AN ASBESTOS expert has warned that the number of men dying from a lethal lung disease caused by exposure to the mineral is likely to triple over the next 30 years.
Robin Howie said official predictions had “vastly underestimated” the death toll from mesothelioma, an incurable cancer, because they fail to take account of future improvements in life expectancy.
Mr Howie, an Edinburgh-based occupational hygienist who advises on health and safety, said that the expected surge in people living into the 80s and older meant that increasing numbers of men would survive long enough to develop mesothelioma, whereas past generations tended to die earlier from other illnesses. The condition takes 42 years on average to develop after initial exposure.
Source: Asbestos expert warns ageing population will drive surge in mesothelioma deaths
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