Asbestos and lung diseases: introduction and epidemiology

Our plain-English summary of Asbestos and lung diseases: introduction and epidemiology, by J.A. Nations, A.A. Lazarus (Disease-a-month, 2011).

The study

• Authors: J.A. Nations, A.A. Lazarus
• Journal: Disease-a-month
• Published: 2011;57(1):7-13
• Type of article: Historical article
• Cited by: 1 article, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Publisher

In plain English

This article was a short narrative review that opened an issue of Disease-a-Month on asbestos and lung diseases. It reported no new data. The authors traced how asbestos-related disease came to be recognized from the late 19th century. They described the fiber types: chrysotile is a serpentine form, and the authors wrote that amphiboles may be more carcinogenic. They noted continued asbestos use in parts of Asia and in India, bans in 52 countries, and asbestos contamination of vermiculite mined near Libby, Montana. In a section on asbestosis, they summarized earlier studies. One was a Public Health Service study of 541 North Carolina asbestos factory workers. Among those exposed to more than 5 million particles per cubic foot for 5 to 10 years, 51% had asbestosis. A 1965 study of 1117 insulation workers found abnormal chest radiographs in 10.4% of those with less than 10 years of exposure and 94.2% of those with more than 40 years. The authors concluded that asbestos is still not banned worldwide and that many developing countries still use it with less regulation.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: Narrative review (introductory article to a journal issue); no original data collected
• Who was studied: No study population of its own; the authors reviewed published reports and surveillance data on asbestos-related disease worldwide
• Exposure: Asbestos in general, including chrysotile (serpentine) and amphiboles; also amosite and asbestos-contaminated vermiculite are mentioned
• Main results:
  • Reviewed finding (Public Health Service study of 541 North Carolina asbestos factory workers): among workers exposed to more than 5 million particles per cubic foot, asbestosis was found in 6% with less than 5 years of exposure, 51% with 5 to 10 years, and 58% with more than 10 years. Fewer than 5% of workers exposed to 0 to 4.9 million particles per cubic foot were affected.
  • Reviewed finding (Selikoff et al., 1965, 1117 insulation workers): abnormal chest radiographs were found in 10.4% of those with less than 10 years of exposure, rising to 94.2% of those with more than 40 years
  • Reviewed finding (Kilburn et al.): among family members of shipyard workers employed more than 20 years in shipyards, radiographic evidence of asbestos disease was seen in 11.3% of wives, 7.6% of sons and 2.1% of daughters
  • Cited US surveillance data (Work-Related Lung Disease Surveillance Report 2002): about 20,000 patients were discharged from short-stay nonfederal hospitals with asbestosis in 2000. The corresponding figures were 5000 in 1990, 4000 in 1980 and 300 in 1970.
  • The article stated that all forms of asbestos were banned in 52 countries
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that, despite increased awareness of malignant and nonmalignant asbestos-related diseases, asbestos is not banned worldwide. They added that many developing countries still use it with less regulation and less than optimal surveillance and compensation.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Asbestosis.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Epidemiology.

Related studies

• A short history of the toxicology of inhaled particles — K. Donaldson, A. Seaton (2012)
• Rarity of malignant mesothelioma prior to the widespread commercial introduction of asbestos: the Mount Sinai autopsy experience 1883-1910 — J.A. Strauchen (2011)
• Applying quality criteria to exposure in asbestos epidemiology increases the estimated risk — A. Burdorf, D. Heederik (2011)
• The third wave of asbestos disease: exposure to asbestos in place. Public health control. Introduction — P.J. Landrigan (1991)
• The Rochdale asbestos cancer studies and the politics of epidemiology: what you see depends on where you sit — G. Tweedale (2007)
• Asbestosis — A.A. Lazarus, A. Philip (2011)

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