016-02-29 Impact factor: 38.330
Authors: Matthew J Soeberg; Mai Anh Luong; Van Thuan Tran; Anh Thanh Tran; Thị Thu Huyen Nguyen; Dieu Bui; Thi Hoai Nga Nguyen; Ken Takahashi; Nico van Zandwijk Journal: Int J Occup Environ Health Date: 2016-07-08
Authors: Manuela Valenzuela; Margarita Giraldo; Sonia Gallo-Murcia; Juliana Pineda; Laura Santos; Juan Pablo Ramos-Bonilla Journal: Curr Environ Health Rep Date: 2016-12