The potential danger of asbestos to health

People who are constantly faced with asbestos, for example, in the process of its extraction and processing, as well as during working with asbestos-containing materials (in particular - while building when cutting and etc. operations involving the formation of dust) and not taking adequate measures to protect against dust may develop asbestosis - a slowly progressing lungs' fibrosis. Asbestosis is one of the lung pulmonary diseases. It refers to family of pneumonia.


Asbestosis develops within 10-20 years, although its appearance was observed after 1-2 years of permanent contact with asbestos. It should be noted that people, exposed to asbestos influence slight or significant, but briefly, have a virtually zero chance to get sick of asbestosis, i.e. asbestos is exclusively occupational disease. Along with asbestosis as a result of asbestos fibers' inhalation cancer can be developed. With asbestos' exposure linked such diseases as lung adenocarcinoma (lung cancer) and mesothelioma (a malignant tumor of the pleura or peritoneum), peritoneal mesothelial cells rarely adenocarcinoma pancreas.

In some cases, such diseases were observed even in humans, who are briefly exposed to asbestos' influence. The basic information about the carcinogenicity of asbestos was obtained during the epidemiological observations and experiments with animals. Evidence of asbestos' carcinogenicity when it is inhaled, have been recognized as convincing by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and in 1977 all types of asbestos without exception were found by IARC as Group 1 carcinogens, i.e. as unconditional human carcinogen. Such status of asbestos remains to this day.

It should be noted that the mechanism of carcinogenicity of various asbestos' types studied insufficiently. It is generally accepted, that chrysotile-asbestos is less dangerous than asbestos of an amphibole group. Not entirely clear which fibers (length and thickness) are the most dangerous. Such factors as the effect of other particles in the air with asbestos and smoking are studied adequately as well (it is found that smoker who works with asbestos have a greater chance of lung adenocarcinoma (cancer), but there is no single viewpoint on the mechanism of this mutual influence).Researchers who study asbestos' impact at the health use different methodologies and therefore the data they receive, sometimes contradictory.

All this demonstrates the need for significant additional research, as it is noted in a special conciliation report IARC. Since the late 70-ies of XX century, in the developed countries the debate about the potential harmfulness of asbestos and, accordingly, about the need to replace it with other materials has been dramatically exacerbated. There is no doubt that the development of chemical industry and the emergence of new synthetic fiber materials were reasons for starting this discussion. However, medical aspects remain in the heart of the dispute. In the past 10-15 years, the debate largely revolves around the chrysotile-asbestos and its hazards /safety for the general public while using it in the solid dense materials (e.g. asbestos). The dispute is also about the adequacy of protective measures for the health of workers of asbestos extractive and asbestos processing industries and for the health of building workers trades, as well as about the possibility of "correct" using of asbestos in compliance with certain security measures.

The problem is that proponents of asbestos' prohibition and their opponents do not have enough solid scientific arguments to tip the scales in one direction or the other finally and unequivocally Thus, in the U.S. the attempt to almost complete prohibition on using all types of asbestos (including chrysotile-asbestos) was undertaken by the Agency for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) back in 1989.However, in 1991 this decision was overturned by the Federal Court of Appeal. At the same in the Western Europe a complete prohibition on using all types of asbestos and almost all its scope has already been introduced in at least nine EU countries, with France, even won a hearing on the matter at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Canada (the latter true, filed an appeal). By 2005 the prohibition on using asbestos must have its power in the entire European Union. As regards asbestos contained in water, the danger of inhaling it, along with water vapour when taking a shower or humidification is negligible. If ingesting water containing asbestos, the risk of cancer is negligible also. Asbestos containing in water rationed in the U.S.A only.