The Environmental Protection Agency took an unusual step last week: It opened a new period in which the public can comment on its proposed asbestos ban. The agency had gotten new information, officials said, including a series of ProPublica reports on dangerous working conditions in factories that use asbestos to make chlorine. Asbestos has been … [Read more...]
The silent malignant mesothelioma epidemic: a call to action
Malignant mesothelioma, recognised as a new disease in the 1950s, is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure and usually diagnosed decades after first exposure. The disease was initially restricted to asbestos workers, but diagnoses after non-occupational [ asbestos exposure ] continue to surge. Despite the acknowledgment by WHO and the … [Read more...]
EPA rule would finally ban asbestos, carcinogen still in use
The Environmental Protection Agency [(EPA)] on Tuesday proposed a rule to finally ban asbestos, a carcinogen that is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products and kills thousands of Americans every year. The proposal marks a major expansion of [ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ] regulation under a landmark 2016 law … [Read more...]
Asbestos inhalation poses cancer risks to workers and consumers
The processing and use of asbestos-containing diaphragms by the chlor-alkali industry poses an unreasonable risk to the health of workers, the US Environmental Protection Agency concludes in a draft risk evaluation. The assessment, released March 30, also finds unreasonable risks to workers and consumers who process or use asbestos-containing sheet … [Read more...]
Diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma: A case series of 62 patients including paraoccupational exposures to chrysotile asbestos
Background Diffuse peritoneal malignant mesothelioma (DPM) is caused by exposure to asbestos. The medical literature has linked DPM primarily to high levels of asbestos exposure, in particular amosite. Controversy persists as to whether chrysotile is capable of causing DPM, especially when exposures are paraoccupational. Methods Sixty-two … [Read more...]
Hand-spinning chrysotile exposure and risk of malignant mesothelioma: A case-control study in Southeastern China
While chrysotile has been commonly used by Chinese textile industry for many years, investigations on the association of chrysotile exposure with risk of mesothelioma in China are scarce. We conducted a case-control study in a county located at Southeastern China, including 46 cases and 230 individually matched controls. A semi-quantitative method … [Read more...]